For a week or more after this there were no open clashes between Frank and his cronies and our three chums. On occasions, as they passed in the hall, Frank, Bart and Bill would laugh sneeringly or pass some slurring remark, but that was the extent of it. On the other hand Jerry, Bob and Ned made friends among the other lads in the various classes.
And right here the point might be emphasized once more that at Boxwood Hall there was not the sharp line drawn against freshmen in athletics and other matters that there is in some of the other colleges.
It is true that the freshmen were hazed and not allowed to appear on certain parts of the campus sacred to the sophomores, juniors and seniors. And there were some strictly class societies in which the membership was limited. But there were also secret organizations which were made up indiscriminately of members of all four classes.
In athletics, as has been said, there was also no tight line drawn. In big colleges, of course, freshmen are not eligible for the varsity, but at Boxwood Hall, where there was a limited number of students, in order to increase the available supply of players the freshmen were drawn upon. Thus it was that the nine and eleven had freshmen on, as well as sophomores, juniors and seniors. Nor were the freshmen obliged to refrain from residence in dormitories where their “betters” were housed, though there were some fraternity houses sacred to certain classes alone.
Football practice went on, and the more our three friends watched it, the more they wished they had made themselves fit to be candidates for the eleven. But it was too late now.
“I’m going to get into it next season though!” declared Jerry, while Ned and Bob echoed his words. “It’s great!”
This was on one of the occasions when Boxwood Hall played an old-time rival and won in a hard-fought battle. Another time she was not so successful, and lost to a college she had always beaten.
“But if we win from the military academy, I won’t have any regrets,” declared Ted Newton. “That’s the bunch I want to beat!”
“You’re going to get yours all right to-night,” was the word passed to Ned, Bob and Jerry one afternoon, following a lecture on zoology.
“Our what?” asked Ned.