"Billy Chase," murmured Jack, and it might be worthy of note that the formal "William" was dropped, and the more comradely name of "Billy" adopted. It was Billy Chase from then on, I might explain.
"Yes, Billy Chase," repeated Frank Racer. "The lad you spoke to me about—the lad who seems afraid of his own shadow."
"He wasn't afraid of a shadow to-night," commented Ward Platt, with a chuckle. "He went right at you, Frank."
"He sure did, and he's got a grip, too, let me tell you. Of course that was only a toy pistol I had, but he must have thought it was a real one. He got a hold on me and bent my arm back in regular Western style, so that, in case it had been a real gun, I couldn't have done anything. Oh, he's up to snuff all right, believe me!"
"And yet he seemed afraid you'd get something from him," commented Andy.
"Yes. That's the queer part of it. He must carry something valuable around with him, that he doesn't want someone to get."
"What happened after you told him who you were?" asked Ward.
"Oh, he seemed to wilt, and be sort of dazed. But I can't blame him. He had me 'buffaloed' for a while. It was a case of horse and horse. That Billy Chase is an all-right lad, I think, even if I did play a low-down trick on him. I think he'll make good, even if he is a Freshman."
"But what happened after we got out of the room?" asked Andy, in whose fertile brain the whole hazing joke had originated.
"Oh, we just stayed there, with our hands up in the air," explained John North. "Then some of the Freshmen began to get wise, and they soon saw some of us snickering. Then it was all up."