"You must give it to me! Why, Miss Margaret DeVoe Marlow gave me that cane last summer, when we were at Newport. I want—"
"No more cane for you, freshie!" was the cry. And then, to Tubbs' untold horror, one of the sophomores placed the cane across his knee as if to break it in two.
"Don't you break that cane! Don't you dare to do it!" cried the dude, and then he commenced to struggle violently, for the cane was very dear to him, being a birthday gift from one of his warmest lady friends. In the scuffle which followed William Philander had his collar and necktie torn from him and his coat was split up the back.
"Say, this is going too far!" cried Dick, and then he raised his voice: "Freshmen to the rescue!"
"This is none of your affair," growled the sophomore who had led the attack on Tubbs.
"Don't break that cane!" cried Tom. "If you do somebody will get a bloody nose!"
"We'll do as we please!" cried several second-year students.
Then Tom and Sam rushed for the cane and got hold of it. Two sophomores held fast on the other side, and a regular tug-of-war ensued. In the meantime other sophomores were making life miserable for Tubbs. They took his hat and used it for a football, and threw the dude on his back and piled on top of him until he thought his ribs were going to be stove in.
"What's the row?" The call came from Stanley, and he and Max appeared, followed by Songbird and several others.
"Attack on Tubblets!" called Tom. "To the rescue, everybody! Save the cane!"