And then a crowd of at least twelve students surrounded the cane, hauling and twisting it this way and that. It was a determined but good-natured crowd. The sophomores felt they must break the offending stick into bits, while the freshmen considered it the part of honor to save the same bit of wood from destruction.
At last Sam saw his chance, and with a quick movement he leaped directly on the shoulders of one of the second-year students. As the fellow went down he caught hold of two of his chums to save himself. This loosened the hold on the cane, and in a twinkling Sam, aided by Stanley, had it in his possession. He leaped down and started on a run for the dormitory.
"After him! Get the cane!"
"Don't let him get away with it!"
"Nail him, somebody!"
So the cries rang out. Several sophomores tried to head the youngest Rover off, but he was too quick for them. He dodged to the right and the left, and hurled one boy flat. Then he ran around a corner of a building, mounted the steps to a side door, and disappeared from view.
"Hurrah for Sam Rover!"
"Say, that was as good as a run on the football field!"
"That's the time the sophs got left."
"Hi! Where's my cane?" howled William Philander, gazing around in perplexity as soon as the second-year students let go of him.