"Sure thing!" came from Songbird, and he commenced to recite:
"Oh, the sophs and the juniors will try
To steal from the freshies each tie;
But they will not win,
For we'll fight them like sin—"
"And bust 'em right plumb in the eye!"
finished Tom. "Oh, say, but will you all sew your neckties fast?"
"Sure!"
"And we'll tell the rest to do so, too," added another freshman who was present.
The news soon circulated, and was kept from all but the first-year students.
It must be confessed that many of the students found it hard to fix their minds on their lessons that afternoon. One boy, Max Spangler, brought on a great laugh when the following question was put to him:
"What great improvement in navigation did Fulton introduce?"
"Neckties," answered Max abstractedly.
"Neckties?" queried the instructor in astonishment.