The crowd of fun-loving students hurried after the three lads carrying the sofa.
“They’re coming!” exclaimed Tom.
“Let’s drop the sofa and cut for it?” proposed Sid. “They’ll make a rough house if they catch us.”
“I’m not going to desert the sofa!” exclaimed Tom.
“Nor I. I’ll stick by you—‘I will stand at thy right hand, and guard the bridge with thee,’” quoted Phil. “But if we put a little more speed on we can get to the dormitory, and that will be sanctuary, I guess. Come on; run, fellows!”
It was awkward work, running and carrying a clumsy sofa, but they managed it. Holly Cross caught up to them as they were at the door of the building.
“Ah, let’s have the old ark,” he pleaded. “We’ll make a bonfire of it, and circle about it to-night, after we haze some freshies. Give us the old relic, Tom.”
“Not on your life!” exclaimed the crack pitcher of the ’varsity nine. “This is our choicest possession, Holly. It goes wherever we go.”
“Well, it won’t go much longer,” observed Holly. “One of its legs is coming off.”