Joe looked from one to the other in some bewilderment. He knew there was some catch, and that he had not answered categorically, but for the moment he forgot.
“Put the handle on,” he was reminded, and then it came to him.
“Sir,” he added with a smile.
“Right, Freshie. Don’t forget your manners next time,” and the two went swinging along, rolling out the chorus of some class song.
The confusion increased. More students poured from the train, overwhelming the expressmen with their demands and commands. The hacks and carriages were being rapidly filled. Orders were being shouted back and forth. Exuberance was on every side.
“Oh ho! This way, Merton!” yelled someone, evidently a signal for the lads from that school to assemble.
“Over here, Lisle!”
“There’s Perk!”
“Yes, and who’s he got with him?”