"It was kinda rotten," Carl agreed, "but it was funny."
"It wasn't funny at all," Hugh said angrily.
Carl looked at him in surprise. It was the first time that he had seen him aroused.
"It wasn't funny at all," Hugh repeated; "it was just filthy. I'd 'a' just about died if I'd 'a' been in Wilkins's place. The poor kid! They're too damn dirty, these sophomores. I didn't think that college men could be so dirty. Why, not even the bums at home would think of such things. And I'm telling you right now that there are three of those guys that I'm layin' for. Just wait till the class rush. I'm going to get Adams, and then I'm going to get Cooper—yes, I'm going to get him even if he is bigger'n me—and I'm going to get Dodge. I didn't say anything when they made me wash my face in the toilet bowl, but, by God! I'm going to get 'em for it."
Three weeks later he made good this threat. He was a clever boxer, and he succeeded in separating each of the malefactors from the fighting mob. He would have been completely nonplussed if he could have heard Adams and Dodge talking in their room after the rush.
"Who gave you the black eye?" Adams asked Dodge.
"That freshman Carver," he replied, touching the eye gingerly. "Who gave you that welt on the chin?"
"Carver! And, say, he beat Hi Cooper to a pulp. He's a mess."
They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"Lord," said Dodge, "I'm going to pick my freshmen next time. Who'd take a kid with a smile like his to be a scrapper? He's got the nicest smile in college. Why, he looks meek as a lamb."