“Carry you to the locker room, change your clothes, take you upstairs, and give you, like a bundle of old rags, to Professor Beck,” answered Dave.
“Let me down, then, and I’ll agree.” Once more he found his feet, but the others took no chances and still stood guard.
“Promise to do your work?” asked Don.
“Yes,” growled Wayne.
“Honest Injun?”
“Honest Injun,” echoed the other.
“All right,” replied Dave. “Then let’s proceed.”
They walked on, Wayne striving to look at ease under the inquiring gaze of many eyes as they passed up the steps and into the building. In the locker room Dave and Paddy left him to get into their own clothes and to hurry away to the campus, while Don stood by and listened patiently to all that Wayne had to say, which was much, and not altogether polite or flattering. Then the two proceeded upstairs and Wayne went through a long siege with the dumb-bells and the chest weights. Professor Beck made no sign, and Wayne wondered resentfully if he was aware of his presence. He was, for after awhile he came to the boy, watched him tugging the cords over his shoulders for a moment in silence and then said:
“Don’t get yourself too tired, Gordon. Stop when you think best.”