Here the Parson raised his hands solemnly and put on his best Latin accent:
“‘Non civium ardor prava jubentium,
Non vultus instantis tyrannis
Mente quatit solida——’”
The Parson got no farther than that, though if it had been necessary he could have chanted the whole of the famous ode. Just then the affair came to a climax.
The tough gang, of course, understood nothing of this classical oration, which ought to have moved their souls to tears. All they knew was that that crazy guy was making a speech and promising no end of fun. It would be great sport to have a scrap and “push his slats in” at the end of the proceedings. And accordingly they raised a shout of delight, interspersed with many encouraging comments, swearing with no mild profanity at the rest of the Seven, who were trying to stop the speech.
And then suddenly from the rear a decayed potato came flying and struck the learned Parson full in the mouth!
Can you imagine a marble statue turning red with rage? That comes about as near as anything to describing what happened to the scholarly and solemn orator at that outrageous insult. A thousand things contributed to his anger. The pain, the disgrace, the rudeness in interrupting him in the midst of that wonderful poem! Truly it was enough to “make the very dogs of Rome rise up in rage and mutiny!”
The Parson was not a dog, but he arose, and he arose with a vengeance. In fact, he seemed fairly to tower up before his startled enemies. He drew one deep breath, raised his hands to the stars (for even then the Parson could do nothing hastily) and invoked the aid of his nine Olympian Immortals; and then with a roar of fury shut his fists and plunged like an angry bull into the very midst of his astounded assailants.
Parson Stanard had had one fight before this, as history records it. A few cadets, no more respectful of his genius and learning than these young toughs, had tied him in a sack and dragged him about the Cavalry Plain. The Parson had gotten out of that sack and employed his geological “prehensile” muscles to just the same effect as he was employing them now. The result was a sight for the edification of those immortal gods of his.