There was a sensation at once. Never before in the history of the school had a freshman dared the upper classmen to haze him, or had named the time and place. Would such a plan hold out?
It would, and it did. The very novelty of the thing had assured it, as Bill expected. Some little time before the hour given, a number of would-be spectators began to gather in the hallway, as Bill and Gus, studying in their room, could tell from the tramping of feet outside their door. Then there was the louder tramp of feet coming nearer and without a preliminary call or knock the door flew open. The chums looked up from their books with well simulated surprise. In the doorway and crowding behind stood several upper classmen and easy confidence was written all over their eager faces.
“Come right in, gentlemen; we are at your service,” said Bill.
“Ho, men! What’s this? Wire entanglements?”
The question was opportune; flimsily stretched across in front of the attacking party and about shoulder high were some copper wires, and about equally spaced below were others. It could be seen that these offered no serious check, as anyone could spread them apart and push through. It was evidently with this intention that the hazers fairly struggled through the door in the effort of each to be first—at least half a dozen youths had their hands on the wires. Then Bill leaned back against the wall and his hand came in contact with a button.
Pandemonium! Cries of distress, yells of something more than discomfort, howls of dismay, calls for succor—the S O S in other than code signals. This was a very pretty chorus increased by some others who, hastily coming to the rescue, also became entangled. The rest, chiefly onlookers, refrained from too close acquaintance with the very apparent cause of all the trouble. But the truly crucial part of the crisis was due to the fact that those who suffered by contact with the wires found it impossible to get away from the source of distress.