“We’ll call it quits if you want. I suppose we’ve got to hand it to you two.” This last from Siebold.
“Going to call it all off, then? Give us your word! We can’t believe that any fellows in Marshallton Tech would go back on their word.” Bill was smiling genially.
“That can’t be called in question. All off. You’re exempt.” There was a general acquiescence to this. The door slowly and to the seven quite mysteriously swung open; the seven started to file out.
“Good-by, fellows, and no hard feelings. We were only having a little fun with you as you were going to have with us. You can’t——”
“Well, but you two have still got to remember,” said Siebold, shaking his finger at Bill and Gus, “that you are freshies and must keep in your places. You’ve got a little the better of us this time, but——”
“Golly, Dan,” spoke up a fellow hazer, “a little the better? Strikes me we’ve all been good and licked and these chaps ought to get the credit for——” The voice died away along the hall and Bill turned to his chum.
“We don’t want any credit, do we, Gus? But we will get it just the same when this gets out. I sort o’ think our little stock has gone up about one thousand percentum, even though we are freshies.”
This proved quite correct. In a few minutes a lot of freshmen had crowded into the room and there was a sprinkling of sophs also. Questioned eagerly, Bill explained quite freely the purpose of the encounter and its result. Whereupon a big, fat soph declared quite vehemently:
“Huh! They were easily licked. No pluck. You’re lucky to have run into a bunch of quitters.”
“You wouldn’t have quit, eh, Jumbo?” ventured another, grinning.