“Well, well, we shall see. From what Gray wrote, I think we may trust you. Good evening, boys.”
CHAPTER III
HAZED?
At the long supper table in the spacious basement of the dormitory, many curious glances were aimed at Bill and Gus, and many a terse remark was shot at them respecting their departure from the honorable ways and the rules of the school. Most pronounced were the expressions of wonder over the fact that the carrier of concealed weapons had not been expelled, or suspended at once. Finally a sophomore whose influence seemed to count most gave voice to the prevailing sentiment:
“Well, I must say if that gun had been pulled on me, I’d have made the cad use it.”
“I’ll bet you would, too, Siebold!” declared an admirer.
Bill got on his feet and there was an instant hush. There was something to expect from the daring and apparently successful gunman. He laughed, and that also charged the atmosphere. When he spoke he had undivided attention:
“You would have run like any other scared puppy,” Bill said to Siebold. “We would have listened to you ki-yi-ing for about a mile. Say, look here, you hazers: You’re a bunch of muts! Hear me? The whole lot of you couldn’t haze anybody that puts up a fight, if you played anyway fair and gave a little notice. We’ll give you a dare, Siebold, you and all your deputies, though I suppose you’ll send them and hang back yourself. We’ll be ready to take all the hazing you fellows can give to-morrow afternoon at about three o’clock; only there isn’t one of you who will have the nerve to show up. Oh, ‘no weapons?’ That was only a cigar case I pulled on you to-day. It wouldn’t shoot, but, by cracky, it worked!” And Bill laughed, with Gus and a few others who admired the boy’s nerve.