Page 24 - The Adventures of a Freshman

"Cork up your laughter," said Ballard.

Then they were made to crow like roosters and bark like dogs, and give other imitations, until they reached
the tow-path of the canal. Here they were made to strip.

"Can you swim?" one of the fellows asked.

Both said they could.

"Then jump in and swim across. Be quick about it."

The water was cool, but it did not hurt them.

"Now swim back and get your clothes."

While dressing they were made to sing "Home, Sweet Home"--"in order to keep warm," Channing said.

"Now cheer for the illustrious class above you. Are you ready?--Hip--Hip!"

The college cheer was given with the Sophomore class numerals on the end.

"I don't think I heard your sweet voice, Deacon Young," said one of the Sophs, a tall fellow with glasses.
"Suppose you give us one all alone. Now then, Hip--Hip!"

Young kept silent.

"See here, you cheer, Deacon. Do as we tell you." This from Ballard, who bellowed.

Young looked around at the Sophomores--there were twelve of them--and then glanced at the canal; he did
not want to go in there again; he was shivering already.

"Hip--Hip!" said Ballard. Young gave a feeble cheer.

The man with the glasses said: "H'm, you'll have to do better than that. Now then, a loud one."

Young cleared his throat and gave a loud, full cheer.

"That's the way to talk," they said, encouragingly.

"It won't hurt you, you see," said one of them, rather kindly, in a low voice.

"You are improving, Deacon Young," said Channing, patronizingly. "We'll make a man of you yet."

Thus began a new epoch in the life of William Young. During the next week or so of his college course he
was hazed perhaps more than anyone in his class, although from that first time he no longer resisted or tried to
maintain his superiority.

Undoubtedly hazing, as Linton, the Junior, said, was a good thing for his system, as it is for any young man,
but Young certainly did not need such severe doses nor so many of them.

Some of the fellows said so the third time he was taken to the canal. "The old Deacon is all right now," they
said; "why d'you give it to him so hard?"