Page 35 - The Adventures of a Freshman

Young was panting, too, so he only said, "No--still here." He had got Lee into this mess and he meant to stick
by him.

The Sophomores, keeping tight hold of Lee and tighter hold of Young, slowly arose, allowing their recaptured
prisoners to stand up.

"I hope you're not hurt, Lee?" asked one of them in a somewhat sympathetic voice. He still kept tight hold of
the Freshman, however.

"Nope, I reckon not," said Lee, who hadn't been playing football since the age of twelve for nothing.

They all leaned against the fence and panted for a moment

Young made out nearly a dozen Sophomores in the half-dark.

Lee stopped panting and smiled. "Well, what are you going to do with us?" he asked, grimly.

"Shut up, Freshman, that's our business," said one of them. It was the same man that had asked Lee if he was
hurt a moment before.

"So, Deacon," said Channing, "you wouldn't come back when we told you to, you old hay-seed Deacon!"

Young knew what he referred to, but only looked sober and said nothing, as usual.

"Well, well," went on Channing, "so you two proc.-hunters thought you'd get away, didn't you? Too bad, too
bad; teaches Freshmen a good lesson: little boys must not be out at night. It's not nice."

"Well, Channing, where shall we put these two foolish virgins?" asked a gruff voice. The dawn was coming in
and Young and Lee saw that it was that big Ballard.

Now, it was customary on occasions of this sort to take all prisoners to some room, generally right there in
University Hall, and lock them up for the rest of the night, and that's what the Sophomores would have done
in this case but for Channing. "Put them!" replied Channing, indignantly, "we sha'n't put them anywhere until
we have dealt out due chastisement for their rash impudence in trying to escape from their lawful lords and
masters. Am I not right? They should make recompense for the trouble they have given us." It was Channing's
usual vein.

"Aw, see here, Chan," said one of the others, "we've got a lot of work still to do and it's getting light already.
We can't stop to do any hazing. Let's lock them up in George Black's room."

But Channing was not going to let this opportunity slip by for getting square for what Young had done only a
few hours previous. He did not know that there had been witnesses to the spanking--as yet. "Let the prisoners
follow," he said, and he led the way back to the corner where the two parties had met.

Near by, on the ground beside the iron fence, stood a bucket of paste, a big brush, and a roll of proclamations.
Young and Lee had not seen them before.

"Here are paste and proclamations," said Channing, "and here are strong hands and willing. What is to hinder
the strong hands being set to work? Arise, Freshmen, gird up your loins and paste procs, for the day soon
cometh when no man can paste."

"Right," said the others, smiling. "Kill two birds with one stone."