Part 60 (1/2)

”You said I was smoking too much,” said d.i.n.k maliciously.

”Ugh! Don't--no, that wasn't it.”

”Shut up, old c.o.c.kalorum,” said d.i.n.k pleasantly. ”I know all you want to say--found it out myself--it's all in one word--swelled head!”

”Oh!” said Tough deprecatingly, now that d.i.n.k had turned accuser.

”I've been a little, fluffy a.s.s!” said d.i.n.k, marvelously stimulated to repentance by the episode which had gone before. ”But that's over. My head's subsiding.”

”What?”

The two burst into sympathetic laughter.

”You--you didn't mind my sailing into you, old horse?” said Tough.

”Not now.”

McCarty looked mystified.

”Tough,” said d.i.n.k with a queer look, ”if you had smoked that black devil and I hadn't--all would have been over between us. As it is----”

”Well?” said Tough.

”As it is--Tough, here's my hand--let's swear an eternal friends.h.i.+p!”

”Put it there!”

”I say, Tough----”

”What?”

”Now, on your honor--did you ever smoke a cigar before?”

”Never,” said McCarty. ”And I'll never smoke another. So help me.”

”Nor I. I say, what was that name?”

”Invincibles.”

”That's where we should have stopped!”

”d.i.n.k, I begin to feel a little chilly.”

”Tough, that's a good sign; let's up.”

Arm in arm, laughing uproariously, they went, still a little shaky, back toward the school.

”I say, Tough,” said d.i.n.k, throwing his arm affectionately about the other's shoulders. ”I've been pretty much of a jacka.s.s, haven't I?”