Part 8 (1/2)

”No, you won't. I'll go along all right,” spoke up Mott. ”It's your turn now, but it'll be mine again, you know, and I'll see that you freshmen pay up all your scores with good interest!”

”Don't you threaten us!” said Peter John angrily, speaking now for the first time.

”I'm not threatening you, freshman, I'm just telling you what you'll have to go through, that's all. You can do with me what you please, but whatever you do you musn't forget that it'll be paid back five times over.”

”Don't stop here any longer. Come ahead, fellows,” said Hawley quickly.

The party with Mott in their midst swiftly pa.s.sed down the stairway and turned into the street that led toward ”the grove,” a clump of huge pine trees that had stood for many years on the borders of the rear campus of the college. The freshmen glanced anxiously about them, but apparently their presence was not noted by the few who were to be seen on the street, and they quickly increased the pace at which they were moving.

As they turned into the campus, Mott suddenly broke away from his captors who had been somewhat deceived by the apparent willingness with which he had followed them, and began to run swiftly back toward the college buildings. The soph.o.m.ore was known as one of the fleetest footed men in college, and already Will Phelps had had him pointed out as one of the few who had ”made” the track team in his freshman year. He had looked up to him with the respect that only a freshman can know for the prominent men in college life, and now was his opportunity to test his own ability against that of the fleeing member of the soph.o.m.ore cla.s.s.

Quickly he darted in pursuit, feeling rather than perceiving that his own cla.s.smates were speedily left far behind him. He was exerting himself to the utmost and ran as though the prize he was seeking was the greatest of coveted honors. As he sped over the gra.s.s his respect for his rival increased greatly, for whatever Mott's defects might be, there certainly was in him no lack of ability to run. The distance between the runners was steadily maintained, and indeed, it seemed to Will as if it was being increased. On and on he ran, and the college buildings were now near-by, and if the fleeing soph.o.m.ore should once gain an entrance in one of them then Will knew all further pursuit would be useless.

Suddenly the form of Mott disappeared in the dim light and Will Phelps stopped abruptly and peered keenly before him. But when his cla.s.smates joined him and all four cautiously advanced, several minutes elapsed before a solution for the mystery was found.

CHAPTER VII

SPLINTER'S QUESTIONS

Directly before them the boys could see a long ditch or trench which had been dug the entire length of the back campus and of whose existence they had not been aware. Doubtless Mott had known of it, however, and in his flight had made for it with all the speed he could command, either hoping to lead his pursuers into difficulty or trusting that it in some way would provide a means of escape for himself.

Whatever his plan may have been it succeeded admirably, for when the four freshmen stood together on the border of the trench not a sign of the presence of Mott could be discovered. In which direction he had fled they were also ignorant. It was evident however that he was gone and after a careful search had confirmed the conviction in their minds that the soph.o.m.ore had escaped, Will Phelps said:

”We'll have to give it up, fellows. He's gone.”

”We can go up to his room and get him,” suggested Peter John, who was becoming exceedingly bold under the confidence which the presence of his friends gave him.

”We can, but we won't,” said Hawley bluntly.

”Why not?” demanded Schenck.

”It's one thing to defend yourself, but it's another to fly straight into the arms of the sophs. I don't wonder that some of the freshmen get into trouble, they're so fresh. If the sophs didn't take it out of them I think our own cla.s.s itself would.”

”That's so,” responded Peter John cordially, ”I've thought of it myself lots of times. Now there's Merrivale--he rooms next to me, you know--he ought to be shown that he's too fresh.”

”What's he done?” inquired Foster.

”Why he came into my room last week and borrowed fifty cents, and he hasn't paid it back yet, either!”

”Oh, well, just remember what Mott said, Peter John.”

”What did he say?”

”He said every freshman would be paid back with interest.”

”I don't want any interest,” declared Peter John in all seriousness.

”I'll be satisfied if I'm paid back without that.”

”You'll get it, though,” laughed Will; and as his two companions also joined in his laugh Peter John said no more, except that he ”couldn't see anything very funny in _that_.”