They were sophomores who had somehow followed them out there to East Rock, having been aroused and told of the capture of Browning and his mates by the soph who escaped.

One fellow on a bicycle had followed them till he felt sure of their destination, and then he had turned back and told the others, who hastily secured teams and flew to the rescue.

“’Umpty-seven!  ’Umpty-seven!  ’Rah, ’rah! ’rah!” yelled the rescuers as they charged upon the freshmen.

“’Umpty-eight!  ’Umpty-eight!  ’Rah! ’rah! ’rah!” howled the painted lads in return.

Then for a few moments there was a pitched battle.

The battle did not last long, for the freshmen saw they were outnumbered, and at a signal from their leader they broke away and took to their heels.

By rare good luck every man was able to get away, for, not knowing anything about the water-soaked wood piled about the feet of the captives, the rescuers nearly all stopped to scatter the burning brush.

“Oh, say!” grated Browning, as he was released.  “But this means gore and bloodshed!  We’ll never rest till we have squared for this roast, and we will square with interest!  Merriwell’s life will be one long, lingering torture from this night onward!”

“What’s all this racket and cheering?” asked one of the rescuers.  “Listen, fellows!  By Jove! it seems to come from the place where we left our carriages!”

“That’s what it does, and it’s the freshman yell,” cried another.  “Come on, fellows!  If we don’t get a move on we may have to walk back.”

They started on a run, but when they arrived at the place where the teams had been left not a team was there.

The freshmen had captured the teams, drivers and all, together with the hack, and far along the road toward the city could be heard a cheering, singing crowd.  As the disgusted and furious sophs stood and listened the singing and cheering grew fainter and fainter.

“Fellows,” said Chop Harding, “I am sorry to leave Yale, but I am certain to be hanged for murder.  After this, whenever I see a freshman I shall kill him instantly.”

It was a doleful and weary crowd of sophs that came filing back into town and sneaked to their rooms that night.

Of course the sophs would have given a great deal could they have kept the story quiet, but on the following morning it seemed that every student in the college knew all about it.

The juniors laughed and chaffed the sophomores, who were sullen and sulky and who muttered much about getting even.

The freshmen were jubilant.  They were on top for the time, and they all knew they might not have long to crow, so they did all the crowing they could in a short time.

And still nobody seemed to know just who was concerned in the affair, save that Merriwell and Browning must have been.

When Browning was questioned he was so blankly ignorant of everything that it seemed as if he had slept through the whole affair.  He had a way of turning every question off with another question, and it was soon discovered that no information could be obtained from him.