Then Frank was lifted to his feet and assisted to don his coat.

“If you want to stay and see the fun, put on a mask,” directed Mephisto.  “You must not be recognized by the other freshies.”

He was given a mask and he put it on as directed.

A moment later the masked youths began to howl and blow horns.  A door opened, and Diamond, blindfolded and bound, was led into the room.

The young Virginian stood up haughtily, and he was seen to strain and struggle in an effort to free his hands.

“I protest against this outrage!” he cried, angrily.  “I want you to know that my father—­”

The horns and the shouts drowned his words.  He was forced to mount the steps to a high platform, and an instant later he found himself shooting down a slippery incline of planed and greased boards.

The racket stopped as Diamond scooted down the slippery surface.  He dropped sprawling into the vat of icy water.  Several hands caught hold of him, yanked him up, and thrust him down again.

“Oh, somebody shall suffer for this!” gurgled the helpless freshman, spluttering water from his mouth.

He was dragged out of the vat, and then he was forced to endure all the hustling, and thumping, and banging which Frank Merriwell had passed through.  His protests seemed to fall on deaf ears.

It had been reported that Diamond had declared that the sophomores would not dare to haze him, as his father would make it hot for them if they did.  The report was remembered, and he was used more severely than Frank had been.

Hazing at Yale was said to be a thing of the past, but Frank saw it was still carried on secretly.

“Make a speech, fresh!” shouted a voice.

“Speech! speech!” yelled the masked lads.

Diamond was placed on a low table.

For a moment he hesitated, and then he fancied he saw his opportunity to make a protest that would be heard.

“I will make a speech,” he declared.  “I’ll tell you young ruffians what I think of you and what—­”

Swish! a sponge that was dripping with dirty water struck him square in the mouth.  Some of the water went down his throat, and he choked and strangled.

The table was jerked from beneath his feet, and he fell into the waiting arms of the masked sophomores.

“He called us ruffians!  Give it to him!”

Then the unfortunate freshman was used worse than ever.  He was tossed in a blanket, given a powerful shock of electricity, deafened by the horns, pounded with the stuffed clubs, and hustled till there was scarcely any breath left in his body.

Then the bandage was torn from Diamond’s eyes and he was confronted by the guillotine, over which fresh red ink had been liberally spattered.  The blade of the huge knife was dripping in a gory manner, and it really looked as if it had just completed a deadly piece of work.