He stopped abruptly as he perceived how excited his classmate was, but before he could make any inquiries Will broke in:  “We’ve got a lot of sophs shut up in Peter John’s room!  Get some of the fellows and make for the room!  Hawley’s holding ’em in!  Tell Jones and Camp to come and then tell them to get some more and every one to bring two or three with him.  Get some more yourself and I’ll do the same.”

Before his astonished room-mate could make any further inquiries, Will darted out of the room and ran down the stairway covering three steps at a leap.  But Foster understood what it was that was demanded of him, and, without hesitating an instant, seized his cap and swiftly followed.

The scheme worked marvelously well, and within five minutes a band of twenty-five freshmen had assembled in the hall in front of Peter John’s and Hawley’s room in Leland.  Hawley was still holding the door and no outcry from within the room had been heard.

“How many sophs room in this entry?” said Will quickly.

“Four,” replied Hawley.  “Two in the front corner room on the second floor and two in the back corner.”

“Can you hold on till we can fix them?”

“I can hold on forever.  But you’d better be quick about it.”

At Will’s word four of his classmates followed him to the floor below and two were speedily assigned to hold one door while two more held the other.  They were to be quiet, and, if no outbreak was made, then they were not to make their presence known, but under no circumstances were the sophomores to be permitted to come out from their rooms.

As soon as this arrangement had been perfected Will ran swiftly back to join Hawley and his classmates on the floor above.  Hawley was still standing at his post of duty, but as Will approached he laughed silently and whispered: 

“What’ll we do now, fellows?”

Several whispered suggestions were made, but at last it was agreed that the assembled freshmen should step back on either side and that Hawley should permit the door to be partly opened.  It was confidently believed that the sophomores would rush out, and, if they did, a half-dozen were to be permitted to come forth and these were to be seized as silently as possible and bound by the freshmen as their own unfortunate classmate, Peter John Schenck, had already been treated.  When a few had emerged and been seized then Hawley was to strive to close the door again and hold the others within, and, with the force thus divided, no strong resistance could be made and the treatment which they were to receive could be determined upon.