“I’ll explain it to you.”  And Allen at once went into the details of the scheme he proposed.  Both Will and Foster laughed as he laid it before them, and willingly consented to do their part.  Peter John, however, said not a word, and when the visitors prepared to depart, Allen said, “You’re to assemble at the gym, you know, and the parade will be formed in front of it on the street.  It’ll march up Main Street, down East End Avenue, around through Walker Street, up West Street, across Drury Lane and then back into Main Street and then on down to the ball ground.  There the parade will break up and the freshmen and sophomores will have their annual ball game.  It’ll be great fun if you take it in the right spirit, and you’ll have plenty of spectators too.”

“How’s that?” said Foster.

“Why, the whole college, faculty and all, will turn out to see it, and of course all the village people will be on hand, and if it’s a good day there’ll be a crowd here from out of town.  The trains will be crowded that day, and there’ll be a good many who’ll come into Winthrop with their automobiles.  You’ll never forget the day as long as you live.”

“Great!” exclaimed Will.  “I wish it was to-morrow.  Where shall we get these things we’re to wear?”

“You can find them in the stores, or maybe I’ll be able to help you out some.  Come down to my room to-morrow and I’ll see what can be done.  Good night,” Allen added, as he and his classmates started down the stairway.

“Good night,” responded Will and Foster, and then closed the door.

“Of all the foolishness I ever heard that beats all,” said Peter John when the freshmen were by themselves once more.  “They don’t get me into it.”

“Oh, yes, Peter John.  Don’t pull off that way,” said Will cordially.

“Not much.  I’m not so big a fool as they take me to be.”

“You’ll be a bigger one if you keep out.”

“Maybe I will, but I’m not going to go into any such doings.”

“Now look here, Peter John.  You’re a freshman, but you can’t help that and no one blames you for it.  I’m—­”

“I’m no more a freshman than you are,” retorted Peter John warmly.

“Right you are.  But you don’t want to make a bad matter worse.  If you keep out you’ll be a marked man and everybody in college will hear about it.  It’ll be a great deal better for you to go in quietly, and whatever you think about it, just keep your thoughts to yourself, and don’t call the attention of the whole college to you by your foolishness.  It’ll be simply a challenge for the sophs, if you don’t do it, and you’ll be the one to suffer.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.”

“I guess the sophs found out what sort of a fellow I was the other night.  I’d have brained the first one that laid hands on me.”

“You didn’t though, and you wouldn’t.  It’s a great deal better to do as Hawley did and just laugh it off.”