w. I shall let you stay
there till you do." Softly: "Hurry back into the faculty-room and see
if you can get him from that side. Bet it's one of the sneaking Frazer
faction."

Carl said nothing; did not budge. He peeped at the ledge above him. It
was too far for him to reach it. He tried to discern the mass of the
ground in the confusing darkness below. It seemed miles down. He did
not know what to do. He was lone as a mateless hawk, there on the
ledge, against the wall whose stones were pinchingly cold to the small
of his back and his spread-eagled arms. He swayed slightly; realized
with trembling nausea what would happen if he swayed too much.... He
remembered that there was pavement below him. But he did not think
about giving himself up.

From the mathematics-room window came: "Watch him. I'm going out after
him."

The young professor's shoulders slid out of the window. Carl carefully
turned his head and found that now a form was leaning from the
faculty-room window as well.

"Got me on both sides. Darn it! Well, when they haul me up on the
carpet I'll have the pleasure of telling them what I think of them."

The young professor had started to edge along the ledge. He was coming
very slowly. He stopped and complained to some one back in the
mathematics-room, "This beastly ledge is icy, I'm afraid."

Carl piped: "Look out! Y're slipping!"

In a panic the professor slid back into the window. As his heels
disappeared through it, Carl dashed by the window, running sidewise
along the ledge. While the professor was cautiously risking his head
in the night air outside the window again, gazing to the left, where,
he had reason to suppose, Carl would have the decency to remain, Carl
was rapidly worming to the right. He reached the corner of the
building, felt for the tin water-pipe, and slid down it, with his
coat-tail protecting his hands. Half-way down, the cloth slipped and
his hand was burnt against the corrugated tin. "Consid'able slide," he
murmured as he struck the ground and blew softly on his raw palm.

He walked away--not at all like a melodramatic hero of a
slide-by-night, but like a matter-of-fact young man going to see some
one about business of no great importance. He abstractedly brushed his
left sleeve or his waistcoat, now and then, as though he wanted to
appear neat.

He tramped into the telephone-booth of the corner drug-store, called
up Professor Frazer:

"Hello? Professor Frazer?... This is