rned!" thought Carl. It was the one man
who would be expected not to support the heretic Frazer--it was Carl's
rustic ex-room-mate, Plain Smith. Genie was leaning against the pew in
front of him, but Plain Smith bulked more immovable than Carl.

No one joined the three. All through the chapel was an undertone of
amazed comment and a constant low hissing of, "Sssssit down!"

The president, facing them, looked strained. It occurred to Carl that
S. Alcott Wood had his side of the question. He argued about the
matter, feeling detached from his stolidly defiant body. Then he
cursed the president for keeping them there. He wanted to sit down. He
wanted to cry out....

President Wood was speaking. "Is there any one else? Stand up, if
there is. No one else? Very well, young men, I trust that you are now
satisfied with your heroism, which we have all greatly appreciated, I
am sure. [Laughter.] Chapel dismissed."

Instantly a swirl of men surrounded Carl, questioning: "What j' do it
for? Why didn't you keep still?"

He pushed out through them. He sat blind through the first-hour quiz
in physics, with the whole class watching him. The thought of the
Turk's failure to rise kept unhappy vigil in his mind. The same
sequence of reflections ran around like midnight mice in the wall:

"Just when I needed him.... After all his talk.... And us so chummy,
sitting up all hours last night. And then the Turk throws me down....
When he'd said so many times he just wanted the chance to show how
strong he was for Frazer.... Damn coward! I'll go room with Genie. By
gosh----Oh, I got to be fair to the Turk. I don't suppose he could
have done much real good standing up. Course it does make you feel
kind of a poor nut, doing it. Genie looked----Yes, by the Jim Hill!
there you are. Poor little scrawny Genie--oh yes, sure, it was up to
_him_ to stand up. He wasn't afraid. And the Turk, the big stiff, he
was afraid to.... Just when I needed him. After all our talk about
Frazer, sitting up all hours----"

Through the black whirlpool in his head pierced an irritated, "Mr.
Ericson, I said! Have you gone to sleep? I understood you were
excellent at standing up! What is your explanation of the phenomenon?"
The professor of physics and mathematics--the same who had pursued
Carl on the ledge--was speaking to him.

Carl mumbled, sullenly, "Not prepared." The class sniggered. He
devoted a moment to hating them, as pariahs hate, then through his
mind w