_, as he was
nailed by three or four peas. "I can't stand this! It's too much!"

He bolted off the stage.

_Legree_ looked dismayed, and then he advanced to the footlights and
addressed the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "I trust you will excuse the gentleman
who is playing the part of _Marks_. He has not been well for several
days, and he is somewhat troubled with hallucinations. Of course we know
his troubles are all imaginary, and---- Ye-e-e-ow! I'm shot!"

A pea had struck him squarely between the eyes, and he started back so
suddenly that he sat down on the stage as if he had been knocked off his
feet.

"A-haw! a-haw! a-haw!" roared the voice of Joe Gamp, and the audience
joined in the shout of laughter.

CHAPTER XXVI.

TRAPPED.

There was an uproar in the theatre, which the ushers and the police were
unable to quell for some time.

The curtain was rung down, and then, after a short wait, the manager
came out and said the show would go on, if the audience would behave. He
threatened to have the persons who were using the pea-shooters arrested,
and this threat was greeted by hisses and catcalls.

After a while, however, the curtain went up once more, and the play
proceeded in a tangle of "real Siberian bloodhounds," _Gumption Cutes_,
_Marks_, _Topsies_, _Little Evas_, escaping slaves, slave hunters and
general excitement and confusion.

It was plain that the actors feared further trouble, and they were
rushing through their lines, eager to get off the stage as soon as
possible.

The bloodhounds were cheered by the students and peppered with peas.
When _Topsy_ declared she "nebber was born, but jes' growed," some one
inquired the name of the fertilizer used in her rearing. When the
jackass appeared, a solemn voice from some uncertain part of the theatre
called the attention of the audience to the "leading actor of the
colossal aggregation." _Little Eva_ was invited to exhibit her wings.

The college boys were irrepressible, and yet they did not do anything to
absolutely break up the show, although Joe Gamp's haw-haws came near
proving disastrous several times.

A policeman came down to the box and threatened to arrest Joe, but he
was pacified by Creighton, who had a decidedly smooth way of "fixing
things."

Frank Merriwell remained quiet until near the end of the play, enjoying
the sport the other fellows were making. At last, however, he decided to
produce some amusement him