adger. She had eagerly searched for him in the
procession, and had but found him when that indication of a wrangle came
to disturb her.

The procession seemed to be breaking up and concentrating beneath and
around the elm where that struggle was taking place. Far in front a
number of students were bellowing their "Omega Lambda Chi," but the
others had ceased to sing.

"See how great a matter a little fire kindleth!" said Dismal.

And Dismal was right. The beginning of that scramble was trivial enough.
But the trouble which it kindled was destined to outlive the moment and
seriously affect the life and fortunes of at least one of the
participants. Jones was merely grumbling one of his proverbs, without
dreaming how appropriate the words really were.

Donald Pike had been nagging and tormenting the Chickering set. He had
bumped his toes against Ollie Lord's high-heeled shoes. In the lock-step
walk he had put his hands crushingly on Tilton Hull's high choker
collar. He had pitched against and torn Gene Skelding's flaring necktie.
And he had even dared to knock off Julitan Ives' hat and disarrange his
lovely bang.

At last, in his exuberance, he seized a handful of clammy soil that was
almost the consistency of mud, and playfully tossed it at Lew Veazie. It
missed Veazie, and, by an infortuitous fate, took Buck Badger smack in
the eye. Badger, who had seen Pike's antics, clapped a hand to his eye
with a grunt of pain and astonishment.

"You scoundrel!" he bellowed. Then he lunged at Pike, with a startling
suddenness that took Donald quite off his guard and threw him headlong.

Badger believed that Pike had thrown the mud into his eye purposely.
There had been bad feeling between them, and even worse, for some time,
and the gap separating them seemed to be growing wider all the while.
Each had said exasperating and belittling things of the other, and a
wall of hate had been built up where once there had been a bond of
strong friendship. The pain in Badger's eye was excruciating, and it
rendered him for a little while absolutely reckless. Fortunately, it
also rendered him incapable of inflicting on his former friend the
punishment which his rage dictated.

For a short time affairs were exciting enough. Sophomores and freshmen
deserted the procession and leaped for the elm where the crowd was
quickly gathering. Badger threw himself on Pike, after the latter was
down, and would have proceeded to pound his face, without