ied an Indian club (also borrowed from the gymnasium), and
with this they promised to tap any of the Crows on the head if he made
the slightest disturbance.

The ten other Lakerimmers hastened down to the ground floor again just
in time to welcome the earliest of the Crows to arrive. This was a
fellow who had always believed up to this time in being punctual; but
he was very much discouraged in this excellent habit by the reception
he got at the gymnasium. For, on saying, in answer to the voice behind
the door, that he had the honor of being a Crow, he was ushered in and
treated to the same knock-down hospitality that had been meted out to
the Committee of Six.

The wisdom of using the words "after dark" on the forged invitation
was soon made evident, because the Crows did not come all at once,
but gradually, by ones and twos, every few minutes between seven and
half-past. In this way eleven more of the Crows were taken in. These
were bundled down into the dark cellar, and stowed away in groups of
three or four in three of the compartments of the cellar, each with a
guard armed with a lantern and an Indian club.

By a quarter to eight the Lakerimmers believed that they had accounted
for all of the twenty-four Crows except the president, MacManus. Six
had left town, six were stowed aloft in the cupola, and eleven were,
as B.J., the sailor, expressed it, "below hatches." Five of the Dozen
were posted as guards, and that left seven to go out upon the war-path
and bring in the chief of the Ravens.

He had felt his dignity too great to permit him to take two meals in
one evening; besides, he was very solemnly engaged in preparing a
speech to deliver at the banquet; and his task was very difficult,
since he had to make a great splurge about the glories of the
campaign, without reminding every one of the inglorious result of the
attempt to haze the Dozen.

No note had been sent to him, and it seemed necessary to concoct some
scheme to decoy him from his room, because any attempt to drag him out
would probably bring one of the professors down upon the scene.

Tug had an idea; and leaving three of the seven to guard the door,
he took the other three and hurried to the dormitory where MacManus
roomed, and threw pebbles against his window. The chief Crow soon
stuck his head out and peered down into the dark, asking what was the
matter. A voice that he did not recognize--or suspect--came out of the
blackness to inform him th