e hazing to do--whisper it of
course--and with the Sophomore class divided against itself, where are
you second-year chaps going to be when the Freshies cut up--let me ask
you that?"

"How will the class be divided?" inquired Jack.

"Why, if you make this fight against Sam you can't expect his friends
to hob-nob with you when it comes to hectoring the Freshies."

"Sam hasn't any friends!" burst out Bert.

"Oh, don't you fool yourself," said Bruce quickly. "Sam has money, and
no fellow with cash need be without friends--or at least fellows who
call themselves such. Then, too, he's got a big car I understand, and
that will go a great ways toward making friends for him. Besides,
there's Nick to count on. His friends will be Sam's, and Nick has
quite a few, as he isn't such a bully as Sam is. Nick's a Junior now,
and the Juniors will side with the Freshmen.

"Now I don't want to be a croaker, or a death's head at this gay party,
but you mark my words, if you carry this fight against Sam to the limit
it will mean a heap of trouble for the school. And, more than that,
the Sophomore class will be torn apart.

"Don't do it!" pleaded Bruce, arising in his earnestness, and
addressing Tom's chums. "Let it drop, or, if you feel that you have to
get even, do it some other way. I know it's galling to sit still and
suffer--but think of the school. You owe something to Elmwood Hall!
Besides, I think you'd have your own troubles in getting unanimous
class action against Sam."

"How so?" asked Tom quickly. "As soon as I tell the fellows how mean
he acted they'll vote to send him to Coventry at once, I'll wager. Not
a man will speak to him."

"Don't be so sure," said Bruce quietly. "Tom, I'm going to try a
little experiment, if you'll allow me. I guess all you fellows know
that I'd stick up for my rights as hard as any one; don't you?"

"Sure!" came the quick chorus.

"And I wouldn't stand for any ill-treatment of my friends, or my class.
But I put the school above my own feelings, and my class next. And you
ought to, also, Tom. If you feel that you have to take it out of Sam
and Nick, do it--er--well--say _privately_," and Bruce whispered the
word with a smile.

There was a murmur of understanding.

"But what's the experiment?" asked Tom, curious to know what his friend
would propose.

"It's this," answered Bruce. "If I prove to you that you'd have
trouble in rallying the whole Sophomore class under your