cut in Tom.

"Oh, I say now," began Sam. "Look here, Fairfield, I'm as sorry as can
be over this. Will you--will you shake hands?" and he advanced with
outstretched palm.

"I will--not!" said Tom sharply, turning aside.

There was a moment of tense silence, and then Sam went on:

"Well, if you won't--you won't--that's all. I've done my share."

"That's right," chimed in some of his cronies, including Nick Johnson.

"It was an accident, anyhow," the latter added.

"An _avoidable_ accident," put in Bruce quietly. "You are lucky it was
no worse, Heller. Tom might have been seriously injured."

"A miss is as good as a mile," quoted someone. "Better give him a lift
back, Sam. I'll walk."

"Will you ride in the car?" asked Sam, half eagerly, for he realized
how popular Tom was, and he knew how thin was the ice on which he was
skating. "Come on, there's lots of room."

"No--thank you," said Tom between his teeth, and it was an effort to
add the last two words. "I can walk."

There was a little pause--an embarrassed silence, and then Nick said:

"Well, we might as well go on, Sam."

"Yes, I guess so. We can't do any good here. Come on, fellows."

They piled back into the car. There were some good-nights in which Sam
and his crony did not join, and then the auto rolled off in the
moonlight.

"Can you walk, Tom?" asked Bruce, with his arm around his friend's
shoulders.

"Oh, yes. I'm a bit stiff, that's all."

"Too bad. This is my fault. You may be lame for football practice
now."

"No, I guess not. I'll use some liniment when I get back. It wasn't
your fault at all. It was that Heller's confounded meanness, and I've
a good notion to------"

"You're not going to make a row over it; are you!" asked Bruce quickly.
"You won't go back on what you said?"

"No, but I'll watch my chance for getting back at him. I almost
believe he did it deliberately."

"I hardly think so, though it was mighty careless of him. But we might
as well be getting on. It isn't far to the Hall now."

Tom found himself a trifle stiff and lame but he could walk all right,
though with a slight limp. Bruce bade him good-night and passed on to
his own dormitory, while Tom silently made his way to the room he had
picked out for himself and his chums. There was a light burning in it,
though it was after hours.

"Guess all rules are suspended for a while yet," mused our hero as he
entered. "Well, we'll pass the wig