SLIM RETREATS
Just short of the gate the sound of hurrying footsteps brought them
sharply around. Behind them, seen dimly, were many approaching forms.
“Let’s beat it,” whispered Leonard.
“Run from a bunch of freshies?” demanded Slim haughtily. “Not much!
We’ll turn down Academy street, though, and let them by. If they’re up
to something we can’t stop them here.”
Slim led the way sharply to the right, when they were through the gate,
and they went on for several rods to pause in the deeper shadow of a
not quite leafless tree that overhung the sidewalk. Midway between the
infrequent street lights, they were probably invisible to any one at
the entrance. A moment or two later a stream of boys appeared. That
they were freshmen was conclusively proved by the preponderance of
small youths, although quite a good many were fairly big. Some of the
throng kept straight ahead across Academy street and disappeared into
State street, beyond the corner of the white house where Coach Cade had
his lodgings. Others paused before the gate as though for a council,
and presently a dozen or more started obliquely across Academy street
and went north toward Meadow, half running. Slim and Leonard drew more
closely against the fence. The enemy detachment passed on the other
side without detecting them and an instant later were visible hurrying
around the corner of Meadow street. Meanwhile the rest of the crowd
before the gate had, it appeared, reached a decision, for they, too,
crossed the road and disappeared into State street, breaking into a
run as they passed from sight. Save for an occasional giggle from some
over-wrought youngster and a low-toned murmur now and then, the phalanx
had come and gone in silence. Leonard thought that silence just a bit
depressing!
Left alone on the empty street--empty save for the unseen presence of a
lone pedestrian trudging along somewhere in the distance toward River
street--Slim whistled softly. “Must have been fully a hundred of them,”
he marveled. “Now what the dickens are they up to?”
“Looks to me as if they were looking for you,” said Leonard.
“Sure, but what can they do if they find me? They don’t expect me to
stand any of their foolishness, do they? If it came to a scrap--” Slim
stopped and looked thoughtfully up and down the dimly lighted street.
“Well, let’s get along, General. It must be getting close to our
dinner time.”
“Something tells me,” said Leonard sadly, “that I’ll never see that
dinner!”
Slim chuckled. “Well, to tell the truth, I’m not as sure of it myself
as I was! Just the same, General, if those kids are going to keep me
away from it they’ll have to go some!” He led the way across to the
beginning of State street. “Better go this way, I guess,” he continued.
“They won’t be likely to pull any tricks where the bright lights are!”
The bright lights, however, were still a short block away, and when
suddenly a gray cat jumped down from a fence-post in front of Leonard
and scuttled away almost between his feet that youth gave a yelp of
alarm. Slim seemed to consider the incident excruciatingly funny and
laughed consumedly. Leonard maintained a haughty silence all the rest
of the way to the corner of West street. Here the stores began, and
many of them were still open, and their lights combined with the big
street lamps made the thoroughfare almost as bright as daylight. No
lurking freshman was sighted as the two turned south toward Meadow
street, although, since a good many persons were about, scouting
members of the enemy forces may have been present. The clock in
Tappler’s jewelry store proclaimed the time as 6:38 as they passed. As
they neared Meadow street Leonard called Slim’s attention to two youths
who had just come into sight from the direction of the academy. Slim
looked and nodded.
“The short fellow’s Watkins. I don’t know the other one. They’re going
to the party, I guess.”
“Wouldn’t it be a good idea to go along with them, Slim? I mean four is
better than two if--if there’s any trouble.”
But Slim shook his head. “No,” he answered, “but I tell you what,
General. You catch up with them. I’ll have a better chance to make it
if I’m alone, probably.”
“I will not,” declared Leonard indignantly. “What do you take me for?”
Slim shrugged. “All right,” he said. “I guess there’s nothing much up,
anyway. We’ve got lighted streets all the rest of--” He stopped. On the
other side of the street as they turned the corner was a group of five
older fellows making their way briskly toward the center of town: Red
Reilly, Gordon Renneker, Joe Greenwood and two others. “Juniors,” said
Slim. “Coming to see the fun, I suppose. I’ll bet Red’s had a lot to do
with this business. Don’t let them see us, General.” Slim slowed his
pace a little, and the group across Meadow street passed on, laughing
and talking gayly.
“How much further is it?” asked Leonard.
“About five blocks,” replied Slim absently. After a moment he said:
“Look here, General, I’m wondering if it wouldn’t be a clever game to
get into Kingman’s by the back entrance. It’s on Moody street, around
the corner from the front door, and I don’t believe those fellows know
about it.”
“Sounds sensible to me,” began Leonard.
But Slim disappointed him again. “No, by golly,” exclaimed Slim
suddenly, “I’m blowed if I’ll sneak up any alleys on account of a lot
of freshies! We’ll go in by the front door, General!”
“Sure,” agreed Leonard unenthusiastically. “Just as you say, Slim.”
“How are they going to stop us?” Slim went on belligerently. “They
can’t do it, by gum!”
“Of course not,” Leonard assented. “Why, there’s only a hundred or so
of them. The idea!”
“Well, suppose there are a hundred, or two hundred. They aren’t going
to--to use their fists, I guess, and if they don’t how are they going--”
“I know,” said Leonard. “You’re probably dead right, Slim, but just
the same I’d swap my right to that dinner for a ham sandwich. As the
well-known proverb says, Slim, ‘A sandwich in the hand is worth two
portions of chicken on the plate.’”
“Shut up. Here’s High street. The place is in the next block. We’ll get
there in time, too.”
High street proved to be a rather narrow thoroughfare not quite so well
lighted as the street they were leaving. The stores had a somewhat
second-class appearance and the names on the signs and windows were
frequently foreign. In brief, High street impressed one as being a
street that had seen better days. The principal shopping thoroughfare
lay one block south, and as the boys neared the corner of Moody street
the rattle and clang of Market street’s traffic was borne to them.
And as they neared that corner Leonard exclaimed: “Must be a fire or
something, Slim. Look at the crowd!”
A little way beyond the corner of the cross street was a throng that
stretched from side to side. Further on, jutting out above the sidewalk
on the right, was a gayly illuminated sign that announced in electric
lamps: “Kingman’s Restaurant.” Slim looked and slowed his steps.
“Freshies,” breathed Slim. “A whole blamed army of ’em, General!”
Leonard could see for himself now that the crowd was composed of
boys and knew that Slim was right. The latter drew him aside to the
entrance of a shop. “Let’s consider a bit,” said Slim. “Suppose
they’ve got another gang at the other side, too, eh? Must have, for
there’s probably not more than fifty in that bunch there.” He peered
down the street to confirm this statement. Then he laughed. “You’re
lucky, after all, General,” he said. “There’s a lunch room right
opposite where you can get your sandwich!”
“But what are we going to do?” asked Leonard anxiously.
“Well,” answered Slim, “I guess there’s just one thing we can do, and
that’s buck the line. There doesn’t seem much chance of running the
end, eh? Let’s go, General!”
They set forth again side by side, appearing as casual as they might,
reached the corner, paused to let an automobile pass and approached the
throng. Just then a small youth darted past them and gave the alarm
shrilly:
“_Staples! Staples!_”
A roar of cheers and laughter went up, and the freshman horde moved to
meet them. Cries of “Welcome, Soph!” “Dinner’s ready, Staples!” “Way
for the President!” mingled with jeers and cat-calls.
“Stick behind me,” counseled Slim in a low voice. Then he gently
pushed the first of the enemy from his path. “Gangway, Fresh,” he said
smilingly. But they were all about now, presenting a solid barrier.
The more Slim shoved the greater the resistance became. He knew better
than to lose his patience, however. Instead, he spoke laughingly to
Leonard over his shoulder. “Let’s go, General,” he said. “Play low and
make it good!” But although Leonard shoved and pushed there was no
advance. “A-a-ay, Soph!” chanted the defenders. Slim felt his dignity
slipping fast. He wondered why the fellows upstairs in the restaurant,
only a few rods beyond, didn’t hear and come to the rescue. But they
didn’t, and presently, breathless though still smiling, Slim paused to
parley.
“What’s the big idea, you fellows?” he demanded of one of the bigger
freshmen.
“Oh, we like you too well to let you mix in with a lot of low-down
trash like those fellows up there,” was the flippant reply. “You stay
and play with us, Staples.”
“Thanks,” answered Slim dryly. “All right, but you don’t need Grant,
too, do you?”
“We-ell,” began the boy. But Leonard settled the question himself.
“I’ll stay with you, Slim,” he announced.
“Say, Staples! Slim Staples, are you hungry?” called some one, and a
laugh followed. “Want your dinner, sonny?” “They’re just starting on
the oysters, Staples!” “Oh, you Sophomore President!”
Stung, Slim faced his tormenters. “What’ll you bet I don’t get in
there?” he demanded warmly.
“When, to-morrow?” asked one of the enemy.
“No, to-night, and before that dinner’s over,” answered Slim above the
burst of laughter that greeted the sally. “You’re pretty clever for a
bunch of freshies, but then you’re _only_ freshies, you know!” Slim
managed to smile sweetly as he said it, but that didn’t make the insult
less severe. He took Leonard’s arm and turned carelessly away while the
crowd jeered more loudly and with the first note of anger. To call a
freshman a freshman is, for some reason, the deadliest of insults.
“Sore-head!” some one called shrilly, and “Follow them, Tom!” advised a
second. “Better watch ’em!”
Slim turned and leveled a finger at the big leader of the crowd. “Come
on,” he said. “Follow us. I’d like to have you!”
But the big freshman only grinned and shook his head. “No, thanks,” he
called after them. “I’ll wait here. Come again, Staples, won’t you?
Dinner’s ready!”
Followed by Leonard, Slim walked briskly around the corner of Moody
street, but, once out of sight, he slowed down. “Any one after us?” he
asked softly.
“No,” said Leonard. “Now what, Slim?”
Slim shook his head. “There’s the back entrance, but something tells me
I didn’t do those guys justice. I’m going to have a look, but I don’t
believe they’ve left the back door unguarded.” He went down the block
about half-way and there turned into a narrow alley. Some eighty feet
beyond, the forms of a dozen or more youths showed where the dim light
from a glass-paneled door fell across the passage. Slim stopped. “You
can’t fight them,” he muttered disgustedly. “They’ve got us stopped
again, General.” The two retraced their steps, followed by a jeering
shout from the depths of the alley. “We’ll go around to Market street,”
announced Slim, “and think this over. There must be some way!”