“All ready,” answered the voice of Bruce Browning, who, along with Merriwell and other juniors, had come down to stand by the “timid freshmen” through the “frightful ordeal.” It was a “wild and weird decoction” Browning had mixed in the great punchbowl. A huge cake of ice was in the bowl, and it was floating in dark, amber-colored liquid. The big junior had promised the freshmen that he would give the sophomores something that would make them “harmless.” Diamond had tasted the punch. Immediately he howled “fire,” and asked somebody to run to the nearest box and send in an alarm. “If you would add some strychnine to it, Browning, it might improve the flavor,” said Dismal Jones, with the utmost seriousness, apparently. “I don’t think it would make it any more deadly!” exclaimed Diamond. “Let Theta Psi and Beta Xi stand from under,” said Bruce, with a wild flourish of the big ladle. The freshmen were happy, but nervous. Some of them had been chosen for Theta Psi and Beta Xi. They knew it, but as yet were not aware who were to become the “victims.” The company of the juniors gave them confidence. Little did they dream that not a few of the juniors had been members of those very societies, and were there really for the purpose of helping along the sophomores in their work. When the first sound of singing was heard on the street the freshmen were all agog. Cigars were flung aside, and there was a rush for the windows. Tramp! tramp! tramp! The steady, regular tread of heavy feet told of the approach of the rival clans. Looking from the windows, the freshmen saw two great gleaming balls of fire advancing from opposite directions. These were locomotive headlights carried in advance of the two bodies of sophomores. They were symbolic of Diogenes searching for an honest man. With the aid of these lanterns the sophomores sought out the freshmen in their studies and conferred upon them the glorious election to the soph. societies. It was an old custom, and had been some years in disuse because of the opposition of the faculty. On the year of which I write, it was revived again in defiance of all authorities, although the faculty had given warning that it would not be tolerated. The freshmen had been notified to get away from the big dormitories, which the societies dared not approach, and assemble on York Street. Certain ones had been given the tip to make Mrs. Henderson’s their headquarters for the occasion. Some had taken heed to the tip, but many, fearful of the consequence and not feeling certain of the intention of the sophomores, had remained away. It was a dangerous thing to do, for the leaders of the movement stood in great danger of expulsion from college if they were found out. “Here they come, boys!” cried one of the freshmen in the windows. “They are both singing, and there is going to be a fight between them!”