Then they were amazed to see a figure dart rapidly out from the shadow of another tree not far away and make straight toward the neophyte. They wondered at it, but were not alarmed, for their first impression was that it was some man who was unfamiliar with students' doings, and who believed that the blindfolded figure was in real danger. They rather expected, therefore, to see this stranger catch Merriwell up and drag him aside. Their horror may be better imagined than described when they saw the stranger push Merriwell in front of the car and then leap across the tracks just missing the car himself, and disappear. The alarmed and indignant seniors dashed from their hiding place and ran with all possible speed to Merriwell's assistance. They came up to him just as the car stopped sliding forward, and began to move back under the force of the reversed current. The excited motorman was jabbering curses upon the foolish conduct of students generally, and altogether too busy with his apparatus and too rattled to get down from the platform. The conductor and the few passengers in the car, disturbed by the slight collision, were moving toward the platform to see what was the matter. Rowe, who was in charge of the party of seniors, immediately picked Frank up and carried him toward the sidewalk. "Get a move on, boys!" he exclaimed, under his breath. "We must get Merriwell out of sight as quick as possible." "Shan't I go for a doctor, Dick?" asked one of them. "Yes," answered Rowe, hurriedly; "bring him to my room, but keep mum." One of the seniors sped away down the street, another took hold of Frank with Rowe to help carry him, while the last member of the party fell in behind his companions, determined if they were followed to beat off pursuers. This action on the part of the seniors might seem rather peculiar to those who are not wholly familiar with secret society matters. They did not stop to discuss it, for each one of them knew in a flash just what must be done. Secret societies at Yale are very powerful organizations. In past years there were some efforts to disband them and prevent the students from organizing them. All these efforts failed; the more the faculty tried to suppress the Greek letter orders, the more firmly the students clung to them, until at last the faculty had to let the societies alone. The students knew, however, that there were plenty of men in the government of the college who would be glad of any excuse to suppress the societies and no better excuse could be found than the fact that a student had been injured in the course of an initiation.