But it came to pass, after one of Buck's numberless escapades, near the beginning of the fall term, that he moved his personal effects into the large corner room on the second floor where Alden had planned to reign alone during Senior year. The escapade in question was unusually serious. The "wild set" had destroyed some abandoned buildings belonging to a farmer in the lower village. The owner did not love the Blackwood boys, and vowed to push the case to the extreme of the law. "Jest let me git one o' them pesky young villyuns behind the bars 'nd I'll be satisfied!" he told the postmaster. Now it chanced that Seton Harris was identified as the particular "villyun" whom he was most anxious to prosecute. Money would not satisfy the man, and matters looked black for the culprit. But, to the surprise of the town, the case did not come to trial. All that the public knows about it is that Mark Alden walked down to the lower village with Seton one afternoon, and that when they came out of the farmer's house, an hour after, the owner was seen to shake hands with both the boys. The public does not know what took place as Seton and Mark sat under the academy maples waiting for supper. "Reddy, not one of my set would do as you've done for me to-day. I believe I'd like to cut the whole tough outfit!" "Why don't you?" "Too hard work; besides, there's nobody else much that I know very well." "Room with me." Seton gasped, and turned around to look his companion squarely in the face. "Do you mean it? Wy, I'd drive you crazy!" "I mean it." And so it was brought about. * * * * * Saturday afternoon, and one o'clock. The old "Elm House" barge drew up promptly at the academy door. "Pete" Marston had driven that barge for the boys on every athletic occasion in the last fifteen years. No one enjoyed the successes or mourned the defeats of Blackwood Academy more sincerely than Pete. "I vum, boys, ye look 's if ye cal'lated to start for the north pole this trip, with all them duds wound round ye!" he called back as the players tumbled in. Sweaters, ulsters, toboggan caps, and padded suits made it difficult to tell where woollen goods left off and the boys began. Buck Harris had wrapped a huge Turkish towel around himself on top of everything else, "by way of ornament," he remarked. Buck's dark eyes were the only visible portion of him, but from the continual "chaff" he kept flying, the rest knew that somewhere was an open passage to his mouth. Everybody was talking except Mark Alden. Some were excited, and a few were gayly indifferent. Mark did not look at all worried; he simply kept quiet. * * * * * Half past three o'clock on the grounds of the Winston Normal Institute. The game with Blackwood was in progress. Mark Alden had just "tackled" a Winston player in his decided way, which left no doubt as to where the ball was "down."