“Don’t, old man,” Hike astonished them all by saying. “_I_’ll apologize. I know how it was—you forgot yourself; you weren’t really intending to insult me. I’m sorry I got hot-headed over it; especially bein’ ’s I think these duel-fights are mostly foolish. Of course, if you want to fight on, I’m game; but I don’t see any use of it. I’m sorry I started all the row, Bingham. Let’s shake hands.” Still feeling very much jolted by Hike’s backhander, still resentful at having been whipped, Taffy shook hands; and the group broke up. “Gee, that was _great_!” Poodle caroled as he trotted back, beside Hike. “How you did lam—” “Sorry I had to do it,” growled Hike, most impolitely. “Fighting—like hoodlums. ’Course it’s better than keeping ill-feeling going all year; but it’s still better, strikes me, to wade into football, and that’s what I’m going to do, to-morrow. I’m not goody-goody about the foolishness of fighting—I think it’s a whole lot better than keeping up a grouch against a fellow. But when I think of men like General Thorne, that get along by keeping their tempers—why, that cute little scrap under Fig Tree Major looks awfully kiddish to me. But why I should be giving you a lecture on fighting, I don’t know. How do you feel after the jamboree, old Poodski? Great idea of the Seniors, wasn’t it? to end the kidding this way.” They were in their room, by this time, reflectively pulling off their clothes. “So you liked the idea of the hazing, did you?” Poodle asked. “Why, sure. ’Course. Wonder who thought it up—probably Gimlet Jones.” “He _did_ not,” declared Poodle. “How do you know? Who did get it up?” “I did.” “_What?_ You’re crazy, Pood’.” “I planned it, and fixed it up with Pink Eye Morrison, and he got the Seniors to do it, as his idea. Why, _I even wrote that cutely insulting song they sang_. Sure, _I_ had us hazed.” “Well I’ll be—” began Hike, utterly amazed. Poodle retreated behind a chair, and picked up a shoe for defense. “Well, what do you think of that?” was all Hike could say. “You got it all up. Say, young man, I don’t know whether I ought to drop you out of the window or give you a prize.” “Let’s compromise it, and get some sleep!” suggested Poodle. CHAPTER XIX AVIATING AGAIN! The coach of the Santa Benicia team was talking to Hike, after practise: “Look here, Griffin, what’s the trouble between you and the team? Looks to me as if they are still jealous of you for your aviating, and trying to show they’re as good as you are. Breaks up team-play pretty badly. What have you got to suggest!” “I don’t know. I’ve been worrying over it. I’ll see what I can do,” said Hike, gloomily. It was two weeks after the Great Hazing and now, though all the open “kidding” had stopped, there was still trouble. Hike was afraid that he might have to resign from the team, for the team’s sake, though he would rather have cut off his head.