"Kerr ought to be there now," whispered Langridge. "The fuse will burn for two minutes." "Fuse--fuse," repeated Phil. "It _must_ be an explosion. You want to be careful, Langridge." "Oh, I know what I'm doing," was the answer. "But mind now, no squealing, whatever happens." "You needn't say that," was Phil's quick retort. "We're Randall College freshmen," as if that was all that was necessary. Kerr glided in from somewhere. "Well?" asked Langridge. "It's all right." The sophomores had started another song. They were about through the second verse when there came a series of sudden yells from the pavilion. There were cries of pain, and Langridge, in the midst of the freshmen, called out: "That's it! That's the stuff! Rah! rah! sophs! This time we break you up. Cheer, boys, cheer!" The freshmen set up an exultant cry as it became evident that, in some way, the gleeful singing of the second-year lads had been stopped. There was an excited movement in the pavilion, yet the waiting freshmen could not see that anything had taken place. Then came a cry--two exclamations--louder and more anguished than any that had preceded. There was a yell--a protesting yell--and then some one in the pavilion shouted: "Cut it, fellows! The hand railing is charged with electricity!" "Three cheers for the freshmen!" called Langridge, and the response came spontaneously, for his mates knew that they had triumphed over the sophomores. Suddenly above the confused cheering and shouting there came another cry. "Help me, fellows! Oh, help--help!" screamed some one inside the pavilion. There was a confused movement among the singers. Something seemed to have happened--something serious. The freshmen stopped their cheering and crowded up. A big sophomore broke through the throng and dashed toward the college. "What's the matter?" called Tom, and he had an uneasy feeling as he asked the question. "Matter? It's you confounded freshmen, that's what's the matter! Gladdus and Battersby have been knocked unconscious." "Unconscious?" "Yes, by a powerful current of electricity. Get out of my way, fresh, or I'll knock you down! I'm going for a doctor. Some of you had better notify the proctor," he added to a few of his classmates who followed him on the run. "This is serious business." "Come on, fellows," advised Langridge. "It's all right. We broke up the pavilion meeting all right." "But maybe some one is seriously hurt," said Sid. "Nonsense, it was only a current from the incandescent light lamps. It couldn't hurt them. Come on, take a sneak away from here. We've had our fun. And mind, everybody keep his mouth shut," and Langridge disappeared in the shadows of the trees, while ahead of him panted several sophomores on their way to summon a physician. CHAPTER XII TOM DOESN'T TELL Tom and Sid hurried along in the midst of the freshmen, Phil Clinton trailing after them. The three found themselves in a little group, comparatively alone.