One of the Crows (Irish by descent) suddenly started off on the run; the others called him back and asked what he was going for.

“For a clothes-line,” he said.

“What are you going to do with it?” they asked.

And he answered: 

“Going to throw ’em a rope and pull ’em down.”

Then he wondered why they all groaned.

The word “rope,” however, suggested an idea to the cupola prisoners, and after much groping they found the bell-rope, and one of them cut off a good length of it.  They fastened it securely then, and slid down to the next floor, whence they made their way without much difficulty down the stairs to the ground.  There they found the outer door firmly locked.  Then they felt sadder than over.

But by this time the hubbub they had raised had brought on the scene several of the instructors, one of whom had a duplicate key of the gymnasium.  And they suffered the terrible humiliation of being released by one of the Faculty!

On being questioned as to the cause of such a breach of the peace of the Academy, all the seventeen Crows attempted to explain the high-handed and inexcusable conduct of the wicked Dozen which had picked on eighteen defenseless men and made them prisoners.  The instructor had been a boy himself once, and he could not entirely conceal a little smile at the thought of the cruelty of the Lakerim Twelve.  Just then MacManus came by, and with one accord the Crows exclaimed: 

“Where did they tie you up?”

“Down at Moore’s restaurant,” said MacManus, sheepishly.

“Well, what has happened to the banquet?” they exclaimed.

“It’s all eaten!” groaned MacManus.

“Who ate it?” cawed the Crows.

“The Dozen!” moaned MacManus.

And that was the last straw that broke the Crows’ backs.

They threatened all sorts of revenge, and some of the smaller-minded of them went to the Faculty and suggested that the best thing that could be done was to expel the Lakerim men in a body.  But, by a little questioning, the Faculty learned of the attempted hazing that had been at the bottom of the whole matter, and decided that the best thing to do was to reprimand and warn both the Crows and the Dozen, and make them solemnly promise to bury the hatchet.

Which they did.

And thus ended one of the bitterest feuds of modern times.

XII

Now, Heady, who had set the whole kidnapping scheme on foot as soon as he joined the Dozen at Kingston, had brought to the Academy no particular love for study; but he had brought a great enthusiasm for basket-ball.

And this enthusiasm was catching, and he soon had many of the Kingstonians working hard in the gymnasium, and organizing scrub teams to play this most bewilderingly rapid of games.

Most of the Lakerimmers went in for pure love of excitement; but when Heady said that it was especially good as an indoor winter exercise to keep men in trim for football and baseball, Tug and Punk immediately went at it with great enthusiasm.