Considering Thorwald’s cool reception of their
overtures, which some youth remarked, “Were
as noisy as that of a Grand Opera Orchestra,”
it was quite surprising to the students, in the morning,
when what occurred an hour after their serenade was
revealed to them. As the story was told by those
who witnessed the scene, T. Haviland Hicks, Jr., Butch,
Beef, Monty, Pudge, Roddy, Biff, Hefty, Tug, Buster,
and Coach Corridan after the commotion subsided, retired
to the sunny Hicks’ quarters, where the football
situation was discussed, along with ways and means
to awaken Thor, when that colossal Freshman himself
loomed up in the doorway.
As they afterward learned, several excited Freshmen
had dared to invade Thor’s den, even while he
studied, and give him a more or less correct account
of T. Haviland Hicks, Jr.’s masterly oration
in his defense. Out of their garbled descriptions,
big John Thorwald grasped one salient point, and straightway
he started for Hicks’ room, leaving the indignant
Freshmen to tell their story to the atmosphere.
“Hicks,” said Thor, not bothering with
the “Mr.” required of all Freshmen, as
his vast bulk crowded the doorway, “is it true
that Mr. Thomas Haviland Hicks, Sr., wants me to play
football? He has been very kind to me, and has
helped me, and so have you, here at college. After
a year of study, I should have had to stop night-school,
but for him—instead, I got another year,
and prepared for Bannister. I did not know that
he desired me to play, but if he does,
I feel under obligation to show my great gratitude,
both for myself and for my father,”
A moment of silence, for the glorious news could not
be grasped in a second; those in the room, knowing
Thomas Haviland Hicks, Sr.’s, brilliant athletic
record at old Bannister, and understanding his great
love for his Alma Mater, knew that Hicks, Sr., had
sent Thor to Bannister to play football for the Gold
and Green, though, as he had written his son, he would
not have done so had he honestly believed that another
college would suit the ambitious Goliath better.
“Does he?” stammered the dazed T. Haviland
Hicks, Jr., while the others echoed the words feebly,
“Yes, I should say he does!”
For a second, the ponderous young Colossus hesitated,
and then, as calmly as though announcing he would
add Greek to his list of studies, and wholly unaware
that his words were to bring joy to old Bannister,
he spoke stolidly.
“Then I shall play football.”
CHAPTER VII
HICKS STARTS ANOTHER MYSTERY.
“Fifteen men sat on the dead man’s
chest—
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the Devil had done for the rest—
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!”
