CHAPTER VI
THE BONFIRE
"This way, freshmen! This way!"
"Over here now! No let-outs!"
"Keep 'em together, Blink! Don't let any of 'em sneak away!"
"Wood! Everybody bring wood!"
"Look out for that fellow! He's a grind! He'll try to skip!"
"Wood! Everybody get wood!"
The cries echoed and re-echoed over the campus at Milton. It was thefinal night of the term. The examinations were over and done. Some hadfallen by the wayside, but Andy and his chums were among those elected.
They had passed, and they were to move on out of the preparatory schoolinto the larger life of the colleges.
And, as always was the case on an occasion of this kind, a celebrationwas to mark the closing of the school for the long summer vacation. Theannual bonfire was to be kindled on the campus, and about it wouldcircle those lads who were to leave the school, while their mates didthem honor.
Thus it was that the cries rang out.
"Wood!"
"More wood!"
"Most wood!"
The town had been gleaned for inflammable material. The ash boxes of noteven the oldest citizen were sacred on an occasion like this. For weeksthe heap of wood had accumulated, until now there was a towering pileready for the match.
And still the cries echoed from the various quarters.
"Freshmen, get wood!"
"On the job, freshmen!"
More wood was brought, and yet more. The pile grew.
"Gee, this is fierce!" groaned a fat freshman, staggering along underthe burden of two big boxes. "Those fellows want too much. I'm going toquit!"
"Look out! Don't let 'em hear you!" warned a companion. "They'll keepyou carting it all night if you kick."
"Kick! (puff) Kick! (puff) I ain't got wind enough to do any kickin'.I'm (puff) all (puff) in!"
"Oh, well, it's all in the game. We'll be out of this class next term,and we can watch the other fellows sweat! Cut along!"
"Wood! Wood over here!"
"Where's Andy Blair?"
"I don't know. Oh you Swipes! What you got!"
"All right! This'll make a flare, all right!"
"Oh, for the love of Peter! Look what Swipes has!"
Harry, otherwise "Swipes" Morton, was convoying four laboring andperspiring freshmen who were carting over the campus a big box that hadones contained a piano.
"Oh, you Swipes!"
"Where'd you crab that?"
"Say, ain't he the little peach, though!"
"Oh wow! What a lark!"
"I guess this won't make some nifty little blaze, eh?" demanded Harry."Eh, Andy?"
"Sure thing! Where'd you get it?"
"Over back of Hanson's store. He used it for a coal box, but I madethese boobs dump out the anthracite and cart it along. Maybe I ain'tsome nifty little wood gatherer, eh?"
"You sure are, Swipes!" came the admiring retort from many voices.
"Wood!"
"More wood!"
Still the pile grew apace. And with it grew the fun, the jollity, theexcitement, the cries and the spirit of the school.
Dr. Morrison, the head master, and his teachers, had wisely retired totheir rooms. On such an occasion as this it is not wise on the part ofdiscerning professors to see too much. There are matters to which onemust shut one's eyes. And Dr. Morrison, from contact with many boys, waswise in his day and generation.
For he knew it would be only honest, clean fun; and what matter if therewas much noise and shouting? What matter if the fire blazed high? Theboys never so far forgot themselves as to endanger the school buildingsby their beacon, which was kindled well out on the big campus.
What if numerous rules were cracked or broken? It only happened once ayear. And what if ginger pop and sandwiches were surreptitiouslyintroduced into the dormitories? That, too, need not be seen by theauthorities.
"Wood! More wood!"
"Where's Tom Hatfield?"
"Yes, and Chet Anderson?"
"Over here boys!"
"Heads up!"
"Slap on Swipes's piano box!"
"Oh, what a find!"
You could not have told who was saying which or what. It was all onehappy, unintelligible jumble.
"Light her up!"
It was the signal for the kindling of the fire.
A score of matches flared in the darkness of the June night. The strawand paper piled under the chaos of wood blazed with puffs of flame. Thewood caught and the tongues of fire leaped high, bringing into boldrelief the faces of the lads who joined hands and circled about theruddy beacon.
"Hurray!"
"That's the stuff!"
"Let her burn!"
"Say, that's a dandy, all right!"
"Biggest in years!"
"Well, we want to give the boys a good send-off!"
"Look at old Swipes's piano box sizzle!"
The shouting and excitement grew. The fire blazed higher and higher. Thecampus was bright with yellow gleams.
"Here's good-bye to old Milton!" chanted Andy.
"That's right! Good-bye to the old school!" echoed Chet, and there wasnot much joy in his tones.
"Now, fellows, the old song. 'Milton Forever!'" called Ben, and themelody burst forth.
Hardly was it finished than the silence that succeeded was broken by thestrident tooting of an auto horn.
"What's that?" cried Andy. "Who's coming here in a car?"
"On the campus, too! It's against the rules!" cried Chet.
"It's some fresh fellow from town trying to butt in," someone called.
"Come on!" yelled Andy. "We'll upset him, fellows! The nerve of him!"
Andy at Yale Page 6
