Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-18
True Story of a College Prank
BY EST NIGER SOIL

where the two classmates anxious
to see him were standing.
well, what's the rush?"
They've got an inkling of it..
MOI" a
:: : =: !: :: :: :: :: ::
Fact Hawley heard Jones and -
that other big Soph talking about ETE@&S
something sure tomorrow night, and
l guess it's out" 80
We must put it off, said Clarke, g!ikl
the third of the trio. EszEA1H
But if they've got on the scent,
Hawley objected, and find themselves
fooled the first time they'll watch like hawks all
the rest of the term
Then it must be done tonight" said Scofeld
decidedly.
You're right Haw1ey declared. 1t would
never do to miss it, and afraid this is the last
chance. They won't suspect us to-day in this rain.
but if they begin to watch out from tomorrow,
that's the end of freedom from spies -
This ringing off the rust" was an old custom in
that college where freshmen and sophomores were,
as usual inveterate rivals and constantly teasing
one another. --....-
All freshmen felt it their duty to get hold of the
college bell sometime in the last fortnight of the
class-year and set it going furiously at midnight,
breaking the peace of the village at an hour de-
Eghtful to mischief-makers The faculty were
righteously opposed to this traditional prank
which they could never prevent; and the sophomores
pretended to be scandalized at it that they in
varably and sincerely offered to assist the author
tiles to the utmost in frustrating these wicked
doings. This year the sophomores especially
Jealous, because they themselves had been able to
ring their rust off right royalty, and thought it
would be double glory if they could defeat their
successors.
Get the other fellows, and be at my gate on
the stroke of eleven said Clarke, the three young
conspirators separated.
That night a most favorable The
sky was densely black with clouds, whence
a sort of Scotch mist falling Few persons
- -6a1- tori lie
were abroad as seven or eight mufied figures
crept silently along the side of the shady
street and stole across the campus. , Il
Hawley, Clarke and Scofeld, leaving the
others on guard entered the cellar of the chapel
and CROPPED their way up to the gallery. Close
beside the chapel stood a tree too large and
straight to be climbed from the roots, since its
first large limb did not fork off until it reached
the level of the gallery windows. This tree
lowered over the roof of the chapel beside
the belfry
Behind the rear seat in the gallery lay a
long light ladder, used by the sexton in clean
ing the tall windows. By raising the lower
half of the window and lowering the upper one,
the young fellows, by the aid of rope passed
over the top sash, succeeded in lodging
the farther end of the ladder in the crotch
of the elm thus making a strong bridge. Then
they scrambled steadily along the outreaching
limbs and by dropped safely to the
roof of the chapel.
All this time not sound had disturbed the
stiffness of this drizzly summer night. The
pckets might be there they might have
gone home, for all that the boys could hear.
Evidently both the faculty and the Sophs"
had thus far been caught mapping Not a
light was to be seen in the village except one
gimmering window in the direction of the =,
president house.
Il 'spect Prexy' is studying the theory
of Kant" whispered Scofeld, as he hoisted
himself from the ridge-pole into one of the