"Eh? What?" Baker sprang forward and wheeled their victim into the
light. Neil turned and faced them smilingly. The four stared in
bewilderment. It was Baker who first found words.

"_Well, I'll--be--hanged_!" he murmured.

Neil turned placidly to the discomfited Cowan.

"You see, Cowan," he said sweetly, "one against a hundred isn't such big
odds, after all, is it?"



CHAPTER IX

THE BROKEN TRICYCLE

As soon as Livingston heard the kidnapers staggering down-stairs with
their burden he unlocked the bed-room door and stole to the window. He
saw Neil, his head hidden by the carriage robe, thrust into the hack and
driven away, and saw the conspirators for whom the vehicle afforded no
room separate and disappear in the gathering darkness. Livingston's
emotions were varied: admiration for Neil's harebrained but successful
ruse, distaste for the sorry part taken by himself in the affair, and
amusement over the coming amazement and discomfiture of the enemy were
mingled. In the end delight in the frustration of the sophomores' plan
gained the ascendency, and he resolved that although Neil would miss the
freshman dinner he should have it made up to him.

And so in his speech an hour or so later Fanwell Livingston told the