"Really!" murmured Tom, and got as red as a beet. "Say, call it off,"
he added. "Do you know we have the necktie rush this afternoon?"

"It won't amount to much," answered Sam. "Too many sophs out of it."

"Don't you believe it," said Dick. "Remember, the juniors come into
this as well as the sophs."

"Say, I've thought of a plan!" cried Tom. "Greatest ever! I'm going to
patent it!" And he commenced to dance around in his excitement.

"What's loose?" asked Songbird, coming up at that moment, followed by
some others. "Tom, have you got a pain in your inwards?"

"No, an idea--it's about the same thing," responded Tom gaily. "We
want to get the best of the second and third-year fellows during the
necktie rush, and I think I know how we can do it. We'll all sew our
neckties fast!"

For a moment there was silence, and then, as the others caught the
idea, they commenced to laugh.

"That's it!" cried Sam. "I'll sew mine as tight as a drum!"

"I'll rivet mine on, if that will do any good," added Dick.

"Sure thing!" came from Songbird, and he commenced to recite:

"Oh, the sophs and the juniors will try
To steal from the freshies each tie;