"'Well, for my part," said the Senior, 'I don't greatly care which gets it. I grant you that Wright's a cad; but I'm disappointed in Knollys!'
"'Indeed! Poor Knollys!' murmured Allison.
"'Yes,' continued the Senior loftily, ignoring the sarcasm; 'in my opinion Knollys funks.'
"'It seems to me, Jones,' retorted Allison, 'you forget certain incidents that took place when Bert Knollys was a Freshman, and you a Sophomore!"
"'Oh,' said the Senior, calmly looking over Allison's head, 'the worm will turn! But what I'm thinking about is his refusal to play foot-ball last fall. He's quick, and sharp, and tough; just the man the team wanted for quarter-back, if only he had the nerve! Said he was too busy to train--indeed!' and Jones sniffed contemptuously as he turned away to join some members of his own class, leaving Allison in a fume of indignation.
"At this moment Jack Wright, chancing to stroll past the big black dog, gave the animal a careless kick. The dog sprang at his assailant with a ferocious snarl. Much startled, Wright evaded the attack by dodging into a knot of his classmates; and the dog lay down again, growling angrily.
"'Bran doesn't seem to be quite himself!' remarked a Senior, eying him narrowly.
"'He'd be an ugly customer to handle if he started to run amuck,' commented another Senior, chuckling at Wright's discomfiture. 'I wonder where he got that bite on his leg!'
"This was something which nobody knew; and the incident was promptly forgotten by all but Jack Wright, who thenceforth gave the animal a wide berth.
"As soon as Knollys came out of the laboratory, Will Allison told him his suspicions in regard to Wright, and urged him to put his energies upon the Latin. But Knollys was always slow to believe that a comrade could be guilty of treachery.
"'I don't think Wright is really such a bad lot, old man,' said he; 'only his manner is unfortunate, and he isn't popular.'
"Just three days later appeared on the notice-board the announcement that B. Knollys and J. S. Wright were competitors for the Junior Latin scholarship! The examination was to take place on the following morning. Bert Knollys was hurt and indignant; his friends were furious; and Wright looked craftily triumphant over the prospect of so neatly getting ahead of a rival.