Frank Merriwell at Yale | Page 5

great hush, while a terrible voice croaked:
"Bring forth the guillotine!"
There was a bustle, and then the bandage was stripped from Frank's eyes, he was tripped up, and a second later found himself lying helpless with his neck in the socket of a mock guillotine. Above him was suspended a huge gleaming knife that seemed to tremble, as if about to fall. At his side was a fellow dressed in the somber garments of an executioner.
It was really a severe strain upon his nerves, but still his teeth were clinched, and not a sound came from his lips.
"The knife is broken," whispered the mock executioner in Frank's ear, "so it may accidentally fall and cut you."
"Have you any last message, fresh?" hoarsely whispered the mock executioner. "There might be a fatal accident."
Frank made no reply save to wink tauntingly at the fellow.
The next instant, with a nerve-breaking swish, the shining blade fell!
A piece of ice was drawn across Frank's throat and a stream of warm water squirted down his back.
It was most horribly real and awful, and for a moment it seemed that the knife had actually done the frightful deed.
Despite his wonderful nerve, Frank gasped; but he quickly saw that the knife had swung aside and his head was still attached to his body.
Then he forced a derisive laugh from his lips, and seemed not the least disturbed, much to the disgust of the assembly.
"Confound him!" growled a voice, which Frank fancied he recognized as belonging to Browning. "There's no fun in him. Let's try another."
Then Frank was lifted to his feet and assisted to don his coat.
"If you want to stay and see the fun, put on a mask," directed Mephisto. "You must not be recognized by the other freshies."
He was given a mask and he put it on as directed.
A moment later the masked youths began to howl and blow horns. A door opened, and Diamond, blindfolded and bound, was led into the room.
The young Virginian stood up haughtily, and he was seen to strain and struggle in an effort to free his hands.
"I protest against this outrage!" he cried, angrily. "I want you to know that my father--"
The horns and the shouts drowned his words. He was forced to mount the steps to a high platform, and an instant later he found himself shooting down a slippery incline of planed and greased boards.
The racket stopped as Diamond scooted down the slippery surface. He dropped sprawling into the vat of icy water. Several hands caught hold of him, yanked him up, and thrust him down again.
"Oh, somebody shall suffer for this!" gurgled the helpless freshman, spluttering water from his mouth.
He was dragged out of the vat, and then he was forced to endure all the hustling, and thumping, and banging which Frank Merriwell had passed through. His protests seemed to fall on deaf ears.
It had been reported that Diamond had declared that the sophomores would not dare to haze him, as his father would make it hot for them if they did. The report was remembered, and he was used more severely than Frank had been.
Hazing at Yale was said to be a thing of the past, but Frank saw it was still carried on secretly.
"Make a speech, fresh!" shouted a voice.
"Speech! speech!" yelled the masked lads.
Diamond was placed on a low table.
For a moment he hesitated, and then he fancied he saw his opportunity to make a protest that would be heard.
"I will make a speech," he declared. "I'll tell you young ruffians what I think of you and what--"
Swish! a sponge that was dripping with dirty water struck him square in the mouth. Some of the water went down his throat, and he choked and strangled.
The table was jerked from beneath his feet, and he fell into the waiting arms of the masked sophomores.
"He called us ruffians! Give it to him!"
Then the unfortunate freshman was used worse than ever. He was tossed in a blanket, given a powerful shock of electricity, deafened by the horns, pounded with the stuffed clubs, and hustled till there was scarcely any breath left in his body.
Then the bandage was torn from Diamond's eyes and he was confronted by the guillotine, over which fresh red ink had been liberally spattered. The blade of the huge knife was dripping in a gory manner, and it really looked as if it had just completed a deadly piece of work.
Despite himself, the young Virginian shivered when his eyes rested on the apparently blood-stained blade.
"Be careful!" some one distinctly whispered. "We do not want to kill more than one freshman in a night."
Some one else spoke of the frightful manner in which the knife had cut Merriwell, and then, despite his feeble struggles, Diamond was placed upon the instrument of torture.
"The other fresh died game,"