Whispering Tongues

  CHAPTER II.

  THE GAMMA QUESTERS.

  Parmenter recovered consciousness soon after he was carried to hisroom, after being thrown so viciously by Van Loan; but when the collegephysician came he declared that there was a fracture of the rightclavicle.

  There was also a deep scalp wound where Parmenter's head had struck ona sharp edge of the stone pavement, and this required stitching anddressing.

  When the bathing and bandaging and plastering had been done, theinjured man was thoroughly exhausted, and weak from loss of blood. Hisbosom friend, Charley Lee, remained to care for him through the night.

  Next morning Parmenter awoke, refreshed and comfortable. By and by thedoctor came. Parmenter gave him hardly time to take off his overcoatbefore he inquired,

  "How long will it be, doctor, before I shall have the free use of myarm?"

  "Oh, three or four weeks," was the reply. "These simple fractures ofthe clavicle are of no great consequence. They heal up very quickly."

  Parmenter's face fell. Three or four weeks! His injury might indeedhave been of no great consequence from the surgeon's point of view, butto him it was a serious matter. It was likely to block his way to theprize stage.

  At Concord College one evening of Commencement week was devoted tothe delivery of orations by Juniors and Sophomores in competitionfor prizes. Six competitors were selected from each class at a trialcontest held about three months before Commencement. To be appointedto the prize stage was a marked honor, and one which Parmenter greatlycoveted. He had worked for it for months.

  The trial speaking was to take place in the college chapel on thefollowing Friday; and here he was, and would be for weeks, with abroken collar-bone, and his right arm in a sling!

  When Lee came back from breakfast, Parmenter exclaimed with a groan,

  "It's all up, Charley!"

  "What's all up?" asked Lee, advancing in alarm to the bed.

  "Why, the prize stage! The doctor says I can't use my arm for a month,and here's the trial speaking coming on next Friday!"

  "I hadn't thought of that," replied Lee, sinking into a chair. "It is abad business, that's so." After a minute he added, "But your voice willbe all right, Fred; you can have that as clear as a bell."

  "My voice! What good is that to me? Can I make gestures with my voice?How can a man do anything with his arm in a sling and his shouldersbound up as if he were a mummy?"

  Parmenter was excited. He felt that hitherto his success on theplatform had been largely due to the training he had had in what iscalled "presence" and his skill in gestures. That effect would now betotally destroyed.

  "You might learn to use your left arm," suggested Lee, as a forlornhope.

  "Bah! You know better than that, Charley. I'm out, that's all. There'sonly one redeeming feature about the whole business; and that is, thatyou'll carry off first prize now for all the trouble I shall give you."

  For a minute Lee was at a loss for an answer. He also was a candidatefor the prize stage. They had agreed that each was to strive to obtainthe honor to the best of his ability; but the rivalry was so friendlythat neither would have accepted an appointment at the expense of theother. At the same time, it would have been a great pleasure to eitherto have the other carry off the prize.

  After a while Lee said, casting his eyes down on his friend's bandagedshoulder and plastered head:

  "That was a cowardly thing for Van Loan to do, wasn't it? Dangerous,too. Why, just think of it! It might have cracked your skull!"

  "Pity it hadn't!" growled Parmenter. "Then there'd have been noquestion about my being an idiot. As it is--well, I've two years inwhich to get even with him. I think I can manage to make it up to himin that time."

  After a minute he added, "Did the Freshies carry sticks this morning,Charley?"

  "Every one of 'em," said Lee. "They all went down town last nightafter the row, and what canes they couldn't raise money enough to buy,they begged or borrowed. They're tremendously proud and joyous thismorning--especially Van Loan. He thinks he's the biggest toad in thepuddle now, sure."

  Parmenter turned savagely toward the wall, and winced with the pain themovement caused him; but he said nothing. After a little Lee revertedto the prize-speaking contest. He had been thinking about it all thetime.

  "Don't be discouraged about that prize-speaking, Fred," he said. "Goahead with it. Put it through. Never mind the gestures. They're only auseless ornament, anyway. Why, you know--what's his name?--that greatorator, you remember; he never used gestures; disdained 'em; laidhimself out on voice and expression, you know, and swayed the hearts ofmultitudes by his eloquent and thrilling--"

  "Oh, tell that to the marines! Here, I want to get up. Give me a lift,will you, Charley? and help me on with my clothes."

  Parmenter had no great faith in the possibility of successful oratorywithout gestures, but Lee's idea struck him as worth considering, afterall; and the more he thought about it, the more he was inclined towardit.

  He resumed the private rehearsals of his oration. He and Lee alwaysrehearsed together, profiting by each other's friendly criticism; butnow Lee redoubled his efforts to make his friend's work perfect andsuccessful.

  It was awkward to Parmenter at first to attempt to deliver his mosttelling sentences with his right arm bound to his side, so instinctivehad gesturing become to him; but diligent study, persistent practice,and the judicious advice of his friendly critic helped him to overcometo a great extent that one difficulty. When on the following Fridayhe took his place before the judges, it was with no small degree ofconfidence in his success.

  On Saturday morning the list containing the names of the fortunate sixwas posted on the bulletin board near the chapel entrance. Parmenter'sname was upon it.

  Lee caught sight of it first, and looking no further in the list,started at a full run across the campus to deliver the news to hisfriend.

  "Fred, it's there!" he cried, bursting into Parmenter's room like awhirlwind.

  "What's where?" asked Parmenter, gruffly.

  "Your name--on the bulletin--prize speaking--no right arm--greatvictory--whoop! Give us your hand!"

  Lee made a dash for his friend's right hand, and in another secondwould have given it a vigorous shake.

  "Oh, hold! halt! fire! murder! Hang it, man, that's my crackedshoulder!" exclaimed Parmenter, backing away.

  "Fred, forgive me! Did I hurt you? No? In the joyful exuberance of myemotion the swelling tide of feeling overran its bounds and came--"

  "Oh, bother the swelling tide! I'm obliged to you for the news, though.Here, take the other hand; that's it! I thought I could convince 'emthat a man can speak sometimes with his right arm strapped fast to hisribs. You're sure there's no mistake about it, Charley?"

  "Your name is there! I saw it with my own eyes; these eyes thatotherwise had wept most bitter tears of vain regret, and poured their--"

  "Bah! Stop right there! Well, I'm ready to recover now. I'm ready--say,Charley, look here! What about yourself? You took an appointment, too,didn't you? Your name's on the list, isn't it?"

  Lee stood for a moment without answering, the look of puzzled surpriseon his handsome face breaking into one of amusement, and ending in abroad smile.

  "Well, that's one on me," he said finally, as if partly ashamed of hisremissness toward himself. "I forgot to look."

  "Forgot to look! Why, you saw my name! You couldn't have helped seeingyours if it had been there."

  "Yes, but--but you see I wasn't looking for mine--I didn't--"

  "Well, you are the--Charley Lee, you're the best fellow in theworld--positively the very best!"

  Parmenter grasped Lee's hand again, and tears came into his eyes. Itwas seldom he displayed so much emotion; but his friend's unselfishnesstouched him deeply.

  "Come," he said, quietly, "let's go over and see about the name ofCharles Lee. It's high time for some one to take an interest in that."

  He picked up his hat, took his friend's arm, and they started to leave
the room; but at the threshold they met Robinson, also one of theappointees, who told them that Lee's name was on the list. Then therewere general rejoicings and congratulations.

  Lee executed a breakdown very skillfully, landing finally onParmenter's table, from which elevation he proceeded to deliver a mockoration.

  The noise and confusion drew three or four other Sophomores into theroom; and when Lee had been dragged down and quieted, the conversationturned from the prize stage to Parmenter's shoulder, and fromParmenter's shoulder to Freshman Van Loan.

  "He thinks he won the fight," said one of the young men. "He takesall the credit to himself, every bit of it. Brags about it withoutceasing. You couldn't touch him with a ten-foot pole before the rush;the Atlantic cable wouldn't reach to him now."

  "Some fellow told him the other day," added another member of thegroup, "that unless he stopped his everlasting boasting, the GammaQuesters might do him the honor to call on him."

  "What did he say to that?" asked Robinson.

  "Said he'd be pleased to see 'em. Said he'd make it interesting for'em. Said they'd better have a surgeon in readiness to wait on 'em whenhe got through with 'em. Said he should particularly enjoy meeting hisfriend Parmenter under such auspices."

  "Oh, he's dead set against you, Parmenter," cried another. "He hasn'tforgiven nor forgotten that mud-bath yet. He says the collar-bonebusiness was only part payment, and that the remaining installmentswill be fully as delightful as the first one was."

  For a minute no one spoke. Robinson was looking around the room,scanning intently each man's face. Finally he said:

  "Boys, if there's any one here who don't believe in hazing under propercircumstances will he have the goodness to retire?"

  No one stirred.

  "Excuse me, Parmenter," continued Robinson, "we don't want to drive youfrom your room; we will go elsewhere if you wish it."

  Parmenter did not at once reply. He rose, went to the door and lockedit, closed the ventilator over the door, and returned and sat down.Then he said, "Go on with the story."

  What took place behind that closed and locked door none but the sevenwho were there, and the seven who were afterward taken into thecompany, ever knew.

  The time was when the raids of the Gamma Questers, as hazing partieswere called at Concord College, were of frequent occurrence. But underthe severely repressive policy of the faculty, aided by a growingfeeling among upper classmen against the barbarous and unmanly custom,the practice had nearly died out. There were scarcely a dozen men inthe college who remembered the last instance of it.

  Yet there is no doubt that a chapter of the Gamma Questers wasorganized that day in Parmenter's room; neither is there any doubt thatit selected Freshman Van Loan as an unwilling candidate for admissionand initiation.

  Under the excitement and impulse of the moment Lee was the readiest toadvocate this form of retribution, and the most fertile in devisingplans to carry it out. But a few days later he came to Parmenter with acloud on his face and a burden on his mind.

  "It's about that Van Loan business," he explained. "I'm half sorryI agreed to go into it. You know how strongly father is set againsteverything of this sort."

  "Do you propose to let your father know you're in it?" asked Parmenter,half in sarcasm.

  "Why, no; but he might find it out afterward."

  "I see no necessity for his doing so."

  "Well, I believe I'd about half as soon he knew it, as to feel guiltyevery time he looked at me."

  "Oh, well, do as you choose, of course. Perhaps you'd better go out.But if you do, Henderson will back out, and Brace, and the whole thingwill fizzle out before it's fairly begun."

  "Of course I'd hate to spoil the plans of the boys," said Lee,hesitatingly, "and I wouldn't if it weren't for--"

  "I can't see what objection there is," interrupted Parmenter, "togiving such a fellow as Van Loan a little piece of humble-pie to eat.His insufferable conduct has passed all bounds, and there's no othereffective way of letting him know it. We don't propose to hurt himphysically, you understand, and the fellow can't be hurt mentally. Butwe can humiliate him, and he deserves it. You can get out of it if youwant to; but you'll miss the fun, and I think after it's over you'llwish you'd gone."

  Lee was silent for a minute, turning the matter over in his unstablemind.

  "Well," he said, finally, "I don't know; maybe I'll go after all. I'llsee."

  And he did go. Against his better judgment and truer instincthe yielded to the logic of his friend and the force of his owninclination, and joined the party.

  A few nights later Van Loan was waked at midnight by a movement at hisbedside. He opened his eyes to see indistinct figures standing abouthim. He knew in an instant what it all meant; but before he could raisehis head from the pillow his hands were gripped and held, and his mouthclosed with a bandage so that he could not call.

  There was a moment of desperate but unavailing struggling on his part;then, realizing the uselessness of his attempt, he quietly submitted tothe will of his captors.

  They took him from his bed, dressed him, blindfolded him, bound hiswrists together, and led him down stairs and out-of-doors. It wasall done so quickly and noiselessly that the slumbers of men in theadjoining rooms were not disturbed.

  The victim was hurried across the rear campus and into the protectingdarkness of the college grove. Here torches were lighted, and in singlefile the party marched through the woods, across the corner of an openfield, and then into the thicker forest beyond.

  At the end of half a mile they came to a shallow cave in the face ofa ledge of rocks. A brawling brook ran by it, and overarching treeshelped shut it in. Here they halted, and made preparations for what wasto follow.

  After a few moments the victim's eyes and mouth were unbandaged. It wasa grotesque sight that he looked upon. The masks and costumes of thehazers were both ludicrous and hideous. Their huge mock weapons wereswung menacingly.

  They arranged themselves in a semicircle about the candidate. At theirbacks were the mysterious shadows of the cave.

  The Grand Inquisitor stepped forward, flourishing a mightybroadsword--of wood. His voice was deep and hollow.

  "Before we proceed to the graver and more intense portion of theinitiation," he said, "the candidate is requested to reply to certainquestions, which, being satisfactorily answered, will entitle him topose for the first degree. The first question is: Do you admire ourpersonal appearance? And the answer is: 'Yes.' The candidate willplease say 'Yes.'"

  "Yes," replied Van Loan, without hesitation.

  "Is it your fond and earnest desire to be initiated into the grand andillustrious order of Gamma Questers, without which honor you feel thatlife is not worth living? The answer is 'Yes.' Say 'Yes.'"

  "Yes," responded Van Loan, quietly.

  "Do you desire any part of the initiation ceremonies to be omitted,however painful, disagreeable, or surprising they may prove to be? Theanswer is, 'No, I do not.' Say so."

  Van Loan said so.

  "Do you acknowledge yourself to be wholly unfit and unworthy to enterinto fraternal relations with brethren so exalted as ourselves, and doyou humbly implore us to overlook your thousand faults and follies, andto receive you into fellowship? The answer is, 'I do.'"

  "'I do,'" said Van Loan.

  "Finally, will you always strive to uphold the dignity and further theaims of our most noble order, to endeavor, so much as in your feebleintellect lies, to induce the president and members of the faculty ofConcord College to become members hereof, and forgetting your unworthy,dishonorable, and utterly idiotic past, press on to the coveted goalthat awaits all true Gamma Questers? The answer is: 'I will.'"

  "'I will,'" was the final response.

  "Most Grand and Worthy Scribe, are the candidate's answers dulyrecorded?"

  "They are," came the reply in hollow tones from a black-robed figure atthe extremity of the cave. He sat under a torchlight, his black maskhideously splashed with red, an immense volume sprea
d open before him,and in his hand a huge long-handled pen.

  "Then advance and give the candidate sign A, of rite number one."

  The person in the black robe arose, laid down his pen, and advanced towithin five feet of the victim.

  Van Loan stood quietly looking on, his face pale with anger andexcitement, and under his eyes dark rings indicative of suppressedpassion. Yet, burning as he was with rage, he was still calm enough tonote with deep interest the apparent inflexibility of the right arm andshoulder of the person who approached him.

  The Grand Scribe lifted his robe slightly, preparatory to some mockceremony of initiation; but whatever his intention was, he nevercarried it out. In that instant, Van Loan, who had deftly slipped hishand from the bandage that bound his wrists, reached out and tore themask completely from the face of the black-robed hazer.

  It was done in a second; and there, under the glare of the torchlight,stood Parmenter, fully, distinctly revealed.

  "I thought as much," was Van Loan's quiet comment; "now go on with theceremony."

  Seeing that it was useless for him to contend against so many, hehad decided from the first to obey implicitly the will of the hazerswhile in their power, mentally reserving to himself liberty to violateat pleasure any promise or agreement he might make under such hardconditions.