CHAPTER XIX. MOTHER FISHER AND CHARLOTTE.
 David's blue eyes flashed dangerously. "Tell all you know, Percy," he said briefly¹.
"Dobbs heads it, as he did the first one," said Percy; "they've changed their tactics, and will get at
Joe on their way home from that confounded meeting. Dave, can't you keep him from that?" and
Percy, forgetting himself, peered anxiously over his glasses.
"No," said David shortly, "and I sha'n't try."
"You're an idiot," cried Percy, in a passion, "a stupid, blind old donkey! Joe will be mauled
dreadfully," he howled, beating his hands together in distress²; "no help for it but to keep him away
from that old association meeting."
"Anything more to tell?" asked David.
"No," Percy shot out. "Bingley told me all he knew; but they wouldn't let him catch much of it,
because he's left the gang"--
David's feet by this time were flying over the Campus, so that Percy was obliged to shout the
remainder of the sentence after him. The consequence was that several heads were popped out of
as many windows in the long gray dormitory fronting the Campus, their owners all engaged in the
pleasing duty of staring at Percy and the flying figure across the grass.
"Now I'm in for it, for there's Dobbs, I vow," exclaimed Percy to himself, in dismay; "he'll guess
I've given Dave warning," and he tried to strike a careless attitude, picking off his glasses to hold
them up and gaze long and earnestly through them into the nearest tree.
"You can't come it," jeered³ Dobbs, from his window. "No birdsnesting, I promise you, Whitney;
ha, ha!" And the other heads popped farther out than ever, to add a few hisses⁴.
Percy, maddened by the failure of his plan to divert suspicion, now lost his head entirely⁵, and
sticking his eyeglasses on again, ran off like lightning to his room, followed by "Little coward,
we'll treat you too--Look out!"
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