“We were awful asses,” said Don disgustedly.
“It wasn’t exactly our fault,” answered Dave. “If ‘Wheels’ had only been decent about it! But what can you do if faculty won’t take your efforts toward enlivenment in the proper spirit?”
“Has any one tried to get the old thing down?” questioned Paddy.
“Yes, lots of fellows have tried. Wayne pulled the flag so far up that a corner of it’s fast in the pulley arrangement,” responded Don. “If he hadn’t been so keen to overdo the thing----”
“Oh, dry up! What’s the good of blaming Wayne. We were all in it equally,” said Paddy.
“Yes, that’s so,” admitted Don. “Let’s try and think of a way of getting the bloody thing down.”
“Look here, fellows, I got the thing up there--it was my idea in the first place--and I’ll get it down again.” Wayne scowled around the little circle. “All I want you fellows to do is to quit nagging. Who knows where I can get a boat hook?”
“There’s slathers of ’em in the boathouse,” said Paddy.
“Well, you get me one--a real light one. I’ll borrow Moore’s climbing irons, and after laboratory work I’ll have a try at it.”
“Some,” answered Wayne. “There are spikes in the pole up as far as the crosstree. After that I’ll use the climbing irons as far as I can, and then shin the rest of the way.”
“But I don’t see what you want a boat hook for,” said Dave.
“To get hold of the flag, of course. It’s stuck in the block. If I can get the hook in it I reckon I can pull it free.”
“I don’t think we ought to let him try,” said Don anxiously. “It’s an awful long way to the top of the thing, and it’s blowing a gale. At any rate, Wayne, you’d better wait until to-morrow. The wind might blow you off.”
“No, it’s got to be done to-day. We don’t want to attend the class meeting this evening and have to get up and tell the fellows that we did it and we’re awfully sorry, do we? We’d look like idiots! No, I’ll try it this afternoon, wind or no wind.”
“Well, look here,” exclaimed Paddy, “I was in this as much as you were, Wayne, and I’m stronger than you, and if anybody is going to climb that pole it’s going to be me!”
“No, I put it up; it was my scheme,” answered Wayne stubbornly. “I’ll get it down.”
Paddy’s remonstrances were of no avail, and the others at last gave their consent to the undertaking. Paddy promised to get the boat hook, and they agreed to meet at four o’clock and try to undo their work.