THE COLLEGE AND THE CIRCUS
apparently careless manner of the old-fashioned Westerner, and fired, shouting as he did so: "Boys, let loose at these devils! Let daylight through 'em! There's not a court in the land that can touch us now!"
There's something very important-sounding in the loud report of a shot in a street squabble, with the serious-looking spurt of flame, and the puff of smoke floating away afterward. Whether purposely or not, Cherokee Charlie fired high, but the report thrilled like murder.
"This way, gun club!" cried a clear voice. It was Shorty Simmons, Captain of the University Gun Team, the best shot in college and a very cool man in a tight place. "This way!" he shouted, starting toward the campus gate near by. "Two can play at that game," he said, as he ran along. They had stacked their guns in the campus, largely for a joke, and now they were going to use them.
Meanwhile the cowboys were gathering in close rank, and two or three more shots had gone echoing down the street.
But just then another noise was heard—
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