Vag had already tried checking off his name and then sneaking out. That hadn't worked; not only had he received threatening letters from the strong-arm boys, but he had not even gotten credit for the hour. It was still a mystery how they found out; nobody had seen him. He couldn't take a legitimate cut, either; he had already taken five cuts, and a curt card from Holyoke Street had informed him that the sixth would be his connections with the University.

"To da reeceeeer--Mush!" Everybody suddenly turned on Vag and walked into him. He reversed as soon as he could, but the big guy behind him stepped on his heel and knocked his sneaker off. "Oh, that's all right," said the Vagabond, anticipating an apology, and knelt to put his shoe back on while the rest of his squad fought their way over or around him. The squad was far in the distance when another gang came stumbling over him from the east, and some old guy in boxing gloves threatened to turn him over to the F.B.I.

The Wrestling-for-Victory class went a little better. Vag didn't even try to walk past the wrestling room down to the showers, because the wrestling coach had thought of that and was watching by the door. Besides Vag didn't want to sabotage the war effort.

"B'sure y'don't grab'm raound th'arms like this," the instructor drawled, "or'll slip aout a it. (Slip aout a' it, Lou.)" The silent flunky slipped out of it. Vag squared off with the little shrimp he had picked out.

"Shall you go down or shall I?" the little adversary asked as they clinched. "Ah, a man after my own heart," the Vagabond thought with relief. "I'll go down," he answered politely.

It was Vag's turn to win the next time. "Make it look good, like a professional bout," he cautioned, as his antagonist's knees began to collapse almost without resistance.

The clock ticked away. The struggle wore on. Sometimes the tide of battle would turn against the Vagabond, sometimes for him, but he was a good loser and a generous conqueror. The minute hand dragged by the eleven, nearly exhausted. Only five more minutes and then three more credits, and Vag could take it easy until next week.