Nor did that look lessen any when the next six students to come in each carried pennies to the desk.
Twenty more brought pennies.

By this time there was a stern look on the principal's white face.
During the next few minutes after that only two or three came in, for Dick had thought of a new aspect to the joke.

He had sent messengers scurrying out through the street approaches with this message: "We're not required to be in the assembly room until eight o'clock.
Let's all wait until two minutes of eight---then go in a throng." So the principal had a chance to catch up with his counting as the minutes passed.

So busy was he, however, that it didn't quite occur to him to wonder why so few of the student body had as yet come in.
Then, at 7.58, a resounding tread was heard on the stairs leading up from the basement locker rooms.

Some two hundred boys and girls were coming up in two separate throngs.