I was out of the show.

Later I learned that all of the "Perfessor's" best subjects came with him under salary, and the local boys who made good were faking like the professionals.

The whole thing was a cheat and I had not caught on.
I was too serious-minded to think of faking.

But several of the boys took to it naturally, and among them was Babe Durgon, the bully.

He could be hypnotized and I couldn't.