But Belton had come to himself as soon as he made the noise, and in a twinkling was as quiet and solemn looking as a mouse.
The faculty resumed its conference and the students passed the query around as to what was the matter with the "newcomer." A number tapped their heads significantly, saying: "Wrong here." How far wrong were they! They should have put their hands over their hearts and said: "The fire of patriotism here;" for Belton had here on a small scale, the gratification of the deepest passion of his soul, viz., Equality of the races.

And what pleased him as much as anything else was the dignified, matter of fact way in which the teacher bore his honors.
Belton afterwards discovered that this colored man was vice-president of the faculty.
On a morning, later in the session, the president announced that the faculty would hold its regular weekly meeting that evening, but that he would have to be in the city to attend to other masters.

Belton's heart bounded at the announcement.

Knowing that the colored teacher was vice-president of the faculty, he saw that he would preside.
Belton determined to see that meeting of the faculty if it cost him no end of trouble.

He could not afford, under any circumstances, to fail to see that colored man preside over those white men and women.
That night, about 8:30 o'clock, when the faculty meeting had progressed about half way, Belton made a rope of his bed clothes and let himself down to the ground from the window of his room on the second floor of the building.