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twg_000000049700 | with a cry of "Ah, you sneaks!" and another of "Come on, you blackguards!" a crowd of white-robed figures rushed out, brandishing pillows and startling Mr. Greyling to such a degree that he exclaimed "Great Scott!" and dropped his candle. What followed is too sad to be related in detail. Mr. Greyling scattered largess in the shape of lines among | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049701 | the crowd, and the next day the occupants of the two dormitories went about thirsting for each other's blood. On Saturday, just before morning school, the voting papers were collected, and directly after dinner the boys assembled to hear the result of the poll. According to the usual custom, no masters were present. Allingford presided, and the excitement was intense. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049702 | A hush of expectation fell on the crowded room as the captain mounted the platform on which stood the head-master's desk. Up to the present time elections at Ronleigh had been little more than a matter of form, but on this occasion every one felt that something more was at stake than the mere distribution of the school offices. "Gentlemen, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049703 | the business of this meeting, as you are very well aware, is to announce the result of the elections. "The following," continued Allingford, referring to the paper which he held in his hand, "have been chosen to act as the Sports Committee: Myself chairman, Oaks, Acton, Rowland, Parkes, Redfern, and Hoyle. "The two former librarians, Clarkson and Lang, have been | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049704 | re-elected. "Dale, who for some time past held the position of keeper of the reading-room, having left, the choice of a successor has fallen between Lucas and Ferris, who, singularly enough, both received the same number of votes. Each of these gentlemen being equally ready to withdraw in the other's favour, I exercised my prerogative as captain of the school, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049705 | and gave the casting vote in favour of Lucas." At this there was a slight murmur among the audience, though whether of dissent or approval it was impossible to tell. The interruption was only momentary, for every one was too much interested in the next announcement to care much what became of the post of keeper of the reading-room. "As | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049706 | you all know, two vacancies have occurred among the prefects, to fill which the following gentlemen have been chosen, and their election duly sanctioned by the head-master: Parkes and Fielding." The words had hardly passed the speaker's lips when the whole room was in an uproar. Cheers, howls, whistling, and the stamping of feet filled the air with an indescribable | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049707 | din; members of the Lower Fourth fought one another across the desks; and it was some minutes before Allingford could obtain sufficient silence to enable him to finish his speech. "This," he said, in conclusion, "is the result of the present election. I believe there has been some little difference of opinion among you, especially in regard to the selection | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049708 | of the two fresh prefects; there are so many worthy fellows in the Sixth that one can hardly wonder at your finding some difficulty in making your choice. One thing is certain--namely, that the two gentlemen who have been elected to what is and always has been a very honourable position at Ronleigh are eminently fitted for the work. The | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049709 | duties of a prefect are often difficult, and the reverse of pleasant; but I think you will agree with me when I say that in any large school it is eminently satisfactory to find that a certain amount of the government and discipline can be entrusted to the boys themselves, and I feel sure that you will give Parkes and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049710 | Fielding the same willing support as you have always accorded to myself and the other prefects." As the captain finished speaking, Hawley, Gull, Noaks, and several other boys sprang to their feet, their appearance being the signal for a fresh outburst of cheers and groans. Young "Rats" commenced to hiss like a small steam-engine, while Grundy made frantic but futile | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049711 | attempts to reach over from the desk behind and smite him on the head with a French dictionary. "If any one wishes to speak," said the chairman, "he is at liberty to do so; but, of course, we can't have more than one at a time." With the exception of Hawley, those who had risen sat down again. "I want | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049712 | to ask," said the former, "what were the numbers in the voting for the prefects?" "Parkes received fifty-six votes, and Fielding forty-eight." "Did Thurston receive any votes?" "Yes." "How many?" "That," returned the captain, "is a question which, for certain reasons, I think it would be best not to answer." "I think," interrupted Gull, rising to his feet, amid a | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049713 | murmur of excitement, "that we have a perfect right to insist on the figures being made public; everything in connection with these elections ought to be fair and open." "I don't think," answered Allingford quietly, "that any one has ever had reason to accuse me of being unfair in any of my dealings; it is exactly because I think it | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049714 | would be hardly fair to Thurston himself that I propose not to publish the number of votes awarded to unsuccessful candidates." The subject of this remark sat in the front row but one, lolling back against the desk behind, with his hands in his pockets and a sneering smile on his lips. "I don't care what you do," he exclaimed, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049715 | with a short laugh. "I can guess pretty well what's coming." "There!" cried Gull; "you hear what Thurston says. Now let's have the figures." "Very well," answered the captain. "If you insist, you shall have them. The number of votes for Thurston was sixty-one." "Then, if he got more votes than either Parkes or Fielding, why isn't he elected?" "Because | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049716 | the doctor would not sanction it. The names have to be submitted to him for approval, and he appointed Parkes and Fielding." "Did you try to influence him to overlook Thurston?" demanded Gull angrily. But an immediate outburst of such cries as "Shame!" "Shut up!" and "Sit down!" showed the speaker he had gone too far, and rendered it unnecessary | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049717 | for Allingford to reply to the question. "I think," said Fletcher senior, rising to his feet when this interruption had ceased, and looking round with a foxy smile on his face, "that, with all due respect to the gentlemen who have been elected as prefects, it is a great pity that the doctor should not have consented to confirm the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049718 | choice of the school, and reappoint Thurston. I think if the matter were laid before him in a proper light he might be induced to reconsider his decision." "Well, will you go and see him about it yourself?" asked Allingford, with a slight sneer. "No; of course I shouldn't go alone," returned Fletcher. "I think it's a matter that should | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049719 | be taken up by the whole school." There was a moment's lull in the proceedings, broken only by a confused murmur of voices; then Acton jumped to his feet. The football captain was popular with everybody, and the sight of his jovial face and sturdy figure was greeted with a burst of cheers. "Look here, you fellows," he began. "I'm | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049720 | no speaker, but I can say enough to serve the purpose. I think we are very much indebted to our captain, not only for presiding over this meeting, but for what he has done and is always doing for the good of the school. I remember Ronleigh when it wasn't such a decent place as it is to-day. A lot | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049721 | of things went on here when I was a kid that wouldn't be put up with now, and I don't think the school ever played such good games of cricket and football as we see at the present time. A lot of this, you may take my word for it, is due to our captain, and I think we can't | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049722 | show our appreciation of his work in a better way than by giving him three cheers. Now, then, take the time from me. Three cheers for Allingford. HIP, HIP, HURRAH!" The big assembly shouted till the roof rang and the windows rattled; then the meeting slowly dispersed, a feeble attempt to raise three cheers for Thurston being met with as | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049723 | many groans as plaudits. . A PASSAGE OF ARMS. The Triple Alliance, in common with the rest of their schoolfellows, little thought, on returning from their summer holidays, what a memorable epoch the coming term would prove in the history of Ronleigh College; still less did any one imagine what important results would arise from the action of the three | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049724 | friends, and how much would depend on the loyalty of these youngsters for their _Alma Mater_. They settled down to enjoy a peaceful thirteen weeks of work and play. Jack Vance reported that the robbery of "the Hermit's" coins was regarded at Todderton as quite a piece of ancient history; and as Noaks appeared to have forgotten the existence of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049725 | the clasp-knife, and, growing every day more intimate with Thurston and Co., seemed more than ever inclined to go his way and leave his former foes alone, the latter made up their minds to banish dull care, and consider their unfortunate misadventure as a storm which they had safely weathered. The wave of excitement caused by the elections soon passed | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049726 | over. The new prefects entered upon their duties, and in the performance of the same apparently met with no ill-will or opposition; yet to every keen observer it was evident that the recent contest had left behind it a distinct under-current of dissatisfaction, and for the first time in the memory of all concerned Ronleigh was a house divided against | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049727 | itself--no longer united in a common cause, but split into two factions, one pulling against the other, thinking more of party interests than of the honour and welfare of the whole community. The first occasion on which this spirit clearly manifested itself was some ten days after the elections, when the college played their first football match of the season | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049728 | against Ronleigh town. Thurston's name had, as usual, been included in the list of the eleven which was posted up on Wednesday morning, but before school was over it was noised abroad that he had refused to play. "I say, you fellows, have you heard about 'Thirsty'?" said Fletcher junior, as the Lower Fourth straggled into their classroom after interval. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049729 | "I wonder if it's true." "Oh, it's true enough," answered Grundy from the back desk; "and I'm jolly glad he's done it. I heard him say this morning that if Allingford and those other fellows wouldn't put up with him as a prefect, they shouldn't have him in the team." "Well, I call that rot," cried Jack Vance: "the team | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049730 | doesn't belong to Allingford or to anybody else--" "Oh, shut your mouth, you young prig!" interrupted Grundy, and the entrance of Mr. Greyling put a stop to any further conversation. I am inclined to think that a much nobler spirit would pervade such field-sports as cricket and football if the fact could be more firmly impressed upon the minds of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049731 | both players and spectators that, providing the conduct of each side is fair and generous, and that every one does his "big best," it is equally creditable to lose as to win. Certainly both sides should strive their hardest to gain the day; but let boys especially remember, in an uphill game, when scoring goes against them, that it is | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049732 | to the honour of the slaughtered Spartans and not of the victorious Persians that the pass of Thermopylae has become a household word. In addition to the loss of Thurston, who, to do him justice, was a very good forward, the school team was weakened still further by an unfortunate accident which befell Rowlands, who twisted his ankle, and was | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049733 | forced to leave the ground at the very commencement of the game. The Town were unusually strong, and the bulk of the back work fell on Allingford. The captain played a magnificent game, and covered himself with glory; but in spite of all that he and his men could do, after a gallant fight the visitors claimed the victory with | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049734 | a score of four goals to two. On the morning after the match, just before school, the members of the Triple Alliance were strolling across the entrance-hall, when they noticed a crowd of boys surrounding the notice-board. The gathering seemed to consist mainly of members of the lower classes, and the manner in which they were elbowing each other aside, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049735 | laughing, talking, and gesticulating, showed that some announcement of rather uncommon interest and importance must be exposed to view. Our three friends hurried forward to join the group. Pinned to the board with an old pen-nib was a half-sheet of scribbling-paper, and inscribed thereon, in what was evidently a disguised handwriting, were some verses, which were seen at once to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049736 | refer to the previous afternoon's defeat. They were as follows:-- COLLEGE V. TOWN. _Air_, "Bonnie Dundee." To the boys of the college 'twas Allingford spoke: "When we play the Town team there are heads to be broke; So let ten veteran players come now follow me, And fight for the honour of ancient Ronleigh." _Chorus_. "Then put up your goal-posts, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049737 | and mark your touch-line; We'll grind them to powder, and put them in brine. Let boarders and day boys all come out to see Us fight for the honour of ancient Ronleigh." The ten merry men mustered quick at his call-- There were forwards, and half-backs, and goal-keeper tall; But one who was wont in the forefront to be No | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049738 | longer was seen in the ranks of Ronleigh. _Chorus_: "Then put up your goal-posts, and mark," etc. Too soon their rejoicings and empty their boast, For the Town fellows very soon had them on toast; And the bystanders sighed as they saw frequently The ball pass the "back" of our ancient Ronleigh. _Chorus_: "Then put up your goal-posts, and mark," | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049739 | etc. From this draw a moral, you fellows who rule: Sink personal spite when you act for the school; And whatever your notions of prefects may be, Let's have the right men in the team at Ronleigh. _Chorus_: "Then put up your goal-posts, and mark," etc. Something in these doggerel lines excited Jack Vance's wrath above measure, the last verse | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049740 | especially raising his anger to boiling-point, so that it fairly bubbled over. Jack was a loyal-hearted youngster; he was nothing to Allingford, but Allingford was something to him, as head and leader of the community of which he himself was a member. The sight of the captain toiling manfully through the long, unequal contest of the previous afternoon, doing practically | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049741 | double work to make up for the loss of his fellow-back, and to prevent a losing game degenerating into a rout, rose up once more before the small boy's mind, and, as has been said before, his wrath boiled over. "Well, I call that a beastly shame. The chap who wrote it ought to be kicked round the field." "My | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049742 | eye," cried Grundy, "listen to what's talking! Kicked round the field, indeed! Why, I think it's jolly good: it serves Allingford and those other fellows just right for turning Thurston out of the team." "What a lie!" retorted Jack. "You know very well they didn't turn him out; he went out of his own accord." "Here, don't give me any | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049743 | of your cheek," said Grundy, sidling up to his antagonist in a threatening manner; "you mean to say I'm a liar, eh?" The advent of three Fifth Form boys--one of whom took Grundy by the shoulders and pushed him away, with the command to "Get out and lie on the mat"--put an end, for the time being, to the altercation. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049744 | The crowd increased: boys of all ages stopped to read the verses; some few laughed, and pronounced them jolly good; but to do them justice, the greater number of Ronleians were too jealous of the honour of their school to see much fun in this attempt to lampoon their football representatives. Just as the bell was ringing for assembly, the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049745 | paper was torn down by Trail, the head of the Remove, who ripped it up into fifty pieces, and in answer to Gull's inquiry what he did that for, replied, "I'll jolly soon show you!" in such a menacing tone that the questioner saw fit to turn on his heel and walk away with an alacrity of movement not altogether | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049746 | due to any particular eagerness to commence work. The Lower Fourth were straggling down the passage on the way to their classroom, when they heard a scuffle and the clatter of falling books. Grundy had seized Jack Vance by the collar from behind, and was screwing his knuckle into his victim's neck. "Yes; you called me a liar, didn't you?" | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049747 | "So you are! Let go my coat!" "Oh, so you stick to it, do you? I'll--" The sentence was interrupted by Jack giving a sudden twist and striking his antagonist a heavy blow in the chest, which sent him staggering against the opposite wall. Grundy was nearly a head taller than Vance; but the latter's blood was up, and in | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049748 | another moment the dogs of war would have assuredly broken loose had not the flutter of a gown at the end of the passage announced the advent of Mr. Greyling. The class had finished translating from their Latin author, and had just commenced writing an exercise, when a note was passed over to Jack Vance from the desk behind; it | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049749 | was short and to the point:-- "Will you fight me after twelve at the back of the pavilion?-- H. GRUNDY." Jack read the challenge, turned round and nodded, and then went calmly on with his work as though nothing had happened. This cool way of treating the matter did not altogether please Grundy, who had rather expected that his adversary | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049750 | would elect to "take a licking." He had, however, every reason to count upon an easy victory, and so promptly despatched another note, which contained the words: "Very well. I'll smash you." Later on a third epistle was handed over: "Don't tell any one, or there'll be too much of a crowd." It was not until the interval that the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049751 | two other members of the Triple Alliance were informed of the coming conflict. "You don't really mean you're going to fight him?" said Mugford. "Of course I am." "You'll get licked!" added Diggory, with a sigh. "I don't care if I am. If I land him one or two, he won't be in a hurry to lick me again. Don't | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049752 | you remember what you said ages ago at The Birches, Diggy, when you went down that slide on skates? Well, it's the same thing with me now. I'm going to show him, once and for all, that he's not going to ride rough-shod over me for nothing." During the last hour of school, which happened to be devoted to algebra, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049753 | the only member of the Triple Alliance who seemed able to work was Jack Vance. Diggory made a hash of nearly every sum, while Mugford simply collapsed, and could not even remember that like signs made _plus_, and unlike _minus_. "I say, Diggy," whispered the latter, "don't you think Grundy'll lick him?" "I don't know," returned the other, with a | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049754 | desperate attempt to be cheerful; "you never know what may happen. He may--" "Trevanock, stop talking," interrupted Mr. Greyling. "If I have to speak to you again for inattention, you'll stay in and work out these examples after twelve." At length the faint jangle of the bell announced the fact that the eventful hour had arrived: the Lower Fourth passed | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049755 | on into the big schoolroom, and were dismissed with the other classes. Jack betrayed not the least sign of excitement, and insisted on going down into the grub-room to feed two white mice before setting out for the "front." His two friends, however, weighed down with anxiety, and with dismal forebodings as to the result of the coming conflict, were | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049756 | obliged to seek support by informing "Rats" of what was about to take place, and begging him to give them the benefit of his cheering company. Young "Rats," who was always ready to take part in anything from a garden party to a game of marbles, immediately accepted the invitation. "Jolly glad you told me," he cried; "wouldn't have missed | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049757 | seeing it for anything. Jack Vance and Grundy--whew-w-w!" The long whistle with which he concluded the sentence had certainly an ominous sound, but the appearance of their principal was the signal for the seconds to hide their fears under an assumed air of jovial confidence. "You'll be certain to lick him, Jack," said Diggory, with a face as long as | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049758 | a fiddle;--"won't he, 'Rats'?" "Lick him!" answered "Rats;" "I should think so! Lick him into fits; I could do it myself." "He's a beastly bully," added Mugford solemnly; "and bullies always get licked--in books." "I don't care," answered Jack jauntily, "if I lick him or not, but I know he'll find me a pretty hard nut to crack." Ronleigh had | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049759 | no recognized duelling-ground, but when a premeditated encounter did take place, the combatants usually resorted to a little patch of grass situated between the back of the pavilion and the edge of the adjoining field. Here it was possible to conduct an affair of honour without much fear of interruption. Grundy was already at the trysting-place, accompanied by Andson, a | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049760 | chum from the Upper Fourth, and Fletcher junior. It was quite an informal little gathering, and the business was conducted in a free-and-easy manner, and with an entire absence of the cut-and-dried ceremony which characterized similar undertakings in the palmy days of the prize ring. "Look here, young Vance," said Grundy, "if you like to apologize for calling me a | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049761 | liar, I'll let you off; if not, I'm going to punch your head." "Punch away!" answered Jack stolidly, and all further attempt at pacification was abandoned. The principals took off their coats and collars, while their companions drew aside to give them room, and the signal was given to commence the action. Grundy made no attempt at any display of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049762 | science; he simply relied on his superior strength and size, and charged down upon his adversary with the intention of thumping and pounding him till he gave in. Jack Vance knew very little about the "noble art," except that it was the proper thing to hit straight from the shoulder; and following out this fundamental principle, he succeeded in landing | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049763 | his opponent a good hard drive between the eyes, which made him see more stars than are to be witnessed at the explosion of a sixpenny rocket. Grundy drew back, and after blinking and rubbing his nose for a moment, came on again, this time with greater caution. Jack, on the other hand, emboldened by his previous success, made an | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049764 | unwise attempt to rush the fighting, and was rewarded with a sounding smack on the cheek-bone which broke the skin and sent him staggering back into the arms of Diggory. Once more the combatants approached each other, this time with a little more feinting and dodging, which showed a certain amount of respect for the weight of each other's fists. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049765 | At length, urged on to further feats of arms by impatient ejaculations of "Now, then, go into it!" and "Keep the game alive!" from Fletcher and Andson, they closed again, and after a sharp interchange of rather random pounding, Jack smote his opponent on the nose, and received in return a heavy blow on the chest which very nearly sent | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049766 | him to the ground. After this there was another short breathing-space; a thin stream of blood was trickling from Grundy's nasal organ, while Diggory and Mugford noticed with aching hearts that their comrade was beginning to look rather limp, and was getting short of breath. What would have been the ultimate result of the contest had it been resumed I | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049767 | am sure I cannot say, but I fear that, taking Grundy's superior weight and height into consideration, the story of the fight would have been recorded among the trials and not the triumphs of the Triple Alliance. As it was, a sudden interruption brought the encounter to a premature close. "Hullo, you young beggars! what are you up to?" The | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049768 | voice was that of Allingford, who, attracted by cries of "Go it!"-- "Give him another!"--"Bravo, Vance!" and other warlike shouts, had hurried round to the rear of the pavilion to find out what was happening. "Hullo!" he continued, stepping forward and grasping Grundy by the shoulder; "what's up? what's the joke?" "It's only a bit of a fight," said Andson; | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049769 | "they had a row this morning." "What, d'you mean to say you're fighting that youngster? Why don't you choose some one a bit smaller?" demanded the captain, rather bitterly. "Well, it's his own doing," growled Grundy. "I offered to let him off, but he wanted to have it out." "Pshaw!" returned the other. "Look here, I've half a mind to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049770 | give you two a jolly good 'impot' to keep you out of mischief. Now stop it, d'you hear, or I'll send both your names in to Denson." Fletcher and Andson had already beaten a retreat, and Grundy was preparing to follow, when Allingford called him back. "Come," he said, in a kinder tone. "I don't know what your quarrel's about, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049771 | but finish it up like men, and shake hands." The boys did as they were told, and though the salutation was not a very hearty one, it helped to extinguish the smouldering sparks of anger which might at some future meeting have been once more fanned into a flame. Grundy disappeared round the corner of the building; but Allingford remained | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049772 | for a moment or two, watching Jack Vance as he fastened on his collar and resumed his coat. "Well, what was the row about?" "Oh, nothing." "Nonsense; fellows don't fight for nothing. What was it? Any great secret?" "Oh no," answered Jack, laughing: "it began about that lot of verses that was pinned upon the notice-board this morning. Grundy said | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049773 | Thurston was turned out of the team, and I said he wasn't." The captain smiled thoughtfully, and going down on one knee examined the wounded cheek. "Put some cold water to it," he said, and then walked away. That look was worth fifty bruises, and for it Jack would have continued the fight with Grundy to the bitter end. Diggory | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049774 | and Mugford fell upon his neck, and were loud in their declarations that in another round their champion would have "knocked the stuffing out" of his opponent. That this would really have been the case is, as I remarked before, rather doubtful; but one fact is certain--that the conflict caused the three friends to be more firmly established than ever | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049775 | in their loyalty to the side of law and order. For a couple of days fellows continued to talk about the skit on the eleven, and to hazard guesses as to who was the writer. As the majority, however, pronounced it "a dirty shame," and spoke of the author as "some mean skunk," the poet wisely concluded to conceal his | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049776 | identity, and by the end of the week the matter was, for the time being, practically forgotten. . THE READING-ROOM RIOT. Thurston followed up his withdrawal from the football team by a number of other actions which clearly showed a determination to spend what was known to be his last term at Ronleigh in living at open enmity with those | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049777 | who had once been his friends and associates. He never played unless it was in one of the rough-and-ready practice games, composed chiefly of stragglers, who, from being kept in and various other causes, were too late for the regular pick-ups, and came drifting on to the field later in the afternoon. He severed his connection with the debating society, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049778 | and shunning the society of his comrades in the Sixth, was seen more frequently than ever hobnobbing with Gull and Hawley, or lounging about in conversation with Noaks and Mouler. Fletcher senior, a mean, double-faced fellow, continued, as the saying goes, "to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds." "It's an awful pity about old 'Thirsty,'" he would | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049779 | say to his brother prefects. "I try to keep him a bit straight; but upon my word, if he will go on being so friendly with such cads as Gull and Noaks, I shall chuck him altogether." The speaker's methods of endeavouring to keep his chum straight were, to say the least of it, not very effective, and, if anything, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049780 | rather more calculated to encourage him still further in his descent along the downward road. "Look here!" said Fletcher, as they sat one evening talking in Thurston's study: "don't you think you'd better make peace with Allingford and the rest, and be a nice white sheep again, instead of a giddy old black one? I can tell you at present | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049781 | they don't look upon you as being a particular credit to the Sixth." "I don't care what they think; they're a beastly set of prigs, and I'll have nothing more to do with them--with Allingford especially." "Well, of course," answered Fletcher, with an air of resignation, "the quarrel's yours and not mine. I must own that I think Allingford made | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049782 | a great deal of unnecessary fuss over that Black Swan business, and acted very shabbily in making you send in your resignation just before the holidays. There's something, too, that I can't understand about the doctor's not confirming your re-election; and I think there ought to have been some further attempt made to get you to remain in the team-- | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049783 | you did a lot of good service last season. However, my advice is, Put your pride in your pocket, and return to the fold." Young Carton had shown that he possessed a certain amount of insight into character when he told Diggory that Thurston was a dangerous fellow to cross. The ex-prefect's brow darkened as Fletcher enumerated this list of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049784 | real or imaginary grievances, and at the conclusion of the latter's speech there was a short silence. "Yes," said Thurston, suddenly making the fender jump and rattle with a vicious kick. "Allingford's got his knife in me; he's bent on spoiling my life here. But that's a game two can play at. I've got a plan or two in my | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049785 | head, and I'll take the change out of him and those other prigs before the term's finished." Grundy still continued to brag and swagger in the Lower Fourth, but his attitude towards Jack Vance suddenly underwent a change. Towards the latter he assumed quite a friendly bearing, and though still remaining a stanch Thurstonian, refrained from making himself aggressively obnoxious | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049786 | to the Triple Alliance. The hatchet had been buried for nearly a fortnight when an event happened which caused Ronleigh College to be once more convulsed with excitement and party feeling--a certain air of mystery which pervaded the whole affair tending to considerably increase the interest which the occurrence itself awakened. Allingford had not, perhaps, been altogether wise in his | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049787 | choice of Lucas as keeper of the reading-room. The latter was a studious, hard-working boy in the Fifth, whose parents were known to be in comparatively poor circumstances, and the captain had named him in preference to Ferris, thinking that the guinea which was given as remuneration to the holder of this post, as well as to the two librarians, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049788 | would be specially acceptable to one who seldom had the means to purchase the books which he longed to possess. The duties of the keeper of the reading-room were to receive and take charge of the papers and magazines, to keep the accounts, and to be nominally responsible for the order of the room. I say nominally, as the law | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049789 | relating to absolute silence was never actually enforced; and as long as the members amused themselves in a reasonably quiet manner, and without turning the place into a bear-garden, they were allowed to converse over their games of chess or draughts, and exchange their opinions on the news of the day. Lucas was, if one may say it, a little | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049790 | too conscientious in the execution of his duties, and rather apt to be fussy and a trifle overbearing in his manner. He posted copies of the rules on each of the four walls of the room, and insisted on decorous behaviour and perfect silence. The consequence was that he soon became the butt of innumerable jokes: fellows said they weren't | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049791 | in school, and meant to enjoy themselves. "Rats" hit on the idea of carrying in an old newspaper under his coat. This he surreptitiously produced, and pretended to read as though it belonged to the room. At a favourable moment, with an exclamation of, "Well, this is a rotten paper!" he suddenly crunched the sheet up in his hands and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049792 | tore it into fifty pieces. Lucas, naturally imagining that the property of the room was being destroyed, rushed up exploding with wrath. An explanation followed, and the whole assembly went off into fits of merriment, at the latter's expense. By the time this trick was worn out, other waggish gentlemen had introduced the practice of dropping wax matches on the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049793 | floor and treading on them, and of hunting an imaginary moth--an irresistibly humorous proceeding, in which the participators rushed about brandishing books and magazines, ever and anon crying, "There he is!" and smiting on the head some quiet, unoffending reader. Some evil-minded young miscreant went so far as to put bits of india-rubber on the top of the stove, the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049794 | consequence being that in a short time a mysterious smell arose of such a fearful and distressing nature that every one was obliged to bolt out into the passage. Those boys who at the time of the elections had formed the rank and file of the Thurstonian party, saw here an opportunity for showing their resentment of what they still | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049795 | chose to consider unfair conduct on Allingford's part. As a result, so they said, of the captain's favouritism, Lucas had been forced into a position for which he was entirely un-fitted; and with the expressed determination "not to stand him at any price," they proved themselves ever ready to assist in keeping up a constant repetition of the disturbances which | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049796 | have just been described. These games, it need hardly be said, were not carried on when any of the prefects or members of the Sixth happened to be present; but during the half-hour between the end of tea and the commencement of preparation, when it rarely happened that any of the seniors put in an appearance, the conduct of the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049797 | place went steadily from bad to worse. Lucas lost his head and lost his temper, and in doing so lost all control of his charge; and at last things were brought to a climax in the manner we are about to describe. At the back of the room was one of those short desks which can be changed at will | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049798 | into a seat, the top part falling over and making a back-rest, while the form remains stationary. In connection with this article of furniture Gull one evening introduced a new pastime, which he called putting fellows in the stocks, and which consisted in decoying innocent small boys into taking a seat, then suddenly pushing them backwards on to the floor, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049799 | and imprisoning their feet between the form and the reversible desk--a position from which they only extricated themselves with considerable difficulty. Lucas made a couple of attempts to interfere and stop the proceedings, and when at length, for the third time, a thud and a shout of laughter announced that still another victim had fallen into the trap, he rose | 60 | gutenberg |
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