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G. Wodehouse</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and +most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms +of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online +at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you +are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the +country where you are located before using this eBook. +</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Pothunters</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: P. G. Wodehouse</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: February 20, 2003 [eBook #6984]<br /> +[Most recently updated: January 15, 2022]</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Suzanne L. Shell, Charles Franks, the Online Distributed Proofreading Team and David Widger</div> +<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE POTHUNTERS ***</div> + +<h1>THE POTHUNTERS</h1> + +<h2 class="no-break">By P. G. Wodehouse</h2> + +<h3>1902</h3> + +<p> +<br /><br /><br /> +</p> + +<h3>DEDICATION<br /> +<br /> +TO JOAN, EFFIE AND<br /> +ERNESTINE BOWES-LYON</h3> + +<hr /> + +<h3>CONTENTS</h3> + +<table summary="" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto"> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0001">CHAPTER I. PATIENT PERSEVERANCE PRODUCES PUGILISTIC PRODIGIES</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0002">CHAPTER II. THIEVES BREAK IN AND STEAL</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0003">CHAPTER III. AN UNIMPORTANT BY-PRODUCT</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0004">CHAPTER IV. CERTAIN REVELATIONS</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0005">CHAPTER V. CONCERNING THE MUTUAL FRIEND</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0006">CHAPTER VI. A LITERARY BANQUET</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0007">CHAPTER VII. BARRETT EXPLORES</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0008">CHAPTER VIII. BARRETT CEASES TO EXPLORE</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0009">CHAPTER IX. ENTER THE SLEUTH-HOUND</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0010">CHAPTER X. MR THOMPSON INVESTIGATES</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0011">CHAPTER XI. THE SPORTS</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0012">CHAPTER XII. AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0013">CHAPTER XIII. SIR ALFRED SCORES</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0014">CHAPTER XIV. THE LONG RUN</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0015">CHAPTER XV. MR ROBERTS EXPLAINS</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0016">CHAPTER XVI. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF J. THOMSON</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0017">CHAPTER XVII. 'WE'LL PROCEED TO SEARCH FOR THOMSON IF HE BE ABOVE THE GROUND'</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#link2H_4_0018">CHAPTER XVIII. IN WHICH THE AFFAIRS OF VARIOUS PERSONS ARE WOUND UP</a></td> +</tr> + +</table> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0001" id="link2H_4_0001"></a> + CHAPTER I<br /> + PATIENT PERSEVERANCE PRODUCES PUGILISTIC PRODIGIES + </h2> + <p> + 'Where <i>have</i> I seen that face before?' said a voice. Tony Graham + looked up from his bag. + </p> + <p> + 'Hullo, Allen,' he said, 'what the dickens are you up here for?' + </p> + <p> + 'I was rather thinking of doing a little boxing. If you've no objection, + of course.' + </p> + <p> + 'But you ought to be on a bed of sickness, and that sort of thing. I heard + you'd crocked yourself.' + </p> + <p> + 'So I did. Nothing much, though. Trod on myself during a game of fives, + and twisted my ankle a bit.' + </p> + <p> + 'In for the middles, of course?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes.' + </p> + <p> + 'So am I.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, so I saw in the <i>Sportsman</i>. It says you weigh eleven-three.' + </p> + <p> + 'Bit more, really, I believe. Shan't be able to have any lunch, or I shall + have to go in for the heavies. What are you?' + </p> + <p> + 'Just eleven. Well, let's hope we meet in the final.' + </p> + <p> + 'Rather,' said Tony. + </p> + <p> + It was at Aldershot—to be more exact, in the dressing-room of the + Queen's Avenue Gymnasium at Aldershot—that the conversation took + place. From east and west, and north and south, from Dan even unto + Beersheba, the representatives of the public schools had assembled to box, + fence, and perform gymnastic prodigies for fame and silver medals. The + room was full of all sorts and sizes of them, heavy-weights looking + ponderous and muscular, feather-weights diminutive but wiry, + light-weights, middle-weights, fencers, and gymnasts in scores, some + wearing the unmistakable air of the veteran, for whom Aldershot has no + mysteries, others nervous, and wishing themselves back again at school. + </p> + <p> + Tony Graham had chosen a corner near the door. This was his first + appearance at Aldershot. St Austin's was his School, and he was by far the + best middle-weight there. But his doubts as to his ability to hold his own + against all-comers were extreme, nor were they lessened by the knowledge + that his cousin, Allen Thomson, was to be one of his opponents. Indeed, if + he had not been a man of mettle, he might well have thought that with + Allen's advent his chances were at an end. + </p> + <p> + Allen was at Rugby. He was the son of a baronet who owned many acres in + Wiltshire, and held fixed opinions on the subject of the whole duty of + man, who, he held, should be before anything else a sportsman. Both the + Thomsons—Allen's brother Jim was at St Austin's in the same House as + Tony—were good at most forms of sport. Jim, however, had never taken + to the art of boxing very kindly, but, by way of compensation, Allen had + skill enough for two. He was a splendid boxer, quick, neat, scientific. He + had been up to Aldershot three times, once as a feather-weight and twice + as a light-weight, and each time he had returned with the silver medal. + </p> + <p> + As for Tony, he was more a fighter than a sparrer. When he paid a visit to + his uncle's house he boxed with Allen daily, and invariably got the worst + of it. Allen was too quick for him. But he was clever with his hands. His + supply of pluck was inexhaustible, and physically he was as hard as nails. + </p> + <p> + 'Is your ankle all right again, now?' he asked. + </p> + <p> + 'Pretty well. It wasn't much of a sprain. Interfered with my training a + good bit, though. I ought by rights to be well under eleven stone. You're + all right, I suppose?' + </p> + <p> + 'Not bad. Boxing takes it out of you more than footer or a race. I was in + good footer training long before I started to get fit for Aldershot. But I + think I ought to get along fairly well. Any idea who's in against us?' + </p> + <p> + 'Harrow, Felsted, Wellington. That's all, I think.' + </p> + <p> + 'St Paul's?' + </p> + <p> + 'No.' + </p> + <p> + 'Good. Well, I hope your first man mops you up. I've a conscientious + objection to scrapping with you.' + </p> + <p> + Allen laughed. 'You'd be all right,' he said, 'if you weren't so beastly + slow with your guard. Why don't you wake up? You hit like blazes.' + </p> + <p> + 'I think I shall start guarding two seconds before you lead. By the way, + don't have any false delicacy about spoiling my aristocratic features. On + the ground of relationship, you know.' + </p> + <p> + 'Rather not. Let auld acquaintance be forgot. I'm not Thomson for the + present. I'm Rugby.' + </p> + <p> + 'Just so, and I'm St Austin's. Personally, I'm going for the knock-out. + You won't feel hurt?' + </p> + <p> + This was in the days before the Headmasters' Conference had abolished the + knock-out blow, and a boxer might still pay attentions to the point of his + opponent's jaw with an easy conscience. + </p> + <p> + 'I probably shall if it comes off,' said Allen. 'I say, it occurs to me + that we shall be weighing-in in a couple of minutes, and I haven't started + to change yet. Good, I've not brought evening dress or somebody else's + footer clothes, as usually happens on these festive occasions.' + </p> + <p> + He was just pulling on his last boot when a Gymnasium official appeared in + the doorway. + </p> + <p> + 'Will all those who are entering for the boxing get ready for the + weighing-in, please?' he said, and a general exodus ensued. + </p> + <p> + The weighing-in at the Public Schools' Boxing Competition is something in + the nature of a religious ceremony, but even religious ceremonies come to + an end, and after a quarter of an hour or so Tony was weighed in the + balance and found correct. He strolled off on a tour of inspection. + </p> + <p> + After a time he lighted upon the St Austin's Gym Instructor, whom he had + not seen since they had parted that morning, the one on his way to the + dressing-room, the other to the refreshment-bar for a modest quencher. + </p> + <p> + 'Well, Mr Graham?' + </p> + <p> + 'Hullo, Dawkins. What time does this show start? Do you know when the + middle-weights come on?' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, you can't say for certain. They may keep 'em back a bit or they may + make a start with 'em first thing. No, the light-weights are going to + start. What number did you draw, sir?' + </p> + <p> + 'One.' + </p> + <p> + 'Then you'll be in the first middle-weight pair. That'll be after these + two gentlemen.' + </p> + <p> + 'These two gentlemen', the first of the light-weights, were by this time + in the middle of a warmish opening round. Tony watched them with interest + and envy. 'How beastly nippy they are,' he said. + </p> + <p> + 'Wish I could duck like that,' he added. + </p> + <p> + 'Well, the 'ole thing there is you 'ave to watch the other man's eyes. But + light-weights is always quicker at the duck than what heavier men are. You + get the best boxing in the light-weights, though the feathers spar + quicker.' + </p> + <p> + Soon afterwards the contest finished, amidst volleys of applause. It had + been a spirited battle, and an exceedingly close thing. The umpires + disagreed. After a short consultation, the referee gave it as his opinion + that on the whole R. Cloverdale, of Bedford, had had a shade the worse of + the exchanges, and that in consequence J. Robinson, of St Paul's, was the + victor. This was what he meant. What he said was, 'Robinson wins,' in a + sharp voice, as if somebody were arguing about it. The pair then shook + hands and retired. + </p> + <p> + 'First bout, middle-weights,' shrilled the M.C. 'W.P. Ross (Wellington) + and A.C.R. Graham (St Austin's).' + </p> + <p> + Tony and his opponent retired for a moment to the changing-room, and then + made their way amidst applause on to the raised stage on which the ring + was pitched. Mr W.P. Ross proceeded to the farther corner of the ring, + where he sat down and was vigorously massaged by his two seconds. Tony + took the opposite corner and submitted himself to the same process. It is + a very cheering thing at any time to have one's arms and legs kneaded like + bread, and it is especially pleasant if one is at all nervous. It sends a + glow through the entire frame. Like somebody's something it is both + grateful and comforting. + </p> + <p> + Tony's seconds were curious specimens of humanity. One was a gigantic + soldier, very gruff and taciturn, and with decided leanings towards + pessimism. The other was also a soldier. He was in every way his + colleague's opposite. He was half his size, had red hair, and was bubbling + over with conversation. The other could not interfere with his hair or his + size, but he could with his conversation, and whenever he attempted a + remark, he was promptly silenced, much to his disgust. + </p> + <p> + 'Plenty o' moosle 'ere, Fred,' he began, as he rubbed Tony's left arm. + </p> + <p> + 'Moosle ain't everything,' said the other, gloomily, and there was silence + again. + </p> + <p> + 'Are you ready? Seconds away,' said the referee. + </p> + <p> + 'Time!' + </p> + <p> + The two stood up to one another. + </p> + <p> + The Wellington representative was a plucky boxer, but he was not in the + same class as Tony. After a few exchanges, the latter got to work, and + after that there was only one man in the ring. In the middle of the second + round the referee stopped the fight, and gave it to Tony, who came away as + fresh as he had started, and a great deal happier and more confident. + </p> + <p> + 'Did us proud, Fred,' began the garrulous man. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, but that 'un ain't nothing. You wait till he meets young Thomson. + I've seen 'im box 'ere three years, and never bin beat yet. Three bloomin' + years. Yus.' + </p> + <p> + This might have depressed anybody else, but as Tony already knew all there + was to be known about Allen's skill with the gloves, it had no effect upon + him. + </p> + <p> + A sanguinary heavy-weight encounter was followed by the first bout of the + feathers and the second of the light-weights, and then it was Allen's turn + to fight the Harrow representative. + </p> + <p> + It was not a very exciting bout. Allen took things very easily. He knew + his training was by no means all it should have been, and it was not his + game to take it out of himself with any firework business in the trial + heats. He would reserve that for the final. So he sparred three gentle + rounds with the Harrow sportsman, just doing sufficient to keep the lead + and obtain the verdict after the last round. He finished without having + turned a hair. He had only received one really hard blow, and that had + done no damage. After this came a long series of fights. The heavy-weights + shed their blood in gallons for name and fame. The feather-weights gave + excellent exhibitions of science, and the light-weight pairs were fought + off until there remained only the final to be decided, Robinson, of St + Paul's, against a Charterhouse boxer. + </p> + <p> + In the middle-weights there were three competitors still in the running, + Allen, Tony, and a Felsted man. They drew lots, and the bye fell to Tony, + who put up an uninteresting three rounds with one of the soldiers, neither + fatiguing himself very much. Henderson, of Felsted, proved a much tougher + nut to crack than Allen's first opponent. He was a rushing boxer, and in + the first round had, if anything, the best of it. In the last two, + however, Allen gradually forged ahead, gaining many points by his perfect + style alone. He was declared the winner, but he felt much more tired than + he had done after his first fight. + </p> + <p> + By the time he was required again, however, he had had plenty of breathing + space. The final of the light-weights had been decided, and Robinson, of + St Paul's, after the custom of Paulines, had set the crown upon his + afternoon's work by fighting the Carthusian to a standstill in the first + round. There only remained now the finals of the heavies and middles. + </p> + <p> + It was decided to take the latter first. + </p> + <p> + Tony had his former seconds, and Dawkins had come to his corner to see him + through the ordeal. + </p> + <p> + 'The 'ole thing 'ere,' he kept repeating, 'is to keep goin' 'ard all the + time and wear 'im out. He's too quick for you to try any sparrin' with.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes,' said Tony. + </p> + <p> + 'The 'ole thing,' continued the expert, 'is to feint with your left and + 'it with your right.' This was excellent in theory, no doubt, but Tony + felt that when he came to put it into practice Allen might have other + schemes on hand and bring them off first. + </p> + <p> + 'Are you ready? Seconds out of the ring.... Time!' + </p> + <p> + 'Go in, sir, 'ard,' whispered the red-haired man as Tony rose from his + place. + </p> + <p> + Allen came up looking pleased with matters in general. He gave Tony a + cousinly grin as they shook hands. Tony did not respond. He was feeling + serious, and wondering if he could bring off his knock-out before the + three rounds were over. He had his doubts. + </p> + <p> + The fight opened slowly. Both were cautious, for each knew the other's + powers. Suddenly, just as Tony was thinking of leading, Allen came in like + a flash. A straight left between the eyes, a right on the side of the + head, and a second left on the exact tip of the nose, and he was out + again, leaving Tony with a helpless feeling of impotence and disgust. + </p> + <p> + Then followed more sparring. Tony could never get in exactly the right + position for a rush. Allen circled round him with an occasional feint. + Then he hit out with the left. Tony ducked. Again he hit, and again Tony + ducked, but this time the left stopped halfway, and his right caught Tony + on the cheek just as he swayed to one side. It staggered him, and before + he could recover himself, in darted Allen again with another trio of + blows, ducked a belated left counter, got in two stinging hits on the + ribs, and finished with a left drive which took Tony clean off his feet + and deposited him on the floor beside the ropes. + </p> + <p> + 'Silence, <i>please</i>,' said the referee, as a burst of applause greeted + this feat. + </p> + <p> + Tony was up again in a moment. He began to feel savage. He had expected + something like this, but that gave him no consolation. He made up his mind + that he really would rush this time, but just as he was coming in, Allen + came in instead. It seemed to Tony for the next half-minute that his + cousin's fists were never out of his face. He looked on the world through + a brown haze of boxing-glove. Occasionally his hand met something solid + which he took to be Allen, but this was seldom, and, whenever it happened, + it only seemed to bring him back again like a boomerang. Just at the most + exciting point, 'Time' was called. + </p> + <p> + The pessimist shook his head gloomily as he sponged Tony's face. + </p> + <p> + 'You must lead if you want to 'it 'im,' said the garrulous man. 'You're + too slow. Go in at 'im, sir, wiv both 'ands, an' you'll be all right. + Won't 'e, Fred?' + </p> + <p> + 'I said 'ow it 'ud be,' was the only reply Fred would vouchsafe. + </p> + <p> + Tony was half afraid the referee would give the fight against him without + another round, but to his joy 'Time' was duly called. He came up to the + scratch as game as ever, though his head was singing. He meant to go in + for all he was worth this round. + </p> + <p> + And go in he did. Allen had managed, in performing a complicated + manoeuvre, to place himself in a corner, and Tony rushed. He was sent out + again with a flush hit on the face. He rushed again, and again met Allen's + left. Then he got past, and in the confined space had it all his own way. + Science did not tell here. Strength was the thing that scored, hard + half-arm smashes, left and right, at face and body, and the guard could + look after itself. + </p> + <p> + Allen upper-cut him twice, but after that he was nowhere. Tony went in + with both hands. There was a prolonged rally, and it was not until 'Time' + had been called that Allen was able to extricate himself. Tony's blows had + been mostly body blows, and very warm ones at that. + </p> + <p> + 'That's right, sir,' was the comment of the red-headed second. 'Keep 'em + both goin' hard, and you'll win yet. You 'ad 'im proper then. 'Adn't 'e, + Fred?' + </p> + <p> + And even the pessimist was obliged to admit that Tony could fight, even if + he was not quick with his guard. + </p> + <p> + Allen took the ring slowly. His want of training had begun to tell on him, + and some of Tony's blows had landed in very tender spots. He knew that he + could win if his wind held out, but he had misgivings. The gloves seemed + to weigh down his hands. Tony opened the ball with a tremendous rush. + Allen stopped him neatly. There was an interval while the two sparred for + an opening. Then Allen feinted and dashed in. Tony did not hit him once. + It was the first round over again. Left right, left right, and, finally, + as had happened before, a tremendously hot shot which sent him under the + ropes. He got up, and again Allen darted in. Tony met him with a straight + left. A rapid exchange of blows, and the end came. Allen lashed out with + his left. Tony ducked sharply, and brought his right across with every + ounce of his weight behind it, fairly on to the point of the jaw. The + right cross-counter is distinctly one of those things which it is more + blessed to give than to receive. Allen collapsed. + </p> + <p> + '... nine ... ten.' + </p> + <p> + The time-keeper closed his watch. + </p> + <p> + 'Graham wins,' said the referee, 'look after that man there.' + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0002" id="link2H_4_0002"></a> + CHAPTER II<br /> + HIEVES BREAK IN AND STEAL + </h2> + <p> + It was always the custom for such Austinians as went up to represent the + School at the annual competition to stop the night in the town. It was + not, therefore, till just before breakfast on the following day that Tony + arrived back at his House. The boarding Houses at St Austin's formed a + fringe to the School grounds. The two largest were the School House and + Merevale's. Tony was at Merevale's. He was walking up from the station + with Welch, another member of Merevale's, who had been up to Aldershot as + a fencer, when, at the entrance to the School grounds, he fell in with + Robinson, his fag. Robinson was supposed by many (including himself) to be + a very warm man for the Junior Quarter, which was a handicap race, + especially as an injudicious Sports Committee had given him ten yards' + start on Simpson, whom he would have backed himself to beat, even if the + positions had been reversed. Being a wise youth, however, and knowing that + the best of runners may fail through under-training, he had for the last + week or so been going in for a steady course of over-training, getting up + in the small hours and going for before-breakfast spins round the track on + a glass of milk and a piece of bread. Master R. Robinson was nothing if + not thorough in matters of this kind. + </p> + <p> + But today things of greater moment than the Sports occupied his mind. He + had news. He had great news. He was bursting with news, and he hailed the + approach of Tony and Welch with pleasure. With any other leading light of + the School he might have felt less at ease, but with Tony it was + different. When you have underdone a fellow's eggs and overdone his toast + and eaten the remainder for a term or two, you begin to feel that mere + social distinctions and differences of age no longer form a barrier. + </p> + <p> + Besides, he had news which was absolutely fresh, news to which no one + could say pityingly: 'What! Have you only just heard <i>that</i>!' + </p> + <p> + 'Hullo, Graham,' he said. 'Have you come back?' Tony admitted that he had. + 'Jolly good for getting the Middles.' (A telegram had, of course, preceded + Tony.) 'I say, Graham, do you know what's happened? There'll be an awful + row about it. Someone's been and broken into the Pav.' + </p> + <p> + 'Rot! How do you know?' + </p> + <p> + 'There's a pane taken clean out. I booked it in a second as I was going + past to the track.' + </p> + <p> + 'Which room?' + </p> + <p> + 'First Fifteen. The window facing away from the Houses.' + </p> + <p> + 'That's rum,' said Welch. 'Wonder what a burglar wanted in the First room. + Isn't even a hair-brush there generally.' + </p> + <p> + Robinson's eyes dilated with honest pride. This was good. This was better + than he had looked for. Not only were they unaware of the burglary, but + they had not even an idea as to the recent event which had made the First + room so fit a hunting-ground for the burgling industry. There are few + pleasures keener than the pleasure of telling somebody something he didn't + know before. + </p> + <p> + 'Great Scott,' he remarked, 'haven't you heard? No, of course you went up + to Aldershot before they did it. By Jove.' + </p> + <p> + 'Did what?' + </p> + <p> + 'Why, they shunted all the Sports prizes from the Board Room to the Pav. + and shot 'em into the First room. I don't suppose there's one left now. I + should like to see the Old Man's face when he hears about it. Good mind to + go and tell him now, only he'd have a fit. Jolly exciting, though, isn't + it?' + </p> + <p> + 'Well,' said Tony, 'of all the absolutely idiotic things to do! Fancy + putting—there must have been at least fifty pounds' worth of silver + and things. Fancy going and leaving all that overnight in the Pav!' + </p> + <p> + 'Rotten!' agreed Welch. 'Wonder whose idea it was.' + </p> + <p> + 'Look here, Robinson,' said Tony, 'you'd better buck up and change, or + you'll be late for brekker. Come on, Welch, we'll go and inspect the scene + of battle.' + </p> + <p> + Robinson trotted off, and Welch and Tony made their way to the Pavilion. + There, sure enough, was the window, or rather the absence of window. A + pane had been neatly removed, evidently in the orthodox way by means of a + diamond. + </p> + <p> + 'May as well climb up and see if there's anything to be seen,' said Welch. + </p> + <p> + 'All right,' said Tony, 'give us a leg up. Right-ho. By Jove, I'm stiff.' + </p> + <p> + 'See anything?' + </p> + <p> + 'No. There's a cloth sort of thing covering what I suppose are the prizes. + I see how the chap, whoever he was, got in. You've only got to break the + window, draw a couple of bolts, and there you are. Shall I go in and + investigate?' + </p> + <p> + 'Better not. It's rather the thing, I fancy, in these sorts of cases, to + leave everything just as it is.' + </p> + <p> + 'Rum business,' said Tony, as he rejoined Welch on terra firma. 'Wonder if + they'll catch the chap. We'd better be getting back to the House now. It + struck the quarter years ago.' + </p> + <p> + When Tony, some twenty minutes later, shook off the admiring crowd who + wanted a full description of yesterday's proceedings, and reached his + study, he found there James Thomson, brother to Allen Thomson, as the + playbills say. Jim was looking worried. Tony had noticed it during + breakfast, and had wondered at the cause. He was soon enlightened. + </p> + <p> + 'Hullo, Jim,' said he. 'What's up with you this morning? Feeling chippy?' + </p> + <p> + 'No. No, I'm all right. I'm in a beastly hole though. I wanted to talk to + you about it.' + </p> + <p> + 'Weigh in, then. We've got plenty of time before school.' + </p> + <p> + 'It's about this Aldershot business. How on earth did you manage to lick + Allen like that? I thought he was a cert.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, so did I. The 'ole thing there, as Dawkins 'ud say, was, I knocked + him out. It's the sort of thing that's always happening. I wasn't in it at + all except during the second round, when I gave him beans rather in one of + the corners. My aunt, it was warm while it lasted. First round, I didn't + hit him once. He was better than I thought he'd be, and I knew from + experience he was pretty good.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, you look a bit bashed.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes. Feel it too. But what's the row with you?' + </p> + <p> + 'Just this. I had a couple of quid on Allen, and the rotter goes and gets + licked.' + </p> + <p> + 'Good Lord. Whom did you bet with?' + </p> + <p> + 'With Allen himself.' + </p> + <p> + 'Mean to say Allen was crock enough to bet against himself? He must have + known he was miles better than anyone else in. He's got three medals there + already.' + </p> + <p> + 'No, you see his bet with me was only a hedge. He'd got five to four or + something in quids on with a chap in his House at Rugby on himself. He + wanted a hedge because he wasn't sure about his ankle being all right. You + know he hurt it. So I gave him four to one in half-sovereigns. I thought + he was a cert, with apologies to you.' + </p> + <p> + 'Don't mention it. So he was a cert. It was only the merest fluke I + managed to out him when I did. If he'd hung on to the end, he'd have won + easy. He'd been scoring points all through.' + </p> + <p> + 'I know. So <i>The Sportsman</i> says. Just like my luck.' + </p> + <p> + 'I can't see what you want to bet at all for. You're bound to come a + mucker sooner or later. Can't you raise the two quid?' + </p> + <p> + 'I'm broke except for half-a-crown.' + </p> + <p> + 'I'd lend it to you like a shot if I had it, of course. But you don't find + me with two quid to my name at the end of term. Won't Allen wait?' + </p> + <p> + 'He would if it was only him. But this other chap wants his oof badly for + something and he's leaving and going abroad or something at the end of + term. Anyhow, I know he's keen on getting it. Allen told me.' + </p> + <p> + Tony pondered for a moment. 'Look here,' he said at last, 'can't you ask + your pater? He usually heaves his money about pretty readily, doesn't he?' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, you see, he wouldn't send me two quid off the reel without wanting + to know all about it, and why I couldn't get on to the holidays with five + bob, and I'd either have to fake up a lot of lies, which I'm not going to + do—' + </p> + <p> + 'Of course not.' + </p> + <p> + 'Or else I must tell him I've been betting.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, he bets himself, doesn't he?' + </p> + <p> + 'That's just where the whole business slips up,' replied Jim, prodding the + table with a pen in a misanthropic manner. 'Betting's the one thing he's + absolutely down on. He got done rather badly once a few years ago. Believe + he betted on Orme that year he got poisoned. Anyhow he's always sworn to + lynch us if we made fools of ourselves that way. So if I asked him, I'd + not only get beans myself, besides not getting any money out of him, but + Allen would get scalped too, which he wouldn't see at all.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, it's no good doing that. Haven't you any other source of revenue?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, there's just one chance. If that doesn't come off, I'm done. My + pater said he'd give me a quid for every race I won at the sports. I got + the half yesterday all right when you were up at Aldershot.' + </p> + <p> + 'Good man. I didn't hear about that. What time? Anything good?' + </p> + <p> + 'Nothing special. 2-7 and three-fifths.' + </p> + <p> + 'That's awfully good. You ought to pull off the mile, too, I should + think.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, with luck. Drake's the man I'm afraid of. He's done it in 4-48 twice + during training. He was second in the half yesterday by about three yards, + but you can't tell anything from that. He sprinted too late.' + </p> + <p> + 'What's your best for the mile?' + </p> + <p> + 'I have done 4-47, but only once. 4-48's my average, so there's nothing to + choose between us on paper.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, you've got more to make you buck up than he has. There must be + something in that.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, by Jove. I'll win if I expire on the tape. I shan't spare myself + with that quid on the horizon.' + </p> + <p> + 'No. Hullo, there's the bell. We must buck up. Going to Charteris' gorge + tonight?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, but I shan't eat anything. No risks for me.' + </p> + <p> + 'Rusks are more in your line now. Come on.' + </p> + <p> + And, in the excitement of these more personal matters, Tony entirely + forgot to impart the news of the Pavilion burglary to him. + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0003" id="link2H_4_0003"></a> + CHAPTER III<br /> + AN UNIMPORTANT BY-PRODUCT + </h2> + <p> + The news, however, was not long in spreading. Robinson took care of that. + On the way to school he overtook his friend Morrison, a young gentleman + who had the unique distinction of being the rowdiest fag in Ward's House, + which, as any Austinian could have told you, was the rowdiest house in the + School. + </p> + <p> + 'I say, Morrison, heard the latest?' + </p> + <p> + 'No, what?' + </p> + <p> + 'Chap broke into the Pav. last night.' + </p> + <p> + 'Who, you?' + </p> + <p> + 'No, you ass, a regular burglar. After the Sports prizes.' + </p> + <p> + 'Look here, Robinson, try that on the kids.' + </p> + <p> + 'Just what I am doing,' said Robinson. + </p> + <p> + This delicate reference to Morrison's tender years had the effect of + creating a disturbance. Two School House juniors, who happened to be + passing, naturally forsook all their other aims and objects and joined the + battle. + </p> + <p> + 'What's up?' asked one of them, dusting himself hastily as they stopped to + take breath. It was always his habit to take up any business that might + attract his attention, and ask for explanations afterwards. + </p> + <p> + 'This kid—' began Morrison. + </p> + <p> + 'Kid yourself, Morrison.' + </p> + <p> + 'This lunatic, then.' Robinson allowed the emendation to pass. 'This + lunatic's got some yarn on about the Pav. being burgled.' + </p> + <p> + 'So it is. Tell you I saw it myself.' + </p> + <p> + 'Did it yourself, probably.' + </p> + <p> + 'How do you know, anyway? You seem so jolly certain about it.' + </p> + <p> + 'Why, there's a pane of glass cut out of the window in the First room.' + </p> + <p> + 'Shouldn't wonder, you know,' said Dimsdale, one of the two School House + fags, judicially, 'if the kid wasn't telling the truth for once in his + life. Those pots must be worth something. Don't you think so, Scott?' + </p> + <p> + Scott admitted that there might be something in the idea, and that, + however foreign to his usual habits, Robinson might on this occasion be + confining himself more or less to strict fact. + </p> + <p> + 'There you are, then,' said Robinson, vengefully. 'Shows what a fat lot + you know what you're talking about, Morrison.' + </p> + <p> + 'Morrison's a fool,' said Scott. 'Ever since he got off the bottom bench + in form there's been no holding him.' + </p> + <p> + 'All the same,' said Morrison, feeling that matters were going against + him, 'I shan't believe it till I see it.' + </p> + <p> + 'What'll you bet?' said Robinson. + </p> + <p> + 'I never bet,' replied Morrison with scorn. + </p> + <p> + 'You daren't. You know you'd lose.' + </p> + <p> + 'All right, then, I'll bet a penny I'm right.' He drew a deep breath, as + who should say, 'It's a lot of money, but it's worth risking it.' + </p> + <p> + 'You'll lose that penny, old chap,' said Robinson. 'That's to say,' he + added thoughtfully, 'if you ever pay up.' + </p> + <p> + 'You've got us as witnesses,' said Dimsdale. 'We'll see that he shells + out. Scott, remember you're a witness. + </p> + <p> + 'Right-ho,' said Scott. + </p> + <p> + At this moment the clock struck nine, and as each of the principals in + this financial transaction, and both the witnesses, were expected to be in + their places to answer their names at 8.58, they were late. And as they + had all been late the day before and the day before that, they were + presented, on arrival, by their generous Form Master with 200 lines + apiece. Which shows more than ever how wrong it is to bet. + </p> + <p> + The news continuing to circulate, by the end of morning school it was + generally known that a gang of desperadoes, numbering at least a hundred, + had taken the Pavilion down, brick by brick, till only the foundations + were left standing, and had gone off with every jot and tittle of the + unfortunately placed Sports prizes. + </p> + <p> + At the quarter-to-eleven interval, the School had gone <i>en masse</i> to + see what it could see, and had stared at the window with much the same + interest as they were wont to use in inspecting the First Eleven pitch on + the morning of a match—a curious custom, by the way, but one very + generally observed. + </p> + <p> + Then the official news of the extent of the robbery was spread abroad. It + appeared that the burglar had by no means done the profession credit, for + out of a collection of prizes ranging from the vast and silver Mile + Challenge Cup to the pair of fives-gloves with which the 'under twelve' + disciple of Deerfoot was to be rewarded, he had selected only three. Two + of these were worth having, being the challenge cup for the quarter and + the non-challenge cup for the hundred yards, both silver, but the third + was a valueless flask, and the general voice of the School was loud in + condemning the business abilities of one who could select his swag in so + haphazard a manner. It was felt to detract from the merit of the + performance. The knowing ones, however, gave it as their opinion that the + man must have been frightened by something, and so was unable to give the + matter his best attention and do himself justice as a connoisseur. + </p> + <p> + 'We had a burglary at my place once,' began Reade, of Philpott's House. + 'The man—' + </p> + <p> + 'That rotter, Reade,' said Barrett, also of Philpott's, 'has been telling + us that burglary chestnut of his all the morning. I wish you chaps + wouldn't encourage him.' + </p> + <p> + 'Why, what was it? First I've heard of it, at any rate.' Dallas and + Vaughan, of Ward's, added themselves to the group. 'Out with it, Reade,' + said Vaughan. + </p> + <p> + 'It's only a beastly reminiscence of Reade's childhood,' said Barrett. 'A + burglar got into the wine-cellar and collared all the coals.' + </p> + <p> + 'He didn't. He was in the hall, and my pater got his revolver—' + </p> + <p> + 'While you hid under the bed.' + </p> + <p> + '—and potted at him over the banisters.' + </p> + <p> + 'The last time but three you told the story, your pater fired through the + keyhole of the dining-room.' + </p> + <p> + 'You idiot, that was afterwards.' + </p> + <p> + 'Oh, well, what does it matter? Tell us something fresh.' + </p> + <p> + 'It's my opinion,' said Dallas, 'that Ward did it. A man of the vilest + antecedents. He's capable of anything from burglary—' + </p> + <p> + 'To attempted poisoning. You should see what we get to eat in Ward's + House,' said Vaughan. + </p> + <p> + 'Ward's the worst type of beak. He simply lives for the sake of booking + chaps. If he books a chap out of bounds it keeps him happy for a week.' + </p> + <p> + 'A man like that's bound to be a criminal of sorts in his spare time. It's + action and reaction,' said Vaughan. + </p> + <p> + Mr Ward happening to pass at this moment, the speaker went on to ask + Dallas audibly if life was worth living, and Dallas replied that under + certain conditions and in some Houses it was not. + </p> + <p> + Dallas and Vaughan did not like Mr Ward. Mr Ward was not the sort of man + who inspires affection. He had an unpleasant habit of 'jarring', as it was + called. That is to say, his conversation was shaped to one single end, + that of trying to make the person to whom he talked feel uncomfortable. + Many of his jars had become part of the School history. There was a legend + that on one occasion he had invited his prefects to supper, and regaled + them with sausages. There was still one prefect unhelped. To him he + addressed himself. + </p> + <p> + 'A sausage, Jones?' + </p> + <p> + 'If you please, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'No, you won't, then, because I'm going to have half myself.' + </p> + <p> + This story may or may not be true. Suffice it to say, that Mr Ward was not + popular. + </p> + <p> + The discussion was interrupted by the sound of the bell ringing for second + lesson. The problem was left unsolved. It was evident that the burglar had + been interrupted, but how or why nobody knew. The suggestion that he had + heard Master R. Robinson training for his quarter-mile, and had thought it + was an earthquake, found much favour with the junior portion of the + assembly. Simpson, on whom Robinson had been given start in the race, + expressed an opinion that he, Robinson, ran like a cow. At which Robinson + smiled darkly, and advised the other to wait till Sports Day and then he'd + see, remarking that, meanwhile, if he gave him any of his cheek he might + not be well enough to run at all. + </p> + <p> + 'This sort of thing,' said Barrett to Reade, as they walked to their + form-room, 'always makes me feel beastly. Once start a row like this, and + all the beaks turn into regular detectives and go ferreting about all over + the place, and it's ten to one they knock up against something one doesn't + want them to know about.' + </p> + <p> + Reade was feeling hurt. He had objected to the way in which Barrett had + spoiled a story that might easily have been true, and really was true in + parts. His dignity was offended. He said 'Yes' to Barrett's observation in + a tone of reserved <i>hauteur</i>. Barrett did not notice. + </p> + <p> + 'It's an awful nuisance. For one thing it makes them so jolly strict about + bounds.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes.' + </p> + <p> + 'I wanted to go for a bike ride this afternoon. There's nothing on at the + School.' + </p> + <p> + 'Why don't you?' + </p> + <p> + 'What's the good if you can't break bounds? A ride of about a quarter of a + mile's no good. There's a ripping place about ten miles down the Stapleton + Road. Big wood, with a ripping little hollow in the middle, all ferns and + moss. I was thinking of taking a book out there for the afternoon. Only + there's roll-call.' + </p> + <p> + He paused. Ordinarily, this would have been the cue for Reade to say, 'Oh, + I'll answer your name at roll-call.' But Reade said nothing. Barrett + looked surprised and disappointed. + </p> + <p> + 'I say, Reade,' he said. + </p> + <p> + 'Well?' + </p> + <p> + 'Would you like to answer my name at roll-call?' It was the first time he + had ever had occasion to make the request. + </p> + <p> + 'No,' said Reade. + </p> + <p> + Barrett could hardly believe his ears. Did he sleep? Did he dream? Or were + visions about? + </p> + <p> + 'What!' he said. + </p> + <p> + No answer. + </p> + <p> + 'Do you mean to say you won't?' + </p> + <p> + 'Of course I won't. Why the deuce should I do your beastly dirty work for + you?' + </p> + <p> + Barrett did not know what to make of this. Curiosity urged him to ask for + explanations. Dignity threw cold water on such a scheme. In the end + dignity had the best of it. + </p> + <p> + 'Oh, very well,' he said, and they went on in silence. In all the three + years of their acquaintance they had never before happened upon such a + crisis. + </p> + <p> + The silence lasted until they reached the form-room. Then Barrett + determined, in the interests of the common good—he and Reade shared + a study, and icy coolness in a small study is unpleasant—to chain up + Dignity for the moment, and give Curiosity a trial. + </p> + <p> + 'What's up with you today?' he asked. + </p> + <p> + He could hardly have chosen a worse formula. The question has on most + people precisely the same effect as that which the query, 'Do you know + where you lost it?' has on one who is engaged in looking for mislaid + property. + </p> + <p> + 'Nothing,' said Reade. Probably at the same moment hundreds of other + people were making the same reply, in the same tone of voice, to the same + question. + </p> + <p> + 'Oh,' said Barrett. + </p> + <p> + There was another silence. + </p> + <p> + 'You might as well answer my name this afternoon,' said Barrett, + tentatively. + </p> + <p> + Reade walked off without replying, and Barrett went to his place feeling + that curiosity was a fraud, and resolving to confine his attentions for + the future to dignity. This was by-product number one of the Pavilion + burglary. + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0004" id="link2H_4_0004"></a> + CHAPTER IV<br /> + CERTAIN REVELATIONS + </h2> + <p> + During the last hour of morning school, Tony got a note from Jim. + </p> + <p> + 'Graham,' said Mr Thompson, the master of the Sixth, sadly, just as Tony + was about to open it. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir?' + </p> + <p> + 'Kindly tear that note up, Graham.' + </p> + <p> + 'Note, sir?' + </p> + <p> + 'Kindly tear that note up, Graham. Come, you are keeping us waiting.' + </p> + <p> + As the hero of the novel says, further concealment was useless. Tony tore + the note up unread. + </p> + <p> + 'Hope it didn't want an answer,' he said to Jim after school. 'Constant + practice has made Thompson a sort of amateur lynx.' + </p> + <p> + 'No. It was only to ask you to be in the study directly after lunch. + There's a most unholy row going to occur shortly, as far as I can see.' + </p> + <p> + 'What, about this burglary business?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes. Haven't time to tell you now. See you after lunch.' + </p> + <p> + After lunch, having closed the study door, Jim embarked on the following + statement. + </p> + <p> + It appeared that on the previous night he had left a book of notes, which + were of absolutely vital importance for the examination which the Sixth + had been doing in the earlier part of the morning, in the identical room + in which the prizes had been placed. Or rather, he had left it there + several days before, and had not needed it till that night. At half-past + six the Pavilion had been locked up, and Biffen, the ground-man, had taken + the key away with him, and it was only after tea had been consumed and the + evening paper read, that Jim, thinking it about time to begin work, had + discovered his loss. This was about half-past seven. + </p> + <p> + Being a House-prefect, Jim did not attend preparation in the Great Hall + with the common herd of the Houses, but was part-owner with Tony of a + study. + </p> + <p> + The difficulties of the situation soon presented themselves to him. It was + only possible to obtain the notes in three ways—firstly, by going to + the rooms of the Sixth Form master, who lived out of College; secondly, by + borrowing from one of the other Sixth Form members of the House; and + thirdly, by the desperate expedient of burgling the Pavilion. The + objections to the first course were two. In the first place Merevale was + taking prep. over in the Hall, and it was strictly forbidden for anyone to + quit the House after lock-up without leave. And, besides, it was long odds + that Thompson, the Sixth Form master, would not have the notes, as he had + dictated them partly out of his head and partly from the works of various + eminent scholars. The second course was out of the question. The only + other Sixth Form boy in the House, Tony and Welch being away at Aldershot, + was Charteris, and Charteris, who never worked much except the night + before an exam, but worked then under forced draught, was appalled at the + mere suggestion of letting his note-book out of his hands. Jim had sounded + him on the subject and had met with the reply, 'Kill my father and burn my + ancestral home, and I will look on and smile. But touch these notes and + you rouse the British Lion.' After which he had given up the borrowing + idea. + </p> + <p> + There remained the third course, and there was an excitement and sporting + interest about it that took him immensely. But how was he to get out to + start with? He opened his study-window and calculated the risks of a drop + to the ground. No, it was too far. Not worth risking a sprained ankle on + the eve of the mile. Then he thought of the Matron's sitting-room. This + was on the ground-floor, and if its owner happened to be out, exit would + be easy. As luck would have it she was out, and in another minute Jim had + crossed the Rubicon and was standing on the gravel drive which led to the + front gate. + </p> + <p> + A sharp sprint took him to the Pavilion. Now the difficulty was not how to + get out, but how to get in. Theoretically, it should have been the easiest + of tasks, but in practice there were plenty of obstacles to success. He + tried the lower windows, but they were firmly fixed. There had been a time + when one of them would yield to a hard kick and fly bodily out of its + frame, but somebody had been caught playing that game not long before, and + Jim remembered with a pang that not only had the window been securely + fastened up, but the culprit had had a spell of extra tuition and other + punishments which had turned him for the time into a hater of his species. + His own fate, he knew, would be even worse, for a prefect is supposed to + have something better to do in his spare time than breaking into + pavilions. It would mean expulsion perhaps, or, at the least, the loss of + his prefect's cap, and Jim did not want to lose that. Still the thing had + to be done if he meant to score any marks at all in the forthcoming exam. + He wavered a while between a choice of methods, and finally fixed on the + crudest of all. No one was likely to be within earshot, thought he, so he + picked up the largest stone he could find, took as careful aim as the dim + light would allow, and hove it. There was a sickening crash, loud enough, + he thought, to bring the whole School down on him, followed by a prolonged + rattle as the broken pieces of glass fell to the ground. + </p> + <p> + He held his breath and listened. For a moment all was still, uncannily + still. He could hear the tops of the trees groaning in the slight breeze + that had sprung up, and far away the distant roar of a train. Then a queer + thing happened. He heard a quiet thud, as if somebody had jumped from a + height on to grass, and then quick footsteps. + </p> + <p> + He waited breathless and rigid, expecting every moment to see a form loom + up beside him in the darkness. It was useless to run. His only chance was + to stay perfectly quiet. + </p> + <p> + Then it dawned upon him that the man was running away from him, not + towards him. His first impulse was to give chase, but prudence restrained + him. Catching burglars is an exhilarating sport, but it is best to indulge + in it when one is not on a burgling expedition oneself. + </p> + <p> + Besides he had come out to get his book, and business is business. + </p> + <p> + There was no time to be lost now, for someone might have heard one or both + of the noises and given the alarm. + </p> + <p> + Once the window was broken the rest was fairly easy, the only danger being + the pieces of glass. He took off his coat and flung it on to the sill of + the upper window. In a few seconds he was up himself without injury. He + found it a trifle hard to keep his balance, as there was nothing to hold + on to, but he managed it long enough to enable him to thrust an arm + through the gap and turn the handle. After this there was a bolt to draw, + which he managed without difficulty. + </p> + <p> + The window swung open. Jim jumped in, and groped his way round the room + till he found his book. The other window of the room was wide open. He + shut it for no definite reason, and noticed that a pane had been cut out + entire. The professional cracksman had done his work more neatly than the + amateur. + </p> + <p> + 'Poor chap,' thought Jim, with a chuckle, as he effected a retreat, 'I + must have given him a bit of a start with my half-brick.' After bolting + the window behind him, he climbed down. + </p> + <p> + As he reached earth again the clock struck a quarter to nine. In another + quarter of an hour prep, would be over and the House door unlocked, and he + would be able to get in again. Nor would the fact of his being out excite + remark, for it was the custom of the House-Prefects to take the air for + the few minutes which elapsed between the opening of the door and the + final locking-up for the night. + </p> + <p> + The rest of his adventures ran too smoothly to require a detailed + description. Everything succeeded excellently. The only reminiscences of + his escapade were a few cuts in his coat, which went unnoticed, and the + precious book of notes, to which he applied himself with such vigour in + the watches of the night, with a surreptitious candle and a hamper of + apples as aids to study, that, though tired next day, he managed to do + quite well enough in the exam, to pass muster. And, as he had never had + the least prospect of coming out top, or even in the first five, this + satisfied him completely. + </p> + <p> + Tony listened with breathless interest to Jim's recital of his adventures, + and at the conclusion laughed. + </p> + <p> + 'What a mad thing to go and do,' he said. + </p> + <p> + 'Jolly sporting, though.' + </p> + <p> + Jim did not join in his laughter. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, but don't you see,' he said, ruefully, 'what a mess I'm in? If they + find out that I was in the Pav. at the time when the cups were bagged, how + on earth am I to prove I didn't take them myself?' + </p> + <p> + 'By Jove, I never thought of that. But, hang it all, they'd never dream of + accusing a Coll. chap of stealing Sports prizes. This isn't a reformatory + for juvenile hooligans.' + </p> + <p> + 'No, perhaps not.' + </p> + <p> + 'Of course not.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, even if they didn't, the Old Man would be frightfully sick if he + got to know about it. I'd lose my prefect's cap for a cert.' + </p> + <p> + 'You might, certainly.' + </p> + <p> + 'I should. There wouldn't be any question about it. Why, don't you + remember that business last summer about Cairns? He used to stay out after + lock-up. That was absolutely all he did. Well, the Old 'Un dropped on him + like a hundredweight of bricks. Multiply that by about ten and you get + what he'll do to me if he books me over this job.' + </p> + <p> + Tony looked thoughtful. The case of Cairns <i>versus</i> The Powers that + were, was too recent to have escaped his memory. Even now Cairns was to be + seen on the grounds with a common School House cap at the back of his head + in place of the prefect's cap which had once adorned it. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes,' he said, 'you'd lose your cap all right, I'm afraid.' + </p> + <p> + 'Rather. And the sickening part of the business is that this real, + copper-bottomed burglary'll make them hunt about all over the shop for + clues and things, and the odds are they'll find me out, even if they don't + book the real man. Shouldn't wonder if they had a detective down for a big + thing of this sort.' + </p> + <p> + 'They are having one, I heard.' + </p> + <p> + 'There you are, then,' said Jim, dejectedly. 'I'm done, you see.' + </p> + <p> + 'I don't know. I don't believe detectives are much class.' + </p> + <p> + 'Anyhow, he'll probably have gumption enough to spot me.' + </p> + <p> + Jim's respect for the abilities of our national sleuth-hounds was greater + than Tony's, and a good deal greater than that of most people. + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0005" id="link2H_4_0005"></a> + CHAPTER V<br /> + CONCERNING THE MUTUAL FRIEND + </h2> + <p> + 'I wonder where the dear Mutual gets to these afternoons,' said Dallas. + </p> + <p> + 'The who?' asked MacArthur. MacArthur, commonly known as the Babe, was a + day boy. Dallas and Vaughan had invited him to tea in their study. + </p> + <p> + 'Plunkett, you know.' + </p> + <p> + 'Why the Mutual?' + </p> + <p> + 'Mutual Friend, Vaughan's and mine. Shares this study with us. I call him + dear partly because he's head of the House, and therefore, of course, we + respect and admire him.' + </p> + <p> + 'And partly,' put in Vaughan, beaming at the Babe over a frying-pan full + of sausages, 'partly because we love him so. Oh, he's a beauty.' + </p> + <p> + 'No, but rotting apart,' said the Babe, 'what sort of a chap is he? I + hardly know him by sight, even.' + </p> + <p> + 'Should describe him roughly,' said Dallas, 'as a hopeless, forsaken + unspeakable worm.' + </p> + <p> + 'Understates it considerably,' remarked Vaughan. 'His manners are + patronising, and his customs beastly.' + </p> + <p> + 'He wears spectacles, and reads Herodotus in the original Greek for + pleasure.' + </p> + <p> + 'He sneers at footer, and jeers at cricket. Croquet is his form, I should + say. Should doubt, though, if he even plays that.' + </p> + <p> + 'But why on earth,' said the Babe, 'do you have him in your study?' + </p> + <p> + Vaughan looked wildly and speechlessly at Dallas, who looked helplessly + back at Vaughan. + </p> + <p> + 'Don't, Babe, please!' said Dallas. 'You've no idea how a remark of that + sort infuriates us. You surely don't suppose we'd have the man in the + study if we could help it?' + </p> + <p> + 'It's another instance of Ward at his worst,' said Vaughan. 'Have you + never heard the story of the Mutual Friend's arrival?' + </p> + <p> + 'No.' + </p> + <p> + 'It was like this. At the beginning of this term I came back expecting to + be head of this show. You see, Richards left at Christmas and I was next + man in. Dallas and I had made all sorts of arrangements for having a good + time. Well, I got back on the last evening of the holidays. When I got + into this study, there was the man Plunkett sitting in the best chair, + reading.' + </p> + <p> + 'Probably reading Herodotus in the original Greek,' snorted Dallas. + </p> + <p> + 'He didn't take the slightest notice of me. I stood in the doorway like + Patience on a monument for about a quarter of an hour. Then I coughed. He + took absolutely no notice. I coughed again, loud enough to crack the + windows. Then I got tired of it, and said "Hullo". He did look up at that. + "Hullo," he said, "you've got rather a nasty cough." I said "Yes", and + waited for him to throw himself on my bosom and explain everything, you + know.' + </p> + <p> + 'Did he?' asked the Babe, deeply interested. + </p> + <p> + 'Not a bit,' said Dallas, 'he—sorry, Vaughan, fire ahead.' + </p> + <p> + 'He went on reading. After a bit I said I hoped he was fairly comfortable. + He said he was. Conversation languished again. I made another shot. + "Looking for anybody?" I said. "No," he said, "are you?" "No." "Then why + the dickens should I be?" he said. I didn't quite follow his argument. In + fact, I don't even now. "Look here," I said, "tell me one thing. Have you + or have you not bought this place? If you have, all right. If you haven't, + I'm going to sling you out, and jolly soon, too." He looked at me in his + superior sort of way, and observed without blenching that he was head of + the House.' + </p> + <p> + 'Just another of Ward's jars,' said Dallas. 'Knowing that Vaughan was keen + on being head of the House he actually went to the Old Man and persuaded + him that it would be better to bring in some day boy who was a + School-prefect than let Vaughan boss the show. What do you think of that?' + </p> + <p> + 'Pretty low,' said the Babe. + </p> + <p> + 'Said I was thoughtless and headstrong,' cut in Vaughan, spearing a + sausage as if it were Mr Ward's body. 'Muffins up, Dallas, old man. When + the sausages are done to a turn. "Thoughtless and headstrong." Those were + his very words.' + </p> + <p> + 'Can't you imagine the old beast?' said Dallas, pathetically, 'Can't you + see him getting round the Old Man? A capital lad at heart, I am sure, + distinctly a capital lad, but thoughtless and headstrong, far too + thoughtless for a position so important as that of head of my House. The + abandoned old wreck!' + </p> + <p> + Tea put an end for the moment to conversation, but when the last sausage + had gone the way of all flesh, Vaughan returned to the sore subject like a + moth to a candle. + </p> + <p> + 'It isn't only the not being head of the House that I bar. It's the man + himself. You say you haven't studied Plunkett much. When you get to know + him better, you'll appreciate his finer qualities more. There are so few + of them.' + </p> + <p> + 'The only fine quality I've ever seen in him,' said Dallas, 'is his habit + of slinking off in the afternoons when he ought to be playing games, and + not coming back till lock-up.' + </p> + <p> + 'Which brings us back to where we started,' put in the Babe. 'You were + wondering what he did with himself.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, it can't be anything good so we'll put beetles and butterflies out + of the question right away. He might go and poach. There's heaps of + opportunity round here for a chap who wants to try his hand at that. I + remember, when I was a kid, Morton-Smith, who used to be in this House—remember + him?—took me to old what's-his-name's place. Who's that frantic + blood who owns all that land along the Badgwick road? The M.P. man.' + </p> + <p> + 'Milord Sir Alfred Venner, M.P., of Badgwick Hall.' + </p> + <p> + 'That's the man. Generally very much of Badgwick Hall. Came down last + summer on Prize Day. One would have thought from the side on him that he + was all sorts of dooks. Anyhow, Morton-Smith took me rabbiting there. I + didn't know it was against the rules or anything. Had a grand time. A few + days afterwards, Milord Sir Venner copped him on the hop and he got + sacked. There was an awful row. I thought my hair would have turned + white.' + </p> + <p> + 'I shouldn't think the Mutual poaches,' said Vaughan. 'He hasn't got the + enterprise to poach an egg even. No, it can't be that.' + </p> + <p> + 'Perhaps he bikes?' said the Babe. + </p> + <p> + 'No, he's not got a bike. He's the sort of chap, though, to borrow + somebody else's without asking. Possibly he does bike.' + </p> + <p> + 'If he does,' said Dallas, 'it's only so as to get well away from the + Coll., before starting on his career of crime. I'll swear he does break + rules like an ordinary human being when he thinks it's safe. Those + aggressively pious fellows generally do.' + </p> + <p> + 'I didn't know he was that sort,' said the Babe. 'Don't you find it rather + a jar?' + </p> + <p> + 'Just a bit. He jaws us sometimes till we turn and rend him.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, he's an awful man,' said Vaughan. + </p> + <p> + 'Don't stop,' said the Babe, encouragingly, after the silence had lasted + some time. 'It's a treat picking a fellow to pieces like this.' + </p> + <p> + 'I don't know if that's your beastly sarcasm, Babe,' said Vaughan, 'but, + speaking for self and partner, I don't know how we should get on if we + didn't blow off steam occasionally in this style.' + </p> + <p> + 'We should probably last out for a week, and then there would be a sharp + shriek, a hollow groan, and all that would be left of the Mutual Friend + would be a slight discolouration on the study carpet.' + </p> + <p> + 'Coupled with an aroma of fresh gore.' + </p> + <p> + 'Perhaps that's why he goes off in the afternoons,' suggested the Babe. + 'Doesn't want to run any risks.' + </p> + <p> + 'Shouldn't wonder.' + </p> + <p> + 'He's such a rotten head of the House, too,' said Vaughan. 'Ward may gas + about my being headstrong and thoughtless, but I'm dashed if I would make + a bally exhibition of myself like the Mutual.' + </p> + <p> + 'What's he do?' enquired the Babe. + </p> + <p> + 'It's not so much what he does. It's what he doesn't do that sickens me,' + said Dallas. 'I may be a bit of a crock in some ways—for further + details apply to Ward—but I can stop a couple of fags ragging if I + try.' + </p> + <p> + 'Can't Plunkett?' + </p> + <p> + 'Not for nuts. He's simply helpless when there's anything going on that he + ought to stop. Why, the other day there was a row in the fags' room that + you could almost have heard at your place, Babe. We were up here working. + The Mutual was jawing as usual on the subject of cramming tips for the + Æschylus exam. Said it wasn't scholarship, or some rot. What business is + it of his how a chap works, I should like to know. Just as he had got + under way, the fags began kicking up more row than ever.' + </p> + <p> + 'I said', cut in Vaughan, 'that instead of minding other people's + business, he'd better mind his own for a change, and go down and stop the + row.' + </p> + <p> + 'He looked a bit green at that,' said Dallas. 'Said the row didn't + interfere with him. "Does with us," I said. "It's all very well for you. + You aren't doing a stroke of work. No amount of row matters to a chap + who's only delivering a rotten sermon on scholarship. Vaughan and I happen + to be trying to do some work." "All right," he said, "if you want the row + stopped, why don't you go and stop it? What's it got to do with me?"' + </p> + <p> + 'Rotter!' interpolated the Babe. + </p> + <p> + 'Wasn't he? Well, of course we couldn't stand that.' + </p> + <p> + 'We crushed him,' said Vaughan. + </p> + <p> + 'I said: "In my young days the head of the House used to keep order for + himself." I asked him what he thought he was here for. Because he isn't + ornamental. So he went down after that.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well?' said the Babe. Being a miserable day boy he had had no experience + of the inner life of a boarding House, which is the real life of a public + school. His experience of life at St Austin's was limited to doing his + work and playing centre-three-quarter for the fifteen. Which, it may be + remarked in passing, he did extremely well. + </p> + <p> + Dallas took up the narrative. 'Well, after he'd been gone about five + minutes, and the row seemed to be getting worse than ever, we thought we'd + better go down and investigate. So we did.' + </p> + <p> + 'And when we got to the fags' room,' said Vaughan, pointing the + toasting-fork at the Babe by way of emphasis, 'there was the Mutual + standing in the middle of the room gassing away with an expression on his + face a cross between a village idiot and an unintelligent fried egg. And + all round him was a seething mass of fags, half of them playing soccer + with a top-hat and the other half cheering wildly whenever the Mutual + opened his mouth.' + </p> + <p> + 'What did you do?' + </p> + <p> + 'We made an aggressive movement in force. Collared the hat, brained every + fag within reach, and swore we'd report them to the beak and so on. They + quieted down in about three and a quarter seconds by stopwatch, and we + retired, taking the hat as a prize of war, and followed by the Mutual + Friend.' + </p> + <p> + 'He looked worried, rather,' said Vaughan. 'And, thank goodness, he let us + alone for the rest of the evening.' + </p> + <p> + 'That's only a sample, though,' explained Dallas. 'That sort of thing has + been going on the whole term. If the head of a House is an abject lunatic, + there's bound to be ructions. Fags simply live for the sake of kicking up + rows. It's meat and drink to them.' + </p> + <p> + 'I wish the Mutual would leave,' said Vaughan. 'Only that sort of chap + always lingers on until he dies or gets sacked.' + </p> + <p> + 'He's not the sort of fellow to get sacked, I should say,' said the Babe. + </p> + <p> + ''Fraid not. I wish I could shunt into some other House. Between Ward and + the Mutual life here isn't worth living.' + </p> + <p> + 'There's Merevale's, now,' said Vaughan. 'I wish I was in there. In the + first place you've got Merevale. He gets as near perfection as a beak ever + does. Coaches the House footer and cricket, and takes an intelligent + interest in things generally. Then there are some decent fellows in + Merevale's. Charteris, Welch, Graham, Thomson, heaps of them.' + </p> + <p> + 'Pity you came to Ward's,' said the Babe. 'Why did you?' + </p> + <p> + 'My pater knew Ward a bit. If he'd known him well, he'd have sent me + somewhere else.' + </p> + <p> + 'My pater knew Vaughan's pater well, who knew Ward slightly and there you + are. <i>Voilà comme des accidents arrivent</i>.' + </p> + <p> + 'If Ward wanted to lug in a day boy to be head of the House,' said + Vaughan, harping once more on the old string, 'he might at least have got + somebody decent.' + </p> + <p> + 'There's the great Babe himself. Babe, why don't you come in next term?' + </p> + <p> + 'Not much,' said the Babe, with a shudder. + </p> + <p> + 'Well, even barring present company, there are lots of chaps who would + have jumped at the chance of being head of a House. But nothing would + satisfy Ward but lugging the Mutual from the bosom of his beastly family.' + </p> + <p> + 'We haven't decided that point about where he goes to,' said the Babe. + </p> + <p> + At this moment the door of the study opened, and the gentleman in question + appeared in person. He stood in the doorway for a few seconds, gasping and + throwing his arms about as if he found a difficulty in making his way in. + </p> + <p> + 'I wish you two wouldn't make such an awful froust in the study <i>every</i> + afternoon,' he observed, pleasantly. 'Have you been having a little + tea-party? How nice!' + </p> + <p> + 'We've been brewing, if that's what you mean,' said Vaughan, shortly. + </p> + <p> + 'Oh,' said Plunkett, 'I hope you enjoyed yourselves. It's nearly lock-up, + MacArthur.' + </p> + <p> + 'That's Plunkett's delicate way of telling you you're not wanted, Babe.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, I suppose I ought to be going,' said the Babe. 'So long.' + </p> + <p> + And he went, feeling grateful to Providence for not having made his + father, like the fathers of Vaughan and Dallas, a casual acquaintance of + Mr Ward. + </p> + <p> + The Mutual Friend really was a trial to Vaughan and Dallas. Only those + whose fate it is or has been to share a study with an uncongenial + companion can appreciate their feelings to the full. Three in a study is + always something of a tight fit, and when the three are in a state of + perpetual warfare, or, at the best, of armed truce, things become very bad + indeed. + </p> + <p> + 'Do you find it necessary to have tea-parties every evening?' enquired + Plunkett, after he had collected his books for the night's work. 'The + smell of burnt meat—' + </p> + <p> + 'Fried sausages,' said Vaughan. 'Perfectly healthy smell. Do you good.' + </p> + <p> + 'It's quite disgusting. Really, the air in here is hardly fit to breathe.' + </p> + <p> + 'You'll find an excellent brand of air down in the senior study,' said + Dallas, pointedly. 'Don't stay and poison yourself here on <i>our</i> + account,' he added. 'Think of your family.' + </p> + <p> + 'I shall work where I choose,' said the Mutual Friend, with dignity. + </p> + <p> + 'Of course, so long as you do work. You mustn't talk. Vaughan and I have + got some Livy to do.' + </p> + <p> + Plunkett snorted, and the passage of arms ended, as it usually did, in his + retiring with his books to the senior study, leaving Dallas and Vaughan to + discuss his character once more in case there might be any points of it + left upon which they had not touched in previous conversations. + </p> + <p> + 'This robbery of the pots is a rum thing,' said Vaughan, thoughtfully, + when the last shreds of Plunkett's character had been put through the + mincing-machine to the satisfaction of all concerned. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes. It's the sort of thing one doesn't think possible till it actually + happens.' + </p> + <p> + 'What the dickens made them put the things in the Pav. at all? They must + have known it wouldn't be safe.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, you see, they usually cart them into the Board Room, I believe, + only this time the governors were going to have a meeting there. They + couldn't very well meet in a room with the table all covered with silver + pots.' + </p> + <p> + 'Don't see why.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, I suppose they could, really, but some of the governors are fairly + nuts on strict form. There's that crock who makes the two-hour vote of + thanks speeches on Prize Day. You can see him rising to a point of order, + and fixing the Old 'Un with a fishy eye.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, anyhow, I don't see that they can blame a burglar for taking the + pots if they simply chuck them in his way like that.' + </p> + <p> + 'No. I say, we'd better weigh in with the Livy. The man Ward'll be round + directly. Where's the dic? <i>And</i> our invaluable friend, Mr Bohn? + Right. Now, you reel it off, and I'll keep an eye on the notes.' And they + settled down to the business of the day. + </p> + <p> + After a while Vaughan looked up. + </p> + <p> + 'Who's going to win the mile?' he asked. + </p> + <p> + 'What's the matter with Thomson?' + </p> + <p> + 'How about Drake then?' + </p> + <p> + 'Thomson won the half.' + </p> + <p> + 'I knew you'd say that. The half isn't a test of a chap's mile form. + Besides, did you happen to see Drake's sprint?' + </p> + <p> + 'Jolly good one.' + </p> + <p> + 'I know, but look how late he started for it. Thomson crammed on the pace + directly he got into the straight. Drake only began to put it on when he + got to the Pav. Even then he wasn't far behind at the tape.' + </p> + <p> + 'No. Well, I'm not plunging either way. Ought to be a good race.' + </p> + <p> + 'Rather. I say, I wonder Welch doesn't try his hand at the mile. I believe + he would do some rattling times if he'd only try.' + </p> + <p> + 'Why, Welch is a sprinter.' + </p> + <p> + 'I know. But I believe for all that that the mile's his distance. He's + always well up in the cross-country runs.' + </p> + <p> + 'Anyhow, he's not in for it this year. Thomson's my man. It'll be a near + thing, though.' + </p> + <p> + 'Jolly near thing. With Drake in front.' + </p> + <p> + 'Thomson.' + </p> + <p> + 'Drake.' + </p> + <p> + 'All right, we'll see. Wonder why the beak doesn't come up. I can't sit + here doing Livy all the evening. And yet if we stop he's bound to look + in.' + </p> + <p> + 'Oh Lord, is that what you've been worrying about? I thought you'd + developed the work habit or something. Ward's all right. He's out on the + tiles tonight. Gone to a dinner at Philpott's.' + </p> + <p> + 'Good man, how do you know? Are you certain?' + </p> + <p> + 'Heard him telling Prater this morning. Half the staff have gone. Good + opportunity for a chap to go for a stroll if he wanted to. Shall we, by + the way?' + </p> + <p> + 'Not for me, thanks. I'm in the middle of a rather special book. Ever read + <i>Great Expectations</i>? Dickens, you know.' + </p> + <p> + 'I know. Haven't read it, though. Always rather funk starting on a + classic, somehow. Good?' + </p> + <p> + 'My dear chap! Good's not the word.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, after you. Exit Livy, then. And a good job, too. You might pass us + the great Sherlock. Thanks.' + </p> + <p> + He plunged with the great detective into the mystery of the speckled band, + while Vaughan opened <i>Great Expectations</i> at the place where he had + left off the night before. And a silence fell upon the study. + </p> + <p> + Curiously enough, Dallas was not the only member of Ward's House to whom + it occurred that evening that the absence of the House-master supplied a + good opportunity for a stroll. The idea had also struck Plunkett + favourably. He was not feeling very comfortable down-stairs. On entering + the senior study he found Galloway, an Upper Fourth member of the House, + already in possession. Galloway had managed that evening to insinuate + himself with such success into the good graces of the matron, that he had + been allowed to stay in the House instead of proceeding with the rest of + the study to the Great Hall for preparation. The palpable failure of his + attempt to hide the book he was reading under the table when he was + disturbed led him to cast at the Mutual Friend, the cause of his panic, so + severe and forbidding a look, that that gentleman retired, and made for + the junior study. + </p> + <p> + The atmosphere in the junior study was close, and heavy with a blend of + several strange odours. Plunkett went to the window. Then he noticed what + he had never noticed before, that there were no bars to the window. Only + the glass stood between him and the outer world. He threw up the sash as + far as it would go. There was plenty of room to get out. So he got out. He + stood for a moment inhaling the fresh air. Then, taking something from his + coat-pocket, he dived into the shadows. An hour passed. In the study + above, Dallas, surfeited with mysteries and villainy, put down his book + and stretched himself. + </p> + <p> + 'I say, Vaughan,' he said. 'Have you settled the House gym. team yet? It's + about time the list went up.' + </p> + <p> + 'Eh? What?' said Vaughan, coming slowly out of his book. + </p> + <p> + Dallas repeated his question. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes,' said Vaughan, 'got it somewhere on me. Haynes, Jarvis, and myself + are going in. Only, the Mutual has to stick up the list.' + </p> + <p> + It was the unwritten rule in Ward's, as in most of the other Houses at the + School, that none but the head of the House had the right of placing + notices on the House board. + </p> + <p> + 'I know,' said Dallas. 'I'll go and buck him up now.' + </p> + <p> + 'Don't trouble. After prayers'll do.' + </p> + <p> + 'It's all right. No trouble. Whom did you say? Yourself, Haynes—' + </p> + <p> + 'And Jarvis. Not that he's any good. But the third string never matters + much, and it'll do him good to represent the House.' + </p> + <p> + 'Right. I'll go and unearth the Mutual.' + </p> + <p> + The result was that Galloway received another shock to his system. + </p> + <p> + 'Don't glare, Galloway. It's rude,' said Dallas. + </p> + <p> + 'Where's Plunkett got to?' he added. + </p> + <p> + 'Junior study,' said Galloway. + </p> + <p> + Dallas went to the junior study. There were Plunkett's books on the table, + but of their owner no signs were to be seen. The Mutual Friend had had the + good sense to close the window after he had climbed through it, and Dallas + did not suspect what had actually happened. He returned to Vaughan. + </p> + <p> + 'The Mutual isn't in either of the studies,' he said. 'I didn't want to + spend the evening playing hide-and-seek with him, so I've come back.' + </p> + <p> + 'It doesn't matter, thanks all the same. Later on'll do just as well.' + </p> + <p> + 'Do you object to the window going up?' asked Dallas. 'There's a bit of a + froust on in here.' + </p> + <p> + 'Rather not. Heave it up.' + </p> + <p> + Dallas hove it. He stood leaning out, looking towards the College + buildings, which stood out black and clear against the April sky. From out + of the darkness in the direction of Stapleton sounded the monotonous note + of a corn-crake. + </p> + <p> + 'Jove,' he said, 'it's a grand night. If I was at home now I shouldn't be + cooped up indoors like this.' + </p> + <p> + 'Holidays in another week,' said Vaughan, joining him. 'It is ripping, + isn't it? There's something not half bad in the Coll. buildings on a night + like this. I shall be jolly sorry to leave, in spite of Ward and the + Mutual.' + </p> + <p> + 'Same here, by Jove. We've each got a couple more years, though, if it + comes to that. Hullo, prep.'s over.' + </p> + <p> + The sound of footsteps began to be heard from the direction of the + College. Nine had struck from the School clock, and the Great Hall was + emptying. + </p> + <p> + 'Your turn to read at prayers, Vaughan. Hullo, there's the Mutual. Didn't + hear him unlock the door. Glad he has, though. Saves us trouble.' + </p> + <p> + 'I must be going down to look up a bit to read. Do you remember when + Harper read the same bit six days running? I shall never forget Ward's + pained expression. Harper explained that he thought the passage so + beautiful that he couldn't leave it.' + </p> + <p> + 'Why don't you try that tip?' + </p> + <p> + 'Hardly. My reputation hasn't quite the stamina for the test.' + </p> + <p> + Vaughan left the room. At the foot of the stairs he was met by the matron. + </p> + <p> + 'Will you unlock the door, please, Vaughan,' she said, handing him a bunch + of keys. 'The boys will be coming in in a minute.' + </p> + <p> + 'Unlock the door?' repeated Vaughan. 'I thought it was unlocked. All + right.' + </p> + <p> + 'By Jove,' he thought, 'the plot thickens. What is our only Plunkett doing + out of the House when the door is locked, I wonder.' + </p> + <p> + Plunkett strolled in with the last batch of the returning crowd, wearing + on his face the virtuous look of one who has been snatching a whiff of + fresh air after a hard evening's preparation. + </p> + <p> + 'Oh, I say, Plunkett,' said Vaughan, when they met in the study after + prayers, 'I wanted to see you. Where have you been?' + </p> + <p> + 'I have been in the junior study. Where did you think I had been?' + </p> + <p> + 'Oh.' + </p> + <p> + 'Do you doubt my word?' + </p> + <p> + 'I've the most exaggerated respect for your word, but you weren't in the + junior study at five to nine.' + </p> + <p> + 'No, I went up to my dormitory about that time. You seem remarkably + interested in my movements.' + </p> + <p> + 'Only wanted to see you about the House gym. team. You might shove up the + list tonight. Haynes, Jarvis, and myself.' + </p> + <p> + 'Very well.' + </p> + <p> + 'I didn't say anything to him,' said Vaughan to Dallas as they were going + to their dormitories, 'but, you know, there's something jolly fishy about + the Mutual. That door wasn't unlocked when we saw him outside. I unlocked + it myself. Seems to me the Mutual's been having a little private bust of + his own on the quiet.' + </p> + <p> + 'That's rum. He might have been out by the front way to see one of the + beaks, though.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, even then he would be breaking rules. You aren't allowed to go out + after lock-up without House beak's leave. No, I find him guilty.' + </p> + <p> + 'If only he'd go and get booked!' said Vaughan. 'Then he might have to + leave. But he won't. No such luck.' + </p> + <p> + 'No,' said Dallas. 'Good-night.' + </p> + <p> + 'Good-night.' + </p> + <p> + Certainly there was something mysterious about the matter. + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0006" id="link2H_4_0006"></a> + CHAPTER VI<br /> + A LITERARY BANQUET + </h2> + <p> + Charteris and Welch were conversing in the study of which they were the + joint proprietors. That is to say, Charteris was talking and playing the + banjo alternately, while Welch was deep in a book and refused to be drawn + out of it under any pretext. Charteris' banjo was the joy of his fellows + and the bane of his House-master. Being of a musical turn and owning a + good deal of pocket-money, he had, at the end of the summer holidays, + introduced the delights of a phonograph into the House. This being vetoed + by the House-master, he had returned at the beginning of the following + term with a penny whistle, which had suffered a similar fate. Upon this he + had invested in a banjo, and the dazed Merevale, feeling that matters were + getting beyond his grip, had effected a compromise with him. Having + ascertained that there was no specific rule at St Austin's against the use + of musical instruments, he had informed Charteris that if he saw fit to + play the banjo before prep, only, and regarded the hours between seven and + eleven as a close time, all should be forgiven, and he might play, if so + disposed, till the crack of doom. To this reasonable request Charteris had + promptly acceded, and peace had been restored. Charteris and Welch were a + curious pair. Welch spoke very little. Charteris was seldom silent. They + were both in the Sixth—Welch high up, Charteris rather low down. In + games, Welch was one of those fortunate individuals who are good at + everything. He was captain of cricket, and not only captain, but also the + best all-round man in the team, which is often a very different matter. He + was the best wing three-quarter the School possessed; played fives and + racquets like a professor, and only the day before had shared Tony's glory + by winning the silver medal for fencing in the Aldershot competition. + </p> + <p> + The abilities of Charteris were more ordinary. He was a sound bat, and + went in first for the Eleven, and played half for the Fifteen. As regards + work, he might have been brilliant if he had chosen, but his energies were + mainly devoted to the compilation of a monthly magazine (strictly + unofficial) entitled <i>The Glow Worm</i>. This he edited, and for the + most part wrote himself. It was a clever periodical, and rarely failed to + bring him in at least ten shillings per number, after deducting the + expenses which the College bookseller, who acted as sole agent, did his + best to make as big as possible. Only a very few of the elect knew the + identity of the editor, and they were bound to strict secrecy. On the day + before the publication of each number, a notice was placed in the desk of + the captain of each form, notifying him of what the morrow would bring + forth, and asking him to pass it round the form. That was all. The School + did the rest. <i>The Glow Worm</i> always sold well, principally because + of the personal nature of its contents. If the average mortal is told that + there is something about him in a paper, he will buy that paper at your + own price. + </p> + <p> + Today he was giving his monthly tea in honour of the new number. Only + contributors were invited, and the menu was always of the best. It was a + <i>Punch</i> dinner, only more so, for these teas were celebrated with + musical honours, and Charteris on the banjo was worth hearing. His + rendering of extracts from the works of Messrs Gilbert and Sullivan was an + intellectual treat. + </p> + <p> + 'When I take the chair at our harmonic club!' he chanted, fixing the + unconscious Welch with a fiery glance. 'Welch!' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes.' + </p> + <p> + 'If this is your idea of a harmonic club, it isn't mine. Put down that + book, and try and be sociable.' + </p> + <p> + 'One second,' said Welch, burrowing still deeper. + </p> + <p> + 'That's what you always say,' said Charteris. 'Look here—Come in.' + </p> + <p> + There had been a knock at the door as he was speaking. Tony entered, + accompanied by Jim. They were regular attendants at these banquets, for + between them they wrote most of what was left of the magazine when + Charteris had done with it. There was only one other contributor, Jackson, + of Dawson's House, and he came in a few minutes later. Welch was the + athletics expert of the paper, and did most of the match reports. + </p> + <p> + 'Now we're complete,' said Charteris, as Jackson presented himself. + 'Gentlemen—your seats. There are only four chairs, and we, as + Wordsworth might have said, but didn't, are five. All right, I'll sit on + the table. Welch, you worm, away with melancholy. Take away his book, + somebody. That's right. Who says what? Tea already made. Coffee published + shortly. If anybody wants cocoa, I've got some, only you'll have to boil + more water. I regret the absence of menu-cards, but as the entire feast is + visible to the naked eye, our loss is immaterial. The offertory will be + for the Church expenses fund. Biscuits, please.' + </p> + <p> + 'I wish you'd given this tea after next Saturday, Alderman,' said Jim. + Charteris was called the Alderman on account of his figure, which was + inclined to stoutness, and his general capacity for consuming food. + </p> + <p> + 'Never put off till tomorrow—Why?' + </p> + <p> + 'I simply must keep fit for the mile. How's Welch to run, too, if he eats + this sort of thing?' He pointed to the well-spread board. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, there's something in that,' said Tony. 'Thank goodness, my little + entertainment's over. I think I <i>will</i> try one of those chocolate + things. Thanks.' + </p> + <p> + 'Welch is all right,' said Jackson. 'He could win the hundred and the + quarter on sausage-rolls. But think of the times.' + </p> + <p> + 'And there,' observed Charteris, 'there, my young friend, you have touched + upon a sore subject. Before you came in I was administering a few + wholesome words of censure to that miserable object on your right. What is + a fifth of a second more or less that it should make a man insult his + digestion as Welch does? You'll hardly credit it, but for the last three + weeks or more I have been forced to look on a fellow-being refusing pastry + and drinking beastly extracts of meat, all for the sake of winning a + couple of races. It quite put me off my feed. Cake, please. Good robust + slice. Thanks.' + </p> + <p> + 'It's rather funny when you come to think of it,' said Tony. 'Welch lives + on Bovril for, a month, and then, just as he thinks he's going to score, a + burglar with a sense of humour strolls into the Pav., carefully selects + the only two cups he had a chance of winning, and so to bed.' + </p> + <p> + 'Leaving Master J. G. Welch an awful example of what comes of training,' + said Jim. 'Welch, you're a rotter.' + </p> + <p> + 'It isn't <i>my</i> fault,' observed Welch, plaintively. 'You chaps seem to think + I've committed some sort of crime, just because a man I didn't know from + Adam has bagged a cup or two.' + </p> + <p> + 'It looks to me,' said Charteris, 'as if Welch, thinking his chances of + the quarter rather rocky, hired one of his low acquaintances to steal the + cup for him.' + </p> + <p> + 'Shouldn't wonder. Welch knows some jolly low characters in Stapleton.' + </p> + <p> + 'Welch is a jolly low character himself,' said Tony, judicially. 'I wonder + you associate with him, Alderman.' + </p> + <p> + 'Stand <i>in loco parentis</i>. Aunt of his asked me to keep an eye on + him. "Dear George is so wild," she said. + </p> + <p> + Before Welch could find words to refute this hideous slander, Tony cut in + once more. + </p> + <p> + 'The only reason he doesn't drink gin and play billiards at the "Blue + Lion" is that gin makes him ill and his best break at pills is six, + including two flukes.' + </p> + <p> + 'As a matter of fact,' said Welch, changing the conversation with a jerk, + 'I don't much care if the cups are stolen. One doesn't only run for the + sake of the pot.' + </p> + <p> + Charteris groaned. 'Oh, well,' said he, 'if you're going to take the high + moral standpoint, and descend to brazen platitudes like that, I give you + up.' + </p> + <p> + 'It's a rum thing about those pots,' said Welch, meditatively. + </p> + <p> + 'Seems to me,' Jim rejoined, 'the rum thing is that a man who considers + the Pav. a safe place to keep a lot of valuable prizes in should be + allowed at large. Why couldn't they keep them in the Board Room as they + used to?' + </p> + <p> + 'Thought it 'ud save trouble, I suppose. Save them carting the things over + to the Pav. on Sports Day,' hazarded Tony. + </p> + <p> + 'Saved the burglar a lot of trouble, I should say,' observed Jackson, 'I + could break into the Pav. myself in five minutes.' + </p> + <p> + 'Good old Jackson,' said Charteris, 'have a shot tonight. I'll hold the + watch. I'm doing a leader on the melancholy incident for next month's <i>Glow + Worm</i>. It appears that Master Reginald Robinson, a member of Mr + Merevale's celebrated boarding-establishment, was passing by the Pavilion + at an early hour on the morning of the second of April—that's today—when + his eye was attracted by an excavation or incision in one of the windows + of that imposing edifice. His narrative appears on another page. + Interviewed by a <i>Glow Worm</i> representative, Master Robinson, who is + a fine, healthy, bronzed young Englishman of some thirteen summers, with a + delightful, boyish flow of speech, not wholly free from a suspicion of + cheek, gave it as his opinion that the outrage was the work of a burglar—a + remarkable display of sagacity in one so young. A portrait of Master + Robinson appears on another page.' + </p> + <p> + 'Everything seems to appear on another page,' said Jim. 'Am I to do the + portrait?' + </p> + <p> + 'I think it would be best. You can never trust a photo to caricature a + person enough. Your facial H.B.'s the thing.' + </p> + <p> + 'Have you heard whether anything else was bagged besides the cups?' asked + Welch. + </p> + <p> + 'Not that I know of,' said Jim. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes there was,' said Jackson. 'It further appears that that lunatic, + Adamson, had left some money in the pocket of his blazer, which he had + left in the Pav. overnight. On enquiry it was found that the money had + also left.' + </p> + <p> + Adamson was in the same House as Jackson, and had talked of nothing else + throughout the whole of lunch. He was an abnormally wealthy individual, + however, and it was generally felt, though he himself thought otherwise, + that he could afford to lose some of the surplus. + </p> + <p> + 'How much?' asked Jim. + </p> + <p> + 'Two pounds.' + </p> + <p> + At this Jim gave vent to the exclamation which Mr Barry Pain calls the + Englishman's shortest prayer. + </p> + <p> + 'My dear sir,' said Charteris. 'My very dear sir. We blush for you. Might + I ask <i>why</i> you take the matter to heart so?' + </p> + <p> + Jim hesitated. + </p> + <p> + 'Better have it out, Jim,' said Tony. 'These chaps'll keep it dark all + right.' And Jim entered once again upon the recital of his doings on the + previous night. + </p> + <p> + 'So you see,' he concluded, 'this two pound business makes it all the + worse.' + </p> + <p> + 'I don't see why,' said Welch. + </p> + <p> + 'Well, you see, money's a thing everybody wants, whereas cups wouldn't be + any good to a fellow at school. So that I should find it much harder to + prove that I didn't take the two pounds, than I should have done to prove + that I didn't take the cups.' + </p> + <p> + 'But there's no earthly need for you to prove anything,' said Tony. + 'There's not the slightest chance of your being found out.' + </p> + <p> + 'Exactly,' observed Charteris. 'We will certainly respect your incog. if + you wish it. Wild horses shall draw no evidence from us. It is, of course, + very distressing, but what is man after all? Are we not as the beasts that + perish, and is not our little life rounded by a sleep? Indeed, yes. And + now—with full chorus, please. + </p> + +<p class="poem"> + '"We-e take him from the city or the plough.<br /> + We-e dress him up in uniform so ne-e-e-at."' +</p> + <p> + And at the third line some plaster came down from the ceiling, and + Merevale came up, and the meeting dispersed without the customary cheers. + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0007" id="link2H_4_0007"></a> + CHAPTER VII<br /> + BARRETT EXPLORES + </h2> + <p> + Barrett stood at the window of his study with his hands in his pockets, + looking thoughtfully at the football field. Now and then he whistled. That + was to show that he was very much at his ease. He whistled a popular + melody of the day three times as slowly as its talented composer had + originally intended it to be whistled, and in a strange minor key. Some + people, when offended, invariably whistle in this manner, and these are + just the people with whom, if you happen to share a study with them, it is + rash to have differences of opinion. Reade, who was deep in a book—though + not so deep as he would have liked the casual observer to fancy him to be—would + have given much to stop Barrett's musical experiments. To ask him to stop + in so many words was, of course, impossible. Offended dignity must draw + the line somewhere. That is one of the curious results of a polite + education. When two gentlemen of Hoxton or the Borough have a + misunderstanding, they address one another with even more freedom than is + their usual custom. When one member of a public school falls out with + another member, his politeness in dealing with him becomes so + Chesterfieldian, that one cannot help being afraid that he will sustain a + strain from which he will never recover. + </p> + <p> + After a time the tension became too much for Barrett. He picked up his cap + and left the room. Reade continued to be absorbed in his book. + </p> + <p> + It was a splendid day outside, warm for April, and with just that + freshness in the air which gets into the blood and makes Spring the best + time of the whole year. Barrett had not the æsthetic soul to any + appreciable extent, but he did know a fine day when he saw one, and even + he realised that a day like this was not to be wasted in pottering about + the School grounds watching the 'under thirteen' hundred yards (trial + heats) and the 'under fourteen' broad jump, or doing occasional exercises + in the gymnasium. It was a day for going far afield and not returning till + lock-up. He had an object, too. Everything seemed to shout 'eggs' at him, + to remind him that he was an enthusiast on the subject and had a + collection to which he ought to seize this excellent opportunity of + adding. The only question was, where to go. The surrounding country was a + Paradise for the naturalist who had no absurd scruples on the subject of + trespassing. To the west, in the direction of Stapleton, the woods and + hedges were thick with nests. But then, so they were to the east along the + Badgwick road. He wavered, but a recollection that there was water in the + Badgwick direction, and that he might with luck beard a water-wagtail in + its lair, decided him. What is life without a water-wagtail's egg? A mere + mockery. He turned east. + </p> + <p> + 'Hullo, Barrett, where are you off to?' Grey, of Prater's House, + intercepted him as he was passing. + </p> + <p> + 'Going to see if I can get some eggs. Are you coming?' + </p> + <p> + Grey hesitated. He was a keen naturalist, too. + </p> + <p> + 'No, I don't think I will, thanks. Got an uncle coming down to see me.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, cut off before he comes.' + </p> + <p> + 'No, he'd be too sick. Besides,' he added, ingenuously, 'there's a + possible tip. Don't want to miss that. I'm simply stony. Always am at end + of term.' + </p> + <p> + 'Oh,' said Barrett, realising that further argument would be thrown away. + 'Well, so long, then.' + </p> + <p> + 'So long. Hope you have luck.' + </p> + <p> + 'Thanks. I say.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well?' + </p> + <p> + 'Roll-call, you know. If you don't see me anywhere about, you might answer + my name.' + </p> + <p> + 'All right. And if you find anything decent, you might remember me. You + know pretty well what I've got already.' + </p> + <p> + 'Right, I will.' + </p> + <p> + 'Magpie's what I want particularly. Where are you going, by the way?' + </p> + <p> + 'Thought of having a shot at old Venner's woods. I'm after a water-wagtail + myself. Ought to be one or two in the Dingle.' + </p> + <p> + 'Heaps, probably. But I should advise you to look out, you know. Venner's + awfully down on trespassing.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, the bounder. But I don't think he'll get me. One gets the knack of + keeping fairly quiet with practice.' + </p> + <p> + 'He's got thousands of keepers.' + </p> + <p> + 'Millions.' + </p> + <p> + 'Dogs, too.' + </p> + <p> + 'Dash his beastly dogs. I like dogs. Why are you such a croaker today, + Grey?' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, you know he's had two chaps sacked for going in his woods to my + certain knowledge, Morton-Smith and Ainsworth. That's only since I've been + at the Coll., too. Probably lots more before that.' + </p> + <p> + 'Ainsworth was booked smoking there. That's why he was sacked. And Venner + caught Morton-Smith himself simply staggering under dead rabbits. They + sack any chap for poaching.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, I don't see how you're going to show you've not been poaching. + Besides, it's miles out of bounds.' + </p> + <p> + 'Grey,' said Barrett, severely, 'I'm surprised at you. Go away and meet + your beastly uncle. Fancy talking about bounds at your time of life.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, don't forget me when you're hauling in the eggs.' + </p> + <p> + 'Right you are. So long.' + </p> + <p> + Barrett proceeded on his way, his last difficulty safely removed. He could + rely on Grey not to bungle that matter of roll-call. Grey had been there + before. + </p> + <p> + A long white ribbon of dusty road separated St Austin's from the lodge + gates of Badgwick Hall, the country seat of Sir Alfred Venner, M.P., also + of 49A Lancaster Gate, London. Barrett walked rapidly for over + half-an-hour before he came in sight of the great iron gates, flanked on + the one side by a trim little lodge and green meadows, and on the other by + woods of a darker green. Having got so far, he went on up the hill till at + last he arrived at his destination. A small hedge, a sloping strip of + green, and then the famous Dingle. I am loath to inflict any scenic + rhapsodies on the reader, but really the Dingle deserves a line or two. It + was the most beautiful spot in a country noted for its fine scenery. Dense + woods were its chief feature. And by dense I mean well-supplied not only + with trees (excellent things in themselves, but for the most part useless + to the nest hunter), but also with a fascinating tangle of undergrowth, + where every bush seemed to harbour eggs. All carefully preserved, too. + That was the chief charm of the place. Since the sad episodes of + Morton-Smith and Ainsworth, the School for the most part had looked + askance at the Dingle. Once a select party from Dacre's House, headed by + Babington, who always got himself into hot water when possible, had + ventured into the forbidden land, and had returned hurriedly later in the + afternoon with every sign of exhaustion, hinting breathlessly at keepers, + dogs, and a pursuit that had lasted fifty minutes without a check. Since + then no one had been daring enough to brave the terrors so carefully + prepared for them by Milord Sir Venner and his minions, and the proud + owner of the Dingle walked his woods in solitary state. Occasionally he + would personally conduct some favoured guest thither and show him the + wonders of the place. But this was not a frequent occurrence. On + still-less frequent occasions, there were large shooting parties in the + Dingle. But, as a rule, the word was 'Keepers only. No others need apply'. + </p> + <p> + A futile iron railing, some three feet in height, shut in the Dingle. + Barrett jumped this lightly, and entered forthwith into Paradise. The + place was full of nests. As Barrett took a step forward there was a sudden + whirring of wings, and a bird rose from a bush close beside him. He went + to inspect, and found a nest with seven eggs in it. Only a thrush, of + course. As no one ever wants thrushes' eggs the world is over-stocked with + them. Still, it gave promise of good things to come. Barrett pushed on + through the bushes and the promise was fulfilled. He came upon another + nest. Five eggs this time, of a variety he was unable with his moderate + knowledge to classify. At any rate, he had not got them in his collection. + Nor, to the best of his belief, had Grey. He took one for each of them. + </p> + <p> + Now this was all very well, thought Barrett, but what he had come for was + the ovular deposit of the water-wagtail. Through the trees he could see + the silver gleam of the brook at the foot of the hill. The woods sloped + down to the very edge. Then came the brook, widening out here into the + size of a small river. Then woods again all up the side of the opposite + hill. Barrett hurried down the slope. + </p> + <p> + He had put on flannels for this emergency. He was prepared to wade, to + swim if necessary. He hoped that it would not be necessary, for in April + water is generally inclined to be chilly. Of keepers he had up till now + seen no sign. Once he had heard the distant bark of a dog. It seemed to + come from far across the stream and he had not troubled about it. + </p> + <p> + In the midst of the bushes on the bank stood a tree. It was not tall + compared to the other trees of the Dingle, but standing alone as it did + amongst the undergrowth it attracted the eye at once. Barrett, looking at + it, saw something which made him forget water-wagtails for the moment. In + a fork in one of the upper branches was a nest, an enormous nest, roughly + constructed of sticks. It was a very jerry-built residence, evidently run + up for the season by some prudent bird who knew by experience that no nest + could last through the winter, and so had declined to waste his time in + useless decorative work. But what bird was it? No doubt there are experts + to whom a wood-pigeon's nest is something apart and distinct from the nest + of the magpie, but to your unsophisticated amateur a nest that is large + may be anything—rook's, magpie's, pigeon's, or great auk's. To such + an one the only true test lies in the eggs. <i>Solvitur ambulando</i>. + Barrett laid the pill-boxes, containing the precious specimens he had + found in the nest at the top of the hill, at the foot of the tree, and + began to climb. + </p> + <p> + It was to be a day of surprises for him. When he had got half way up he + found himself on a kind of ledge, which appeared to be a kind of junction + at which the tree branched off into two parts. To the left was the nest, + high up in its fork. To the right was another shoot. He realised at once, + with keen disappointment, that it would be useless to go further. The + branches were obviously not strong enough to bear his weight. He looked + down, preparatory to commencing the descent, and to his astonishment found + himself looking into a black cavern. In his eagerness to reach the nest he + had not noticed before that the tree was hollow. + </p> + <p> + This made up for a great many things. His disappointment became less keen. + Few things are more interesting than a hollow tree. + </p> + <p> + 'Wonder how deep it goes down,' he said to himself. He broke off a piece + of wood and dropped it down the hollow. It seemed to reach the ground + uncommonly soon. He tried another piece. The sound of its fall came up to + him almost simultaneously. Evidently the hole was not deep. He placed his + hands on the edge, and let himself gently down into the darkness. His feet + touched something solid almost immediately. As far as he could judge, the + depth of the cavity was not more than five feet. Standing up at his full + height he could just rest his chin on the edge. + </p> + <p> + He seemed to be standing on some sort of a floor, roughly made, but too + regular to be the work of nature. Evidently someone had been here before. + He bent down to make certain. There was more room to move about in than he + suspected. A man sitting down would find it not uncomfortable. + </p> + <p> + He brushed his hand along the floor. Certainly it seemed to be constructed + of boards. Then his hand hit something small and hard. He groped about + until his fingers closed on it. It was—what was it? He could hardly + make out for the moment. Suddenly, as he moved it, something inside it + rattled. Now he knew what it was. It was the very thing he most needed, a + box of matches. + </p> + <p> + The first match he struck promptly and naturally went out. No first match + ever stays alight for more than three-fifths of a second. The second was + more successful. The sudden light dazzled him for a moment. When his eyes + had grown accustomed to it, the match went out. He lit a third, and this + time he saw all round the little chamber. + </p> + <p> + 'Great Scott,' he said, 'the place is a regular poultry shop.' + </p> + <p> + All round the sides were hung pheasants and partridges in various stages + of maturity. Here and there the fur of a rabbit or a hare showed up + amongst the feathers. Barrett hit on the solution of the problem + directly. He had been shown a similar collection once in a tree on his + father's land. The place was the headquarters of some poacher. Barrett + was full of admiration for the ingenuity of the man in finding so safe a + hiding-place. + </p> + <p> + He continued his search. In one angle of the tree was a piece of sacking. + Barrett lifted it. He caught a glimpse of something bright, but before he + could confirm the vague suspicion that flashed upon him, his match burnt + down and lay smouldering on the floor. His hand trembled with excitement + as he started to light another. It broke off in his hand. At last he + succeeded. The light flashed up, and there beside the piece of sacking + which had covered them were two cups. He recognised them instantly. + </p> + <p> + 'Jove,' he gasped. 'The Sports pots! Now, how on earth—' + </p> + <p> + At this moment something happened which took his attention away from his + discovery with painful suddenness. From beneath him came the muffled whine + of a dog. He listened, holding his breath. No, he was not mistaken. The + dog whined again, and broke into an excited bark. Somebody at the foot of + the tree began to speak. + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0008" id="link2H_4_0008"></a> + CHAPTER VIII<br /> + BARRETT CEASES TO EXPLORE + </h2> + <p> + 'Fetchimout!' said the voice, all in one word. + </p> + <p> + 'Nice cheery remark to make!' thought Barrett. 'He'll have to do a good + bit of digging before he fetches <i>me</i> out. I'm a fixture for the + present.' + </p> + <p> + There was a sound of scratching as if the dog, in his eagerness to oblige, + were trying to uproot the tree. Barrett, realising that unless the keeper + took it into his head to climb, which was unlikely, he was as safe as if + he had been in his study at Philpott's, chuckled within himself, and + listened intently. + </p> + <p> + 'What is it, then?' said the keeper. 'Good dog, at 'em! Fetch him out, + Jack.' + </p> + <p> + Jack barked excitedly, and redoubled his efforts. + </p> + <p> + The sound of scratching proceeded. + </p> + <p> + 'R-r-r-ats-s-s!' said the mendacious keeper. Jack had evidently paused for + breath. Barrett began quite to sympathise with him. The thought that the + animal was getting farther away from the object of his search with every + ounce of earth he removed, tickled him hugely. He would have liked to have + been able to see the operations, though. At present it was like listening + to a conversation through a telephone. He could only guess at what was + going on. + </p> + <p> + Then he heard somebody whistling 'The Lincolnshire Poacher', a strangely + inappropriate air in the mouth of a keeper. The sound was too far away to + be the work of Jack's owner, unless he had gone for a stroll since his + last remark. No, it was another keeper. A new voice came up to him. + </p> + <p> + ''Ullo, Ned, what's the dog after?' + </p> + <p> + 'Thinks 'e's smelt a rabbit, seems to me.' + </p> + <p> + ''Ain't a rabbit hole 'ere.' + </p> + <p> + 'Thinks there is, anyhow. Look at the pore beast!' + </p> + <p> + They both laughed. Jack meanwhile, unaware that he was turning himself + into an exhibition to make a keeper's holiday, dug assiduously. 'Come + away, Jack,' said the first keeper at length. 'Ain't nothin' there. Ought + to know that, clever dog like you.' + </p> + <p> + There was a sound as if he had pulled Jack bodily from his hole. + </p> + <p> + 'Wait! 'Ere, Ned, what's that on the ground there?' Barrett gasped. His + pill-boxes had been discovered. Surely they would put two and two together + now, and climb the tree after him. + </p> + <p> + 'Eggs. Two of 'em. 'Ow did they get 'ere, then?' + </p> + <p> + 'It's one of them young devils from the School. Master says to me this + morning, "Look out," 'e says, "Saunders, for them boys as come in 'ere + after eggs, and frighten all the birds out of the dratted place. You keep + your eyes open, Saunders," 'e says.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, if 'e's still in the woods, we'll 'ave 'im safe.' + </p> + <p> + '<i>If</i> he's still in the woods!' thought Barrett with a shiver. + </p> + <p> + After this there was silence. Barrett waited for what he thought was a + quarter of an hour—it was really five minutes or less—then he + peeped cautiously over the edge of his hiding-place. Yes, they had + certainly gone, unless—horrible thought—they were waiting so + close to the trunk of the tree as to be invisible from where he stood. He + decided that the possibility must be risked. He was down on the ground in + record time. Nothing happened. No hand shot out from its ambush to clutch + him. He breathed more freely, and began to debate within himself which way + to go. Up the hill it must be, of course, but should he go straight up, or + to the left or to the right? He would have given much to know which way + the keepers had gone, particularly he of the dog. They had separated, he + knew. He began to reason the thing out. In the first place if they had + separated, they must have gone different ways. It did not take him long to + arrive at that conclusion. The odds, therefore, were that one had gone to + the right up-stream, the other down-stream to the left. His knowledge of + human nature told him that nobody would willingly walk up-hill if it was + possible for him to walk on the flat. Therefore, assuming the two keepers + to be human, they had gone along the valley. Therefore, his best plan + would be to make straight for the top of the hill, as straight as he could + steer, and risk it. Just as he was about to start, his eye caught the two + pill-boxes, lying on the turf a few yards from where he had placed them. + </p> + <p> + 'May as well take what I can get,' he thought. He placed them carefully in + his pocket. As he did so a faint bark came to him on the breeze from + down-stream. That must be friend Jack. He waited no longer, but dived into + the bushes in the direction of the summit. He was congratulating himself + on being out of danger—already he was more than half way up the hill—when + suddenly he received a terrible shock. From the bushes to his left, not + ten yards from where he stood, came the clear, sharp sound of a whistle. + The sound was repeated, and this time an answer came from far out to his + right. Before he could move another whistle joined in, again from the + left, but farther off and higher up the hill than the first he had heard. + He recalled what Grey had said about 'millions' of keepers. The + expression, he thought, had understated the true facts, if anything. He + remembered the case of Babington. It was a moment for action. No guile + could save him now. It must be a stern chase for the rest of the distance. + He drew a breath, and was off like an arrow. The noise he made was + appalling. No one in the wood could help hearing it. + </p> + <p> + 'Stop, there!' shouted someone. The voice came from behind, a fact which + he noted almost automatically and rejoiced at. He had a start at any rate. + </p> + <p> + 'Stop!' shouted the voice once again. The whistle blew like a steam siren, + and once more the other two answered it. They were all behind him now. + Surely a man of the public schools in flannels and gymnasium shoes, and + trained to the last ounce for just such a sprint as this, could beat a + handful of keepers in their leggings and heavy boots. Barrett raced on. + Close behind him a crashing in the undergrowth and the sound of heavy + breathing told him that keeper number one was doing his best. To left and + right similar sounds were to be heard. But Barrett had placed these + competitors out of the running at once. The race was between him and the + man behind. + </p> + <p> + Fifty yards of difficult country, bushes which caught his clothes as if + they were trying to stop him in the interests of law and order, branches + which lashed him across the face, and rabbit-holes half hidden in the + bracken, and still he kept his lead. He was increasing it. He must win + now. The man behind was panting in deep gasps, for the pace had been warm + and he was not in training. Barrett cast a glance over his shoulder, and + as he looked the keeper's foot caught in a hole and he fell heavily. + Barrett uttered a shout of triumph. Victory was his. + </p> + <p> + In front of him was a small hollow fringed with bushes. Collecting his + strength he cleared these with a bound. Then another of the events of this + eventful afternoon happened. Instead of the hard turf, his foot struck + something soft, something which sat up suddenly with a yell. Barrett + rolled down the slope and halfway up the other side like a shot rabbit. + Dimly he recognised that he had jumped on to a human being. The figure did + not wear the official velveteens. Therefore he had no business in the + Dingle. And close behind thundered the keeper, now on his feet once more, + dust on his clothes and wrath in his heart in equal proportions. 'Look + out, man!' shouted Barrett, as the injured person rose to his feet. 'Run! + Cut, quick! Keeper!' There was no time to say more. He ran. Another second + and he was at the top, over the railing, and in the good, honest, public + high-road again, safe. A hoarse shout of 'Got yer!' from below told a + harrowing tale of capture. The stranger had fallen into the hands of the + enemy. Very cautiously Barrett left the road and crept to the railing + again. It was a rash thing to do, but curiosity overcame him. He had to + see, or, if that was impossible, to hear what had happened. + </p> + <p> + For a moment the only sound to be heard was the gasping of the keeper. + After a few seconds a rapidly nearing series of crashes announced the + arrival of the man from the right flank of the pursuing forces, while + almost simultaneously his colleague on the left came up. + </p> + <p> + Barrett could see nothing, but it was easy to understand what was going + on. Keeper number one was exhibiting his prisoner. His narrative, + punctuated with gasps, was told mostly in hoarse whispers, and Barrett + missed most of it. + </p> + <p> + 'Foot (gasp) rabbit-'ole.' More gasps. 'Up agen ... minute ... (indistinct + mutterings) ... and (triumphantly) COTCHED 'IM!' + </p> + <p> + Exclamations of approval from the other two. 'I assure you,' said another + voice. The prisoner was having his say. 'I assure you that I was doing no + harm whatever in this wood. I....' + </p> + <p> + 'Better tell that tale to Sir Alfred,' cut in one of his captors. + </p> + <p> + ''E'll learn yer,' said the keeper previously referred to as number one, + vindictively. He was feeling shaken up with his run and his heavy fall, + and his temper was proportionately short. + </p> + <p> + 'I swear I've heard that voice before somewhere,' thought Barrett. 'Wonder + if it's a Coll. chap.' + </p> + <p> + Keeper number one added something here, which was inaudible to Barrett. + </p> + <p> + 'I tell you I'm not a poacher,' said the prisoner, indignantly. 'And I + object to your language. I tell you I was lying here doing nothing and + some fool or other came and jumped on me. I....' + </p> + <p> + The rest was inaudible. But Barrett had heard enough. + </p> + <p> + 'I knew I'd heard that voice before. Plunkett, by Jove! Golly, what is the + world coming to, when heads of Houses and School-prefects go on the poach! + Fancy! Plunkett of all people, too! This is a knock-out, I'm hanged if it + isn't.' + </p> + <p> + From below came the sound of movement. The keepers were going down the + hill again. To Barrett's guilty conscience it seemed that they were coming + up. He turned and fled. + </p> + <p> + The hedge separating Sir Alfred Venner's land from the road was not a high + one, though the drop the other side was considerable. Barrett had not + reckoned on this. He leapt the hedge, and staggered across the road. At + the same moment a grey-clad cyclist, who was pedalling in a leisurely + manner in the direction of the School, arrived at the spot. A collision + seemed imminent, but the stranger in a perfectly composed manner, as if he + had suddenly made up his mind to take a sharp turning, rode his machine up + the bank, whence he fell with easy grace to the road, just in time to act + as a cushion for Barrett. The two lay there in a tangled heap. Barrett was + the first to rise. + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0009" id="link2H_4_0009"></a> + CHAPTER IX<br /> + ENTER THE SLEUTH-HOUND + </h2> + <p> + 'I'm awfully sorry,' he said, disentangling himself carefully from the + heap. 'I hope you're not hurt.' + </p> + <p> + The man did not reply for a moment. He appeared to be laying the question + before himself as an impartial judge, as who should say: 'Now tell me + candidly, <i>are</i> you hurt? Speak freely and without bias.' + </p> + <p> + 'No,' he said at last, feeling his left leg as if he were not absolutely + easy in his mind about that, 'no, not hurt, thank you. Not much, that is,' + he added with the air of one who thinks it best to qualify too positive a + statement. 'Left leg. Shin. Slight bruise. Nothing to signify.' + </p> + <p> + 'It was a rotten thing to do, jumping over into the road like that,' said + Barrett. 'Didn't remember there'd be such a big drop.' + </p> + <p> + 'My fault in a way,' said the man. 'Riding wrong side of road. Out for a + run?' + </p> + <p> + 'More or less.' + </p> + <p> + 'Excellent thing.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes.' + </p> + <p> + It occurred to Barrett that it was only due to the man on whom he had been + rolling to tell him the true facts of the case. Besides, it might do + something towards removing the impression which must, he felt, be forming + in the stranger's mind that he was mad. + </p> + <p> + 'You see,' he said, in a burst of confidence, 'it was rather a close + thing. There were some keepers after me.' + </p> + <p> + 'Ah!' said the man. 'Thought so. Trespassing?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes.' + </p> + <p> + 'Ah. Keepers don't like trespassers. Curious thing—don't know if it + ever occurred to you—if there were no trespassers, there would be no + need for keepers. To their interest, then, to encourage trespassers. But + do they?' + </p> + <p> + Barrett admitted that they did not very conspicuously. + </p> + <p> + 'No. Same with all professions. Not poaching, I suppose?' + </p> + <p> + 'Rather not. I was after eggs. By Jove, that reminds me.' He felt in his + pocket for the pill-boxes. Could they have survived the stormy times + through which they had been passing? He heaved a sigh of relief as he saw + that the eggs were uninjured. He was so intent on examining them that he + missed the stranger's next remark. + </p> + <p> + 'Sorry. What? I didn't hear.' + </p> + <p> + 'Asked if I was going right for St Austin's School.' + </p> + <p> + 'College!' said Barrett with a convulsive shudder. The most deadly error + mortal man can make, with the exception of calling a school a college, is + to call a college a school. + </p> + <p> + 'College!' said the man. 'Is this the road?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes. You can't miss it. I'm going there myself. It's only about a mile.' + </p> + <p> + 'Ah,' said the man, with a touch of satisfaction in his voice. 'Going + there yourself, are you? Perhaps you're one of the scholars?' + </p> + <p> + 'Not much,' said Barrett, 'ask our form-beak if I'm a scholar. Oh. I see. + Yes, I'm there all right.' + </p> + <p> + Barrett was a little puzzled as to how to class his companion. No old + public school man would talk of scholars. And yet he was emphatically not + a bargee. Barrett set him down as a sort of superior tourist, a Henry as + opposed to an 'Arry. + </p> + <p> + 'Been bit of a disturbance there, hasn't there? Cricket pavilion. Cups.' + </p> + <p> + 'Rather. But how on earth—' + </p> + <p> + 'How on earth did I get to hear of it, you were going to say. Well, no + need to conceal anything. Fact is, down here to look into the matter. + Detective. Name, Roberts, Scotland Yard. Now we know each other, and if + you can tell me one or two things about this burglary, it would be a great + help to me, and I should be very much obliged.' + </p> + <p> + Barrett had heard that a detective was coming down to look into the affair + of the cups. His position was rather a difficult one. In a sense it was + simple enough. He had found the cups. He could (keepers permitting) go and + fetch them now, and there would—No. There would <i>not</i> be an end + of the matter. It would be very pleasant, exceedingly pleasant, to go to + the Headmaster and the detective, and present the cups to them with a + 'Bless you, my children' air. The Headmaster would say, 'Barrett, you're a + marvel. How can I thank you sufficiently?' while the detective would + observe that he had been in the profession over twenty years, but never + had he seen so remarkable an exhibition of sagacity and acumen as this. + That, at least, was what ought to take place. But Barrett's experience of + life, short as it was, had taught him the difference between the ideal and + the real. The real, he suspected, would in this case be painful. Certain + facts would come to light. When had he found the cups? About four in the + afternoon? Oh. Roll-call took place at four in the afternoon. How came it + that he was not at roll-call? Furthermore, how came it that he was marked + on the list as having answered his name at that ceremony? Where had he + found the cups? In a hollow tree? Just so. Where was the hollow tree? In + Sir Alfred Venner's woods. Did he know that Sir Alfred Venner's woods were + out of bounds? Did he know that, in consequence of complaints from Sir + Alfred Venner, Sir Alfred Venner's woods were more out of bounds than any + other out of bounds woods in the entire county that did <i>not</i> belong + to Sir Alfred Venner? He did? Ah! No, the word for his guidance in this + emergency, he felt instinctively, was 'mum'. Time might provide him with a + solution. He might, for instance, abstract the cups secretly from their + resting-place, place them in the middle of the football field, and find + them there dramatically after morning school. Or he might reveal his + secret from the carriage window as his train moved out of the station on + the first day of the holidays. There was certain to be some way out of the + difficulty. But for the present, silence. + </p> + <p> + He answered his companion's questions freely, however. Of the actual + burglary he knew no more than any other member of the School, considerably + less, indeed, than Jim Thomson, of Merevale's, at present staggering under + the weight of a secret even more gigantic than Barrett's own. In return + for his information he extracted sundry reminiscences. The scar on the + detective's cheekbone, barely visible now, was the mark of a bullet, which + a certain burglar, named, singularly enough, Roberts, had fired at him + from a distance of five yards. The gentleman in question, who, the + detective hastened to inform Barrett, was no relation of his, though + owning the same name, happened to be a poor marksman and only scored a bad + outer, assuming the detective's face to have been the bull. He also turned + up his cuff to show a larger scar. This was another testimonial from the + burglar world. A Kensington practitioner had had the bad taste to bite off + a piece of that part of the detective. In short, Barrett enlarged his + knowledge of the seamy side of things considerably in the mile of road + which had to be traversed before St Austin's appeared in sight. The two + parted at the big gates, Barrett going in the direction of Philpott's, the + detective wheeling his machine towards the porter's lodge. + </p> + <p> + Barrett's condition when he turned in at Philpott's door was critical. He + was so inflated with news that any attempt to keep it in might have + serious results. Certainly he could not sleep that night in such a + bomb-like state. + </p> + <p> + It was thus that he broke in upon Reade. Reade had passed an absurdly + useless afternoon. He had not stirred from the study. For all that it + would have mattered to him, it might have been raining hard the whole + afternoon, instead of being, as it had been, the finest afternoon of the + whole term. In a word, and not to put too fine a point on the matter, he + had been frousting, and consequently was feeling dull and sleepy, and + generally under-vitalised and futile. Barrett entered the study with a + rush, and was carried away by excitement to such an extent that he + addressed Reade as if the deadly feud between them not only did not exist, + but never had existed. + </p> + <p> + 'I say, Reade. Heave that beastly book away. My aunt, I have had an + afternoon of it.' + </p> + <p> + 'Oh?' said Reade, politely, 'where did you go?' + </p> + <p> + 'After eggs in the Dingle.' + </p> + <p> + Reade was fairly startled out of his dignified reserve. For the first time + since they had had their little difference, he addressed Barrett in a + sensible manner. + </p> + <p> + 'You idiot!' he said. + </p> + <p> + 'Don't see it. The Dingle's just the place to spend a happy day. Like + Rosherville. Jove, it's worth going there. You should see the birds. Place + is black with 'em.' + </p> + <p> + 'How about keepers? See any?' + </p> + <p> + 'Did I not! Three of them chased me like good 'uns all over the place.' + </p> + <p> + 'You got away all right, though.' + </p> + <p> + 'Only just. I say, do you know what happened? You know that rotter + Plunkett. Used to be a day boy. Head of Ward's now. Wears specs.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes?' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, just as I was almost out of the wood, I jumped a bush and landed + right on top of him. The man was asleep or something. Fancy choosing the + Dingle of all places to sleep in, where you can't go a couple of yards + without running into a keeper! He hadn't even the sense to run. I yelled + to him to look out, and then I hooked it myself. And then the nearest + keeper, who'd just come down a buster over a rabbit-hole, sailed in and + had him. I couldn't do anything, of course.' + </p> + <p> + 'Jove, there'll be a fair-sized row about this. The Old Man's on to + trespassing like tar. I say, think Plunkett'll say anything about you + being there too?' + </p> + <p> + 'Shouldn't think so. For one thing I don't think he recognised me. + Probably doesn't know me by sight, and he was fast asleep, too. No, I + fancy I'm all right.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, it was a jolly narrow shave. Anything else happen?' + </p> + <p> + 'Anything else! Just a bit. That's to say, no, nothing much else. No.' + </p> + <p> + 'Now then,' said Reade, briskly. 'None of your beastly mysteries. Out with + it.' + </p> + <p> + 'Look here, swear you'll keep it dark?' + </p> + <p> + 'Of course I will.' + </p> + <p> + 'On your word of honour?' + </p> + <p> + 'If you think—' began Reade in an offended voice. + </p> + <p> + 'No, it's all right. Don't get shirty. The thing is, though, it's so + frightfully important to keep it dark.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well? Buck up.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, you needn't believe me, of course, but I've found the pots.' + </p> + <p> + Reade gasped. + </p> + <p> + 'What!' he cried. 'The pot for the quarter?' + </p> + <p> + 'And the one for the hundred yards. Both of them. It's a fact.' + </p> + <p> + 'But where? How? What have you done with them?' + </p> + <p> + Barrett unfolded his tale concisely. + </p> + <p> + 'You see,' he concluded, 'what a hole I'm in. I can't tell the Old Man + anything about it, or I get booked for cutting roll-call, and going out of + bounds. And then, while I'm waiting and wondering what to do, and all + that, the thief, whoever he is, will most likely go off with the pots. + What do you think I ought to do?' + </p> + <p> + Reade perpended. + </p> + <p> + 'Well,' he said, 'all you can do is to lie low and trust to luck, as far + as I can see. Besides, there's one consolation. This Plunkett business'll + make every keeper in the Dingle twice as keen after trespassers. So the + pot man won't get a chance of getting the things away.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, there's something in that,' admitted Barrett. + </p> + <p> + 'It's all you can do,' said Reade. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes. Unless I wrote an anonymous letter to the Old Man explaining things. + How would that do?' + </p> + <p> + 'Do for you, probably. Anonymous letters always get traced to the person + who wrote them. Or pretty nearly always. No, you simply lie low.' + </p> + <p> + 'Right,' said Barrett, 'I will.' + </p> + <p> + The process of concealing one's superior knowledge is very irritating. So + irritating, indeed, that very few people do it. Barrett, however, was + obliged to by necessity. He had a good chance of displaying his abilities + in that direction when he met Grey the next morning. + </p> + <p> + 'Hullo,' said Grey, 'have a good time yesterday?' + </p> + <p> + 'Not bad. I've got an egg for you.' + </p> + <p> + 'Good man. What sort?' + </p> + <p> + 'Hanged if I know. I know you haven't got it, though.' + </p> + <p> + 'Thanks awfully. See anything of the million keepers?' + </p> + <p> + 'Heard them oftener than I saw them.' + </p> + <p> + 'They didn't book you?' + </p> + <p> + 'Rather fancy one of them saw me, but I got away all right.' + </p> + <p> + 'Find the place pretty lively?' + </p> + <p> + 'Pretty fair.' + </p> + <p> + 'Stay there long?' + </p> + <p> + 'Not very.' + </p> + <p> + 'No. Thought you wouldn't. What do you say to a small ice? There's time + before school.' + </p> + <p> + 'Thanks. Are you flush?' + </p> + <p> + 'Flush isn't the word for it. I'm a plutocrat.' + </p> + <p> + 'Uncle came out fairly strong then?' + </p> + <p> + 'Rather. To the tune of one sovereign, cash. He's a jolly good sort, my + uncle.' + </p> + <p> + 'So it seems,' said Barrett. + </p> + <p> + The meeting then adjourned to the School shop, Barrett enjoying his ice + all the more for the thought that his secret still was a secret. A thing + which it would in all probability have ceased to be, had he been rash + enough to confide it to K. St H. Grey, who, whatever his other merits, was + very far from being the safest sort of confidant. His usual practice was + to speak first, and to think, if at all, afterwards. + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0010" id="link2H_4_0010"></a> + CHAPTER X<br /> + MR THOMPSON INVESTIGATES + </h2> + <p> + The Pavilion burglary was discussed in other places besides Charteris' + study. In the Masters' Common Room the matter came in for its full share + of comment. The masters were, as at most schools, divided into the + athletic and non-athletic, and it was for the former class that the matter + possessed most interest. If it had been that apple of the College + Library's eye, the original MS. of St Austin's private diary, or even that + lesser treasure, the black-letter Eucalyptides, that had disappeared, the + elder portion of the staff would have had a great deal to say upon the + subject. But, apart from the excitement caused by the strangeness of such + an occurrence, the theft of a couple of Sports prizes had little interest + for them. + </p> + <p> + On the border-line between these two castes came Mr Thompson, the Master + of the Sixth Form, spelt with a <i>p</i> and no relation to the genial + James or the amiable Allen, with the former of whom, indeed, he was on + very indifferent terms of friendship. Mr Thompson, though an excellent + classic, had no knowledge of the inwardness of the Human Boy. He expected + every member of his form not only to be earnest—which very few + members of a Sixth Form are—but also to communicate his innermost + thoughts to him. His aim was to be their confidant, the wise friend to + whom they were to bring their troubles and come for advice. He was, in + fact, poor man, the good young master. Now, it is generally the case at + school that troubles are things to be worried through alone, and any + attempt at interference is usually resented. Mr Thompson had asked Jim to + tea, and, while in the very act of passing him the muffins, had embarked + on a sort of unofficial sermon, winding up by inviting confidences. Jim + had naturally been first flippant, and then rude, and relations had been + strained ever since. + </p> + <p> + 'It must have been a professional,' alleged Perkins, the master of the + Upper Fourth. 'If it hadn't been for the fact of the money having been + stolen as well as the cups, I should have put it down to one of our + fellows.' + </p> + <p> + 'My dear Perkins,' expostulated Merevale. + </p> + <p> + 'My dear Merevale, my entire form is capable of any crime except the theft + of money. A boy might have taken the cups for a joke, or just for the + excitement of the thing, meaning to return them in time for the Sports. + But the two pounds knocks that on the head. It must have been a + professional.' + </p> + <p> + 'I always said that the Pavilion was a very unsafe place in which to keep + anything of value,' said Mr Thompson. + </p> + <p> + 'You were profoundly right, Thompson,' replied Perkins. 'You deserve a + diploma.' + </p> + <p> + 'This business is rather in your line, Thompson,' said Merevale. 'You must + bring your powers to bear on the subject, and scent out the criminal.' + </p> + <p> + Mr Thompson took a keen pride in his powers of observation. He would + frequently observe, like the lamented Sherlock Holmes, the vital necessity + of taking notice of trifles. The daily life of a Sixth Form master at a + big public school does not afford much scope for the practice of the + detective art, but Mr Thompson had once detected a piece of cribbing, when + correcting some Latin proses for the master of the Lower Third, solely by + the exercise of his powers of observation, and he had never forgotten it. + He burned to add another scalp to his collection, and this Pavilion + burglary seemed peculiarly suited to his talents. He had given the matter + his attention, and, as far as he could see, everything pointed to the fact + that skilled hands had been at work. + </p> + <p> + From eleven until half-past twelve that day, the Sixth were doing an + unseen examination under the eye of the Headmaster, and Mr Thompson was + consequently off duty. He took advantage of this to stroll down to the + Pavilion and make a personal inspection of the first room, from which what + were left of the prizes had long been removed to a place of safety. + </p> + <p> + He was making his way to the place where the ground-man was usually to be + found, with a view to obtaining the keys, when he noticed that the door + was already open, and on going thither he came upon Biffen, the + ground-man, in earnest conversation with a stranger. + </p> + <p> + 'Morning, sir,' said the ground-man. He was on speaking terms with most of + the masters and all the boys. Then, to his companion, 'This is Mr + Thompson, one of our masters.' + </p> + <p> + 'Morning, sir,' said the latter. 'Weather keeps up. I am Inspector + Roberts, Scotland Yard. But I think we're in for rain soon. Yes. 'Fraid + so. Been asked to look into this business, Mr Thompson. Queer business.' + </p> + <p> + 'Very. Might I ask—I am very interested in this kind of thing—whether + you have arrived at any conclusions yet?' + </p> + <p> + The detective eyed him thoughtfully, as if he were hunting for the answer + to a riddle. + </p> + <p> + 'No. Not yet. Nothing definite.' + </p> + <p> + 'I presume you take it for granted it was the work of a professional + burglar.' + </p> + <p> + 'No. No. Take nothing for granted. Great mistake. Prejudices one way or + other great mistake. But, I think, yes, I think it was probably—almost + certainly—<i>not</i> done by a professional.' + </p> + <p> + Mr Thompson looked rather blank at this. It shook his confidence in his + powers of deduction. + </p> + <p> + 'But,' he expostulated. 'Surely no one but a practised burglar would have + taken a pane of glass out so—ah—neatly?' + </p> + <p> + Inspector Roberts rubbed a finger thoughtfully round the place where the + glass had been. Then he withdrew it, and showed a small cut from which the + blood was beginning to drip. + </p> + <p> + 'Do you notice anything peculiar about that cut?' he enquired. + </p> + <p> + Mr Thompson did not. Nor did the ground-man. + </p> + <p> + 'Look carefully. Now do you see? No? Well, it's not a clean cut. Ragged. + Very ragged. Now if a professional had cut that pane out he wouldn't have + left it jagged like that. No. He would have used a diamond. Done job + neatly.' + </p> + <p> + This destroyed another of Mr Thompson's premises. He had taken it for + granted that a diamond had been used. + </p> + <p> + 'Oh!' he said, 'was that pane not cut by a diamond; what did the burglar + use, then?' + </p> + <p> + 'No. No diamond. Diamond would have left smooth surface. Smooth as a razor + edge. This is like a saw. Amateurish work. Can't say for certain, but + probably done with a chisel.' + </p> + <p> + 'With a chisel? Surely not.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes. Probably with a chisel. Probably the man knocked the pane out with + one blow, then removed all the glass so as to make it look like the work + of an old hand. Very good idea, but amateurish. I am told that three cups + have been taken. Could you tell me how long they had been in the + Pavilion?' + </p> + <p> + Mr Thompson considered. + </p> + <p> + 'Well,' he said. 'Of course it's difficult to remember exactly, but I + think they were placed there soon after one o'clock the day before + yesterday.' + </p> + <p> + 'Ah! And the robbery took place yesterday in the early morning, or the + night before?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes.' + </p> + <p> + 'Is the Pavilion the usual place to keep the prizes for the Sports?' + </p> + <p> + 'No, it is not. They were only put there temporarily. The Board Room, + where they are usually kept, and which is in the main buildings of the + School, happened to be needed until the next day. Most of us were very + much against leaving them in the Pavilion, but it was thought that no harm + could come to them if they were removed next day.' + </p> + <p> + 'But they were removed that night, which made a great difference,' said Mr + Roberts, chuckling at his mild joke. 'I see. Then I suppose none outside + the School knew that they were not in their proper place?' + </p> + <p> + 'I imagine not.' + </p> + <p> + 'Just so. Knocks the idea of professional work on the head. None of the + regular trade can have known this room held so much silver for one night. + No regular would look twice at a cricket pavilion under ordinary + circumstances. Therefore, it must have been somebody who had something to + do with the School. One of the boys, perhaps.' + </p> + <p> + 'Really, I do not think that probable.' + </p> + <p> + 'You can't tell. Never does to form hasty conclusions. Boy might have done + it for many reasons. Some boys would have done it for the sake of the + excitement. That, perhaps, is the least possible explanation. But you get + boy kleptomaniacs just as much in proportion as grown-up kleptomaniacs. I + knew a man. Had a son. Couldn't keep him away from anything valuable. Had + to take him away in a hurry from three schools, good schools, too.' + </p> + <p> + 'Really? What became of him? He did not come to us, I suppose?' + </p> + <p> + 'No. Somebody advised the father to send him to one of those North-Country + schools where they flog. Great success. Stole some money. Got flogged, + instead of expelled. Did it again with same result. Gradually got tired of + it. Reformed character now.... I don't say it is a boy, mind you. Most + probably not. Only say it may be.' + </p> + <p> + All the while he was talking, his eyes were moving restlessly round the + room. He came to the window through which Jim had effected his entrance, + and paused before the broken pane. + </p> + <p> + 'I suppose he tried that window first, before going round to the other?' + hazarded Mr Thompson. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes. Most probably. Broke it, and then remembered that anyone at the + windows of the boarding Houses might see him, so left his job half done, + and shifted his point of action. I think so. Yes.' + </p> + <p> + He moved on again till he came to the other window. Then he gave vent to + an excited exclamation, and picked up a piece of caked mud from the sill + as carefully as if it were some fragile treasure. + </p> + <p> + 'Now, see this,' he said. 'This was wet when the robbery was done. The man + brought it in with him. On his boot. Left it on the sill as he climbed in. + Got out in a hurry, startled by something—you can see he was + startled and left in a hurry from the different values of the cups he took—and + as he was going, put his hand on this. Left a clear impression. Good as + plaster of Paris very nearly.' + </p> + <p> + Mr Thompson looked at the piece of mud, and there, sure enough, was the + distinct imprint of the palm of a hand. He could see the larger of the + lines quite clearly, and under a magnifying-glass there was no doubt that + more could be revealed. + </p> + <p> + He drew in a long breath of satisfaction and excitement. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes,' said the detective. 'That piece of mud couldn't prove anything by + itself, but bring it up at the end of a long string of evidence, and if it + fits your man, it convicts him as much as a snap-shot photograph would. + Morning, sir. I must be going.' And he retired, carrying the piece of mud + in his hand, leaving Mr Thompson in the full grip of the detective-fever, + hunting with might and main for more clues. + </p> + <p> + After some time, however, he was reluctantly compelled to give up the + search, for the bell rang for dinner, and he always lunched, as did many + of the masters, in the Great Hall. During the course of the meal he + exercised his brains without pause in the effort to discover a fitting + suspect. Did he know of any victim of kleptomania in the School? No, he + was sorry to say he did not. Was anybody in urgent need of money? He could + not say. Very probably yes, but he had no means of knowing. + </p> + <p> + After lunch he went back to the Common Room. There was a letter lying on + the table. He picked it up. It was addressed to 'J. Thomson, St Austin's.' + Now Mr Thompson's Christian name was John. He did not notice the omission + of the <i>p</i> until he had opened the envelope and caught a glimpse of + the contents. The letter was so short that only a glimpse was needed, and + it was not till he had read the whole that he realised that it was + somebody else's letter that he had opened. + </p> + <p> + This was the letter: + </p> + <p> + 'Dear Jim—Frantic haste. Can you let me have that two pounds + directly you come back? Beg, borrow, or steal it. I simply must have it.—Yours + ever, + </p> + <p> + Allen.' + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0011" id="link2H_4_0011"></a> + CHAPTER XI<br /> + THE SPORTS + </h2> + <p> + Sports weather at St Austin's was as a rule a quaint but unpleasant + solution of mud, hail, and iced rain. These were taken as a matter of + course, and the School counted it as something gained when they were + spared the usual cutting east wind. + </p> + <p> + This year, however, occurred that invaluable exception which is so useful + in proving rules. There was no gale, only a gentle breeze. The sun was + positively shining, and there was a general freshness in the air which + would have made a cripple cast away his crutches, and, after backing + himself heavily both ways, enter for the Strangers' Hundred Yards. + </p> + <p> + Jim had wandered off alone. He was feeling too nervous at the thought of + the coming mile and all it meant to him to move in society for the + present. Charteris, Welch, and Tony, going out shortly before lunch to + inspect the track, found him already on the spot, and in a very low state + of mind. + </p> + <p> + 'Hullo, you chaps,' he said dejectedly, as they came up. + </p> + <p> + 'Hullo.' + </p> + <p> + 'Our James is preoccupied,' said Charteris. 'Why this jaundiced air, Jim? + Look at our other Thompson over there.' + </p> + <p> + 'Our other Thompson' was at that moment engaged in conversation with the + Headmaster at the opposite side of the field. + </p> + <p> + 'Look at him,' said Charteris, 'prattling away as merrily as a little + che-ild to the Old Man. You should take a lesson from him.' + </p> + <p> + 'Look here, I say,' said Jim, after a pause, 'I believe there's something + jolly queer up between Thompson and the Old Man, and I believe it's about + me.' + </p> + <p> + 'What on earth makes you think that?' asked Welch. + </p> + <p> + 'It's his evil conscience,' said Charteris. 'No one who hadn't committed + the awful crime that Jim has, could pay the least attention to anything + Thompson said. What does our friend Thucydides remark on the subject?— + </p> + +<p class="poem"> + '"<i>Conscia mens recti, nec si sinit esse dolorem<br /> + Sed revocare gradum</i>." +</p> + <p> + Very well then.' + </p> + <p> + 'But why should you think anything's up?' asked Tony. + </p> + <p> + 'Perhaps nothing is, but it's jolly fishy. You see Thompson and the Old + 'Un pacing along there? Well, they've been going like that for about + twenty minutes. I've been watching them.' + </p> + <p> + 'But you can't tell they're talking about you, you rotter,' said Tony. + 'For all you know they may be discussing the exams.' + </p> + <p> + 'Or why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings,' put in + Charteris. + </p> + <p> + 'Or anything,' added Welch profoundly. + </p> + <p> + 'Well, all I know is that Thompson's been doing all the talking, and the + Old Man's been getting more and more riled.' + </p> + <p> + 'Probably Thompson's been demanding a rise of screw or asking for a small + loan or something,' said Charteris. 'How long have you been watching + them?' + </p> + <p> + 'About twenty minutes.' + </p> + <p> + 'From here?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes.' + </p> + <p> + 'Why didn't you go and join them? There's nothing like tact. If you were + to go and ask the Old Man why the whale wailed or something after that + style it 'ud buck him up like a tonic. I wish you would. And then you + could tell him to tell you all about it and see if you couldn't do + something to smooth the wrinkles from his careworn brow and let the + sunshine of happiness into his heart. He'd like it awfully.' + </p> + <p> + 'Would he!' said Jim grimly. 'Well, I got the chance just now. Thompson + said something to him, and he spun round, saw me, and shouted "Thomson". I + went up and capped him, and he was starting to say something when he + seemed to change his mind, and instead of confessing everything, he took + me by the arm, and said, "No, no, Thomson. Go away. It's nothing. I will + send for you later."' + </p> + <p> + 'And did you knock him down?' asked Charteris. + </p> + <p> + 'What happened?' said Welch. + </p> + <p> + 'He gave me a shove as if he were putting the weight, and said again, + "It's no matter. Go away, Thomson, now." So I went.' + </p> + <p> + 'And you've kept an eye on him ever since?' said Charteris. 'Didn't he + seem at all restive?' + </p> + <p> + 'I don't think he noticed me. Thompson had the floor and he was pretty + well full up listening to him.' + </p> + <p> + 'I suppose you don't know what it's all about?' asked Tony. + </p> + <p> + 'Must be this Pavilion business.' + </p> + <p> + 'Now, my dear, sweet cherub,' said Charteris, 'don't you go and make an + utter idiot of yourself and think you're found out and all that sort of + thing. Even if they suspect you they've got to prove it. There's no sense + in your giving them a helping hand in the business. What you've got to do + is to look normal. Don't overdo it or you'll look like a swashbuckler, and + that'll be worse than underdoing it. Can't you make yourself look less + like a convicted forger? For my sake?' + </p> + <p> + 'You really do look a bit off it,' said Welch critically. 'As if you were + sickening for the flu., or something. Doesn't he, Tony?' + </p> + <p> + 'Rather!' said that expert in symptoms. 'You simply must buck up, Jim, or + Drake'll walk away from you.' + </p> + <p> + 'It's disappointing,' said Charteris, 'to find a chap who can crack a crib + as neatly as you can doubling up like this. Think how Charles Peace would + have behaved under the circs. Don't disgrace him, poor man.' + </p> + <p> + 'Besides,' said Jim, with an attempt at optimism, 'it isn't as if I'd + actually done anything, is it?' + </p> + <p> + 'Just so,' said Charteris, 'that's what I've been trying to get you to see + all along. Keep that fact steadily before you, and you'll be all right.' + </p> + <p> + 'There goes the lunch-bell,' said Tony. 'You can always tell Merevale's + bell in a crowd. William rings it as if he was doing it for his health.' + </p> + <p> + William, also known in criminal circles as the Moke, was the gentleman who + served the House—in a perpetual grin and a suit of livery four sizes + too large for him—as a sort of butler. + </p> + <p> + 'He's an artist,' agreed Charteris, as he listened to the performance. + 'Does it as if he enjoyed it, doesn't he? Well, if we don't want to spoil + Merevale's appetite by coming in at half-time, we might be moving.' They + moved accordingly. + </p> + <p> + The Sports were to begin at two o'clock with a series of hundred-yards + races, which commenced with the 'under twelve' (Cameron of Prater's a warm + man for this, said those who had means of knowing), and culminated at + about a quarter past with the open event, for which Welch was a certainty. + By a quarter to the hour the places round the ropes were filled, and more + visitors were constantly streaming in at the two entrances to the School + grounds, while in the centre of the ring the band of the local police + force—the military being unavailable owing to exigencies of distance—were + seating themselves with the grim determination of those who know that they + are going to play the soldiers' chorus out of <i>Faust</i>. The band at + the Sports had played the soldiers' chorus out of <i>Faust</i> every year + for decades past, and will in all probability play it for decades to come. + </p> + <p> + The Sports at St Austin's were always looked forward to by everyone with + the keenest interest, and when the day arrived, were as regularly voted + slow. In all school sports there are too many foregone conclusions. In the + present instance everybody knew, and none better than the competitors + themselves, that Welch would win the quarter and hundred. The high jump + was an equal certainty for a boy named Reece in Halliday's House. Jackson, + unless he were quite out of form, would win the long jump, and the + majority of the other events had already been decided. The gem of the + afternoon would be the mile, for not even the shrewdest judge of form + could say whether Jim would beat Drake, or Drake Jim. Both had done + equally good times in practice, and both were known to be in the best of + training. The adherents of Jim pointed to the fact that he had won the + half off Drake—by a narrow margin, true, but still he had won it. + The other side argued that a half-mile is no criterion for a mile, and + that if Drake had timed his sprint better he would probably have won, for + he had finished up far more strongly than his opponent. And so on the + subject of the mile, public opinion was for once divided. + </p> + <p> + The field was nearly full by this time. The only clear space outside the + ropes was where the Headmaster stood to greet and talk about the weather + to such parents and guardians and other celebrities as might pass. This + habit of his did not greatly affect the unattached members of the School, + those whose parents lived in distant parts of the world and were not + present on Sports Day, but to St Jones Brown (for instance) of the Lower + Third, towing Mr Brown, senior, round the ring, it was a nervous ordeal to + have to stand by while his father and the Head exchanged polite + commonplaces. He could not help feeling that there was <i>just a chance</i> + (horrible thought) that the Head, searching for something to say, might + seize upon that little matter of broken bounds or shaky examination papers + as a subject for discussion. He was generally obliged, when the interview + was over, to conduct his parent to the shop by way of pulling his system + together again, the latter, of course, paying. + </p> + <p> + At intervals round the ropes Old Austinian number one was meeting Old + Austinian number two (whom he emphatically detested, and had hoped to + avoid), and was conversing with him in a nervous manner, the clearness of + his replies being greatly handicapped by a feeling, which grew with the + minutes, that he would never be able to get rid of him and go in search of + Old Austinian number three, his bosom friend. + </p> + <p> + At other intervals, present Austinians of tender years were manoeuvring + half-companies of sisters, aunts, and mothers, and trying without much + success to pretend that they did not belong to them. A pretence which came + down heavily when one of the aunts addressed them as 'Willie' or 'Phil', + and wanted to know audibly if 'that boy who had just passed' (<i>the</i> + one person in the School whom they happened to hate and despise) was their + best friend. It was a little trying, too, to have to explain in the middle + of a crowd that the reason why you were not running in 'that race' (the + 'under thirteen' hundred, by Jove, which ought to have been a gift to you, + only, etc.) was because you had been ignominiously knocked out in the + trial heats. + </p> + <p> + In short, the afternoon wore on. Welch won the hundred by two yards and + the quarter by twenty, and the other events fell in nearly every case to + the favourite. The hurdles created something of a surprise—Jackson, + who ought to have won, coming down over the last hurdle but two, thereby + enabling Dallas to pull off an unexpected victory by a couple of yards. + Vaughan's enthusiastic watch made the time a little under sixteen seconds, + but the official timekeeper had other views. There were no instances of + the timid new boy, at whom previously the world had scoffed, walking away + with the most important race of the day. + </p> + <p> + And then the spectators were roused from a state of coma by the sound of + the bell ringing for the mile. Old Austinian number one gratefully seized + the opportunity to escape from Old Austinian number two, and lose himself + in the crowd. Young Pounceby-Green with equal gratitude left his father + talking to the Head, and shot off without ceremony to get a good place at + the ropes. In fact, there was a general stir of anticipation, and all + round the ring paterfamilias was asking his son and heir which was Drake + and which Thomson, and settling his glasses more firmly on the bridge of + his nose. + </p> + <p> + The staff of <i>The Glow Worm</i> conducted Jim to the starting-place, and + did their best to relieve his obvious nervousness with light conversation. + </p> + <p> + 'Eh, old chap?' said Jim. He had been saying 'Eh?' to everything + throughout the afternoon. + </p> + <p> + 'I said, "Is my hat on straight, and does it suit the colour of my eyes?"' + said Charteris. + </p> + <p> + 'Oh, yes. Yes, rather. Ripping,' in a far-off voice. + </p> + <p> + 'And have you a theory of the Universe?' + </p> + <p> + 'Eh, old chap?' + </p> + <p> + 'I said, "Did you want your legs rubbed before you start?" I believe it's + an excellent specific for the gout.' + </p> + <p> + 'Gout? What? No, I don't think so, thanks.' + </p> + <p> + 'And you'll write to us sometimes, Jim, and give my love to little Henry, + and <i>always</i> wear flannel next your skin, my dear boy?' said + Charteris. + </p> + <p> + This seemed to strike even Jim as irrelevant. + </p> + <p> + 'Do shut up for goodness sake, Alderman,' he said irritably. 'Why can't + you go and rag somebody else?' + </p> + <p> + 'My place is by your side. Go, my son, or else they'll be starting without + you. Give us your blazer. And take my tip, the tip of an old runner, and + don't pocket your opponent's ball in your own twenty-five. And come back + victorious, or on the shields of your soldiers. All right, sir (to the + starter), he's just making his will. Good-bye Jim. Buck up, or I'll lynch + you after the race.' + </p> + <p> + Jim answered by muffling him in his blazer, and walking to the line. There + were six competitors in all, each of whom owned a name ranking + alphabetically higher than Thomson. Jim, therefore, had the outside berth. + Drake had the one next to the inside, which fell to Adamson, the victim of + the lost two pounds' episode. + </p> + <p> + Both Drake and Jim got off well at the sound of the pistol, and the pace + was warm from the start. Jim evidently had his eye on the inside berth, + and, after half a lap had been completed, he got it, Drake falling back. + Jim continued to make the running, and led at the end of the first lap by + about five yards. Then came Adamson, followed by a batch of three, and + finally Drake, taking things exceedingly coolly, a couple of yards behind + them. The distance separating him from Jim was little over a dozen yards. + A roar of applause greeted the runners as they started on the second lap, + and it was significant that while Jim's supporters shouted, 'Well run', + those of Drake were fain to substitute advice for approval, and cry 'Go + it'. Drake, however, had not the least intention of 'going it' in the + generally accepted meaning of the phrase. A yard or two to the rear meant + nothing in the first lap, and he was running quite well enough to satisfy + himself, with a nice, springy stride, which he hoped would begin to tell + soon. + </p> + <p> + With the end of the second lap the real business of the race began, for + the survival of the fittest had resulted in eliminations and changes of + order. Jim still led, but now by only eight or nine yards. Drake had come + up to second, and Adamson had dropped to a bad third. Two of the runners + had given the race up, and retired, and the last man was a long way + behind, and, to all practical purposes, out of the running. There were + only three laps, and, as the last lap began, the pace quickened, fast as + it had been before. Jim was exerting every particle of his strength. He + was not a runner who depended overmuch on his final dash. He hoped to gain + so much ground before Drake made his sprint as to neutralise it when it + came. Adamson he did not fear. + </p> + <p> + And now they were in the last two hundred yards, Jim by this time some + thirty yards ahead, but in great straits. Drake had quickened his pace, + and gained slowly on him. As they rounded the corner and came into the + straight, the cheers were redoubled. It was a great race. Then, fifty + yards from the tape, Drake began his final sprint. If he had saved himself + before, he made up for it now. The gap dwindled and dwindled. Neither + could improve his pace. It was a question whether there was enough of the + race left for Drake to catch his man, or whether he had once more left his + sprint till too late. Jim could hear the roars of the spectators, and the + frenzied appeals of Merevale's House to him to sprint, but he was already + doing his utmost. Everything seemed black to him, a black, surging mist, + and in its centre a thin white line, the tape. Could he reach it before + Drake? Or would he collapse before he reached it? There were only five + more yards to go now, and still he led. Four. Three. Two. Then something + white swept past him on the right, the white line quivered, snapped, and + vanished, and he pitched blindly forward on to the turf at the track-side. + Drake had won by a foot. + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0012" id="link2H_4_0012"></a> + CHAPTER XII<br /> + AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW + </h2> + <p> + For the rest of the afternoon Jim had a wretched time. To be beaten after + such a race by a foot, and to be beaten by a foot when victory would have + cut the Gordian knot of his difficulties once and for all, was enough to + embitter anybody's existence. He found it hard to accept the well-meant + condolences of casual acquaintances, and still harder to do the right + thing and congratulate Drake on his victory, a refinement of self-torture + which is by custom expected of the vanquished in every branch of work or + sport. But he managed it somehow, and he also managed to appear reasonably + gratified when he went up to take his prize for the half-mile. Tony and + the others, who knew what his defeat meant to him, kept out of his way, + for which he was grateful. After lock-up, however, it was a different + matter, but by that time he was more ready for society. Even now there + might be some way out of the difficulty. He asked Tony's advice on the + subject. Tony was perplexed. The situation was beyond his grip. + </p> + <p> + 'I don't see what you can do, Jim,' he said, 'unless the Rugby chap'll be + satisfied with a pound on account. It's a beastly business. Do you think + your pater will give you your money all the same as it was such a close + finish?' + </p> + <p> + Jim thought not. In fact, he was certain that he would not, and Tony + relapsed into silence as he tried to bring another idea to the surface. He + had not succeeded when Charteris came in. + </p> + <p> + 'Jim,' he said 'you have my sympathy. It was an awfully near thing. But + I've got something more solid than sympathy. I will take a seat.' + </p> + <p> + 'Don't rag, Charteris,' said Tony. 'It's much too serious.' + </p> + <p> + 'Who's ragging, you rotter? I say I have something more solid than + sympathy, and instead of giving me an opening, as a decent individual + would, by saying, "What?" you accuse me of ragging. James, my son, if you + will postpone your suicide for two minutes, I will a tale unfold. I have + an idea.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well?' + </p> + <p> + 'That's more like it. Now you <i>are</i> talking. We will start at the + beginning. First, you want a pound. So do I. Secondly, you want it before + next Tuesday. Thirdly, you haven't it on you. How, therefore, are you to + get it? As the song hath it, you don't know, they don't know, but—now + we come to the point—I <i>do</i> know.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes?' said Jim and Tony together. + </p> + <p> + 'It is a luminous idea. Why shouldn't we publish a special number of <i>The + Glow Worm</i> before the end of term?' + </p> + <p> + Jim was silent at the brilliance of the scheme. Then doubts began to + harass him. + </p> + <p> + 'Is there time?' + </p> + <p> + 'Time? Yards of it. This is Saturday. We start tonight, and keep at it all + night, if necessary. We ought to manage it easily before tomorrow morning. + On Sunday we jellygraph it—it'll have to be a jellygraphed number + this time. On Monday and Tuesday we sell it, and there you are.' + </p> + <p> + 'How are you going to sell it? In the ordinary way at the shop?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, I've arranged all that. All we've got to do is to write the thing. + As the penalty for your sins you shall take on most of it. I'll do the + editorial, Welch is pegging away at the Sports account now, and I waylaid + Jackson just before lock-up, and induced him by awful threats to knock off + some verses. So we're practically published already.' + </p> + <p> + 'It's grand,' said Jim. 'And it's awfully decent of you chaps to fag + yourselves like this for me. I'll start on something now.' + </p> + <p> + 'But can you raise a sovereign on one number?' asked Tony. + </p> + <p> + 'Either that, or I've arranged with the shop to give us a quid down, and + take all profits on this and the next number. They're as keen as anything + on the taking-all-profits idea, but I've kept that back to be used only in + case of necessity. But the point is that Jim gets his sovereign in any + case. I must be off to my editorial. So long,' and he went. + </p> + <p> + 'Grand man, Charteris,' said Tony, as he leant back in his chair in search + of a subject. 'You'd better weigh in with an account of the burglary. It's + a pity you can't give the realistic description you gave us. It would sell + like anything.' + </p> + <p> + 'Wouldn't do to risk it.' + </p> + <p> + At that moment the door swung violently open, with Merevale holding on to + the handle, and following it in its course. Merevale very rarely knocked + at a study door, a peculiarity of his which went far towards shattering + the nervous systems of the various inmates, who never knew when it was + safe to stop work and read fiction. + </p> + <p> + 'Ah, Thomson,' he said, 'I was looking for you. The Headmaster wants to + see you over at his House, if you are feeling well enough after your + exertions. <i>Very</i> close thing, that mile. I don't know when I have + seen a better-run race on the College grounds. I suppose you are feeling + pretty tired, eh?' + </p> + <p> + 'I am rather, sir, but I had better see the Head. Will he be in his study, + sir?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, I think so.' + </p> + <p> + Jim took his cap and went off, while Merevale settled down to spend the + evening in Tony's study, as he often did when the term's work was over, + and it was no longer necessary to keep up the pretence of preparation. + </p> + <p> + Parker, the Head's butler, conducted Jim into the presence. + </p> + <p> + 'Sit down, Thomson,' said the Head. + </p> + <p> + Jim took a seat, and he had just time to notice that his namesake, Mr + Thompson, was also present, and that, in spite of the fact that his tie + had crept up to the top of his collar, he was looking quite unnecessarily + satisfied with himself, when he became aware that the Head was speaking to + him. + </p> + <p> + 'I hope you are not feeling any bad effects from your race, Thomson?' + </p> + <p> + Jim was half inclined to say that his effects were <i>nil,</i> but he felt + that the quip was too subtle, and would be lost on his present audience, + so he merely said that he was not. There was a rather awkward silence for + a minute. Then the Head coughed, and said: + </p> + <p> + 'Thomson.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'I think it would be fairest to you to come to the point at once, and to + tell you the reason why I wished to see you.' + </p> + <p> + Jim ran over the sins which shot up in his mind like rockets as he heard + these ominous words, and he knew that this must be the matter of the + Pavilion. He was, therefore, in a measure prepared for the Head's next + words. + </p> + <p> + 'Thomson.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yessir.' + </p> + <p> + 'A very serious charge has been brought against you. You are accused of + nothing less than this unfortunate burglary of the prizes for the Sports.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir. Is my accuser Mr Thompson?' + </p> + <p> + The Headmaster hesitated for a moment, and Mr Thompson spoke. 'That is + so,' he said. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes,' said the Head, 'the accusation is brought by Mr Thompson.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir,' said Jim again, and this time the observation was intended to + convey the meaning, 'My dear, good sir, when you've known him as long as I + have, you won't mind what Mr Thompson says or does. It's a kind of way + he's got, and if he's not under treatment for it, he ought to be.' + </p> + <p> + 'I should like to hear from your own lips that the charge is groundless.' + </p> + <p> + 'Anything to oblige,' thought Jim. Then aloud, 'Yes, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'You say it is groundless?' This from Mr Thompson. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'I must warn you, Thomson, that the evidence against you is very strong + indeed,' said the Head. 'Without suggesting that you are guilty of this + thing, I think I ought to tell you that if you have any confession to + make, it will be greatly, very greatly, to your own advantage to make it + at once.' + </p> + <p> + 'And give myself away, free, gratis and for nothing,' thought Jim. 'Not + for me, thank you.' + </p> + <p> + 'Might I hear Mr Thompson's evidence, sir?' he asked. + </p> + <p> + 'Certainly, Thomson.' He effected a movement in Mr Thompson's direction, + midway between a bow and a nod. + </p> + <p> + Mr Thompson coughed. Jim coughed, too, in the same key. This put Mr + Thompson out, and he had to cough again. + </p> + <p> + 'In the first place,' he began, 'it has been conclusively proved that the + burglary was the work of an unskilful hand.' + </p> + <p> + 'That certainly seems to point to me as the author,' said Jim flippantly. + </p> + <p> + 'Silence, Thomson,' said the Head, and counsel for the prosecution + resumed. + </p> + <p> + 'In the second place, it has been proved that you were at the time of the + burglary in great need of money.' + </p> + <p> + This woke Jim up. It destroyed that feeling of coolness with which he had + started the interview. Awful thoughts flashed across his mind. Had he been + seen at the time of his burglarious entry? At any rate, how did Mr + Thompson come to know of his pecuniary troubles? + </p> + <p> + 'Did you say it had been proved, sir?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes.' + </p> + <p> + 'How, sir?' + </p> + <p> + He felt the question was a mistake as he was uttering it. Your really + injured innocent would have called all the elements to witness that he was + a millionaire. But it was too late to try that now. And, besides, he + really did want to know how Mr Thompson had got to hear of this skeleton + in his cupboard. + </p> + <p> + The Headmaster interrupted hurriedly. 'It is a very unfortunate affair + altogether, and this is quite the most unfortunate part. A letter came to + the College addressed to J. Thomson, and Mr Thompson opened and read it + inadvertently. Quite inadvertently.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir,' said Jim, in a tone which implied, 'I am no George Washington + myself, but when you say he read it inadvertently, well—' + </p> + <p> + 'This letter was signed "Allen"—' + </p> + <p> + 'My brother, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'Exactly. And it asked for two pounds. Evidently in payment of a debt, and + the tone of the letter certainly seemed to show that you were not then in + possession of the money.' + </p> + <p> + 'Could I have the letter, sir?' Then with respectful venom to Mr Thompson: + 'If you have finished with it.' The letter was handed over, and pocketed, + and Jim braced his moral pecker up for the next round of the contest. + </p> + <p> + 'I take it, then, Thomson,' resumed the Head, 'that you owe your brother + this money?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'Two pounds is a great deal of money for one boy to lend another.' + </p> + <p> + 'It was not lent, sir. It was a bet.' + </p> + <p> + 'A bet!' in a nasty tone from the Head. + </p> + <p> + 'A bet!' in a sepulchral echo from Mr Thompson. + </p> + <p> + There was a long pause. + </p> + <p> + 'At any other time,' said the Head, 'I should feel it my duty to take + serious notice of this, but beside this other matter with which you are + charged, it becomes trivial. I can only repeat that the circumstances are + exceedingly suspicious, and I think it would be in your interests to tell + us all you know without further delay.' + </p> + <p> + 'You take it for granted I am guilty, sir,' began Jim hotly. + </p> + <p> + 'I say that the circumstances seems to point to it. In the first place, + you were in need of money. You admit that?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'In the second place,' said the Head slowly, 'in the second place, I am + told that you were nowhere to be found in the House at half-past eight on + the night of the burglary, when you ought certainly to have been in your + study at your work.' + </p> + <p> + Bombshell number two, and a worse one than the first. For the moment Jim's + head swam. If he had been asked just then in so many words where he had + been at that time, it is likely that he would have admitted everything. By + some miracle the Head did not press his point. + </p> + <p> + 'You may go now, Thomson,' he said. 'I should like to see you after + morning school on Monday. Good-night.' + </p> + <p> + 'Good-night, sir,' said Jim, and went without another word. Coming so soon + after the exertion and strain of the mile, this shock made him feel sick + and dizzy. + </p> + <p> + When he had gone, the Head turned to Mr Thompson with a worried look on + his face. 'I feel as certain as I do of anything,' he said thoughtfully, + 'that that boy is telling the truth. If he had been guilty, he would not + have behaved like that. I feel sure of it.' + </p> + <p> + Mr Thompson looked equally thoughtful. 'The circumstances are certainly + very suspicious,' he said, echoing the Head's own words. 'I wish I could + think he was innocent, but I am bound to say I do not. I regard the + evidence as conclusive.' + </p> + <p> + 'Circumstantial evidence is proverbially uncertain, Mr Thompson. That is + principally the reason why I was so bent on making him confess if he had + anything to confess. I can't expel a boy and ruin his whole career on mere + suspicion. The matter must be proved, doubly proved, and even then I + should feel uneasy until he owned himself guilty. It is a most unpleasant + affair, a terrible affair.' + </p> + <p> + 'Most,' agreed Mr Thompson. + </p> + <p> + And exactly the same thing was occurring at that moment to Jim, as he sat + on his bed in his dormitory, and pondered hopelessly on this new + complication that had presented itself so unexpectedly. He was getting + very near to the end of his tether, was J. Thomson of Merevale's. It + seemed to him, indeed, that he had reached it already. Possibly if he had + had a clearer conscience and a larger experience, he might have recognised + that the evidence which Mr Thompson had described as conclusive, was in + reality not strong enough to hang a cat on. Unfortunately, he did not + enjoy those advantages. + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0013" id="link2H_4_0013"></a> + CHAPTER XIII<br /> + SIR ALFRED SCORES + </h2> + <p> + Soon after Jim had taken his departure, Mr Thompson, after waiting a few + minutes in case the Headmaster had anything more to say, drifted silently + out of the room. The Head, like the gentleman in the ballad, continued to + wear a worried look. The more he examined the matter, the less did he know + what to make of it. He believed, as he had said to Mr Thompson, that Jim + was entirely innocent. It was an incredible thing, he thought, that a + public school boy, a School-prefect, too, into the bargain, should break + out of his House and into a cricket pavilion, however great a crisis his + finances might be undergoing. And then to steal two of the prizes for the + Sports. Impossible. Against this, however, must be placed the theft of the + two pounds. It might occur to a boy, as indeed Mr Thompson had suggested, + to steal the cups in order to give the impression that a practised burglar + had been at work. There was certainly something to be said in favour of + this view. But he would never believe such a thing. He was a good judge of + character—a headmaster generally is—and he thought he could + tell when a boy was speaking the truth and when he was not. + </p> + <p> + His reflections were interrupted by a knock at the door. The butler + entered with a card on a tray. 'Sir Alfred Venner, M.P., Badgwick Hall,' + said—almost shouted—the card. He read the words without any + apparent pleasure. + </p> + <p> + 'Is Sir Alfred here himself, Parker?' he said. + </p> + <p> + 'He is, sir.' + </p> + <p> + The Headmaster sighed inaudibly but very wearily. He was feeling worried + already, and he knew from experience that a <i>tête-à -tête</i> with Sir + Alfred Venner, M.P., of Badgwick Hall, would worry him still more. + </p> + <p> + The Head was a man who tried his very hardest to like each and all of his + fellow-creatures, but he felt bound to admit that he liked most people a + great, a very great, deal better than he liked the gentleman who had just + sent in his card. Sir Alfred's manner always jarred upon him. It was so + exactly the antithesis of his own. He was quiet and dignified, and + addressed everybody alike, courteously. Sir Alfred was restless and fussy. + His manner was always dictatorial and generally rude. When he had risen in + the House to make his maiden speech, calling the attention of the Speaker + to what he described as 'a thorough draught', he had addressed himself + with such severity to that official, that a party of Siamese noblemen, + who, though not knowing a word of English, had come to listen to the + debate, had gone away with the impression that he was the prime minister. + No wonder the Headmaster sighed. + </p> + <p> + 'Show him in, Parker,' said he resignedly. + </p> + <p> + 'Yessir.' + </p> + <p> + Parker retired, leaving the Head to wonder what his visitor's grievance + might be this time. Sir Alfred rarely called without a grievance, + generally connected with the trespassing of the School on his land. + </p> + <p> + 'Good evening, Sir Alfred,' he said, as his visitor whirled into the room. + </p> + <p> + 'O-o-o, this sort of thing won't do, you know, Mr Perceval,' said Sir + Alfred fussily, adjusting a pair of gold pince-nez on his nose. The Head's + name, which has not before been mentioned, was the Reverend Herbert + Perceval, M.A. He had shivered at the sound of the 'O-o-o' which had + preceded Sir Alfred's remark. He knew, as did other unfortunate people, + that the great man was at his worst when he said 'O-o-o'. In moments of + comparative calm he said 'Er'. + </p> + <p> + 'I can't put up with it, you know, Mr Perceval. It's too much. A great + deal too much.' + </p> + <p> + 'You refer to—?' suggested the Head, with a patience that did him + credit. + </p> + <p> + 'This eternal trespassing and tramping in and out of my grounds all day.' + </p> + <p> + 'You have been misinformed, I fear, Sir Alfred. I have not trespassed in + your grounds for—ah—a considerable time.' The Head could not + resist this thrust. In his unregenerate 'Varsity days he had been a power + at the Union, where many a foeman had exposed himself to a verbal counter + from him with disastrous results. Now the fencing must be done with + buttons on the foils. + </p> + <p> + 'You—what—I don't follow you, Mr Perceval.' + </p> + <p> + 'I understand you to reproach me for trespassing and—ah—tramping + in and out of your grounds all day. Was that not your meaning?' + </p> + <p> + Sir Alfred almost danced with impatience. + </p> + <p> + 'No, no, no. You misunderstand me. You don't follow my drift.' + </p> + <p> + 'In that case, I beg your pardon. I gathered from the extreme severity of + your attitude towards me that I was the person to whom you referred.' + </p> + <p> + 'No, no, no. I've come here to complain of your boys.' + </p> + <p> + It occurred to the Head to ask if the complaint embraced the entire six + hundred of them, or merely referred to one of them. But he reflected that + the longer he fenced, the longer his visitor would stay. And he decided, + in spite of the illicit pleasure to be derived from the exercise, that it + was not worth while. + </p> + <p> + 'Ah,' he said. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes,' continued Sir Alfred, 'my keepers tell me the woods were full of + them, sir.' + </p> + <p> + The Head suggested that possibly the keepers had exaggerated. + </p> + <p> + 'Possibly. Possibly they may have exaggerated. But that is not the point. + The nuisance is becoming intolerable, Mr Perceval, perfectly intolerable. + It is time to take steps.' + </p> + <p> + 'I have already done all that can be done. I have placed your land out of + bounds, considerably out of bounds indeed. And I inflict the severest + penalties when a breach of the rule is reported to me.' + </p> + <p> + 'It's not enough. It's not nearly enough.' + </p> + <p> + 'I can scarcely do more, I fear, Sir Alfred. There are more than six + hundred boys at St Austin's, and it is not within my power to place them + all under my personal supervision.' + </p> + <p> + Here the Head, who had an eye to the humorous, conjured up a picture of + six hundred Austinians going for walks, two and two, the staff posted at + intervals down the procession, and himself bringing up the rear. He made a + mental mem. to laugh when his visitor had retired. + </p> + <p> + 'H'm,' said the baffled M.P. thoughtfully, adjusting his pince-nez once + more. ''M no. No, perhaps not. But'—here he brightened up—'you + can punish them when they do trespass.' + </p> + <p> + 'That is so, Sir Alfred. I can and invariably do.' + </p> + <p> + 'Then punish that what's-his-name, Plinkett, Plunkett—I've got the + name down somewhere. Yes, Plunkett. I thought so. Punish Plunkett.' + </p> + <p> + 'Plunkett!' said the Head, taken completely by surprise. He, in common + with the rest of the world, had imagined Plunkett to be a perfect pattern + of what should be. A headmaster, like other judges of character, has his + failures. + </p> + <p> + 'Plunkett. Yes, that is the name. Boy with spectacles. Good gracious, Mr + Perceval, don't tell me the boy gave me a false name.' + </p> + <p> + 'No. His name is Plunkett. Am I to understand that he was trespassing on + your land? Surely there is some mistake? The boy's a School-prefect.' + </p> + <p> + Here it suddenly flashed upon his mind that he had used that expression + before in the course of the day, on the occasion when Mr Thompson first + told him of his suspicions in connection with Jim. 'Why, Mr Thompson, the + boy's a School-prefect,' had been his exact words. School-prefects had + been in his eyes above suspicion. It is a bad day for a school when they + are not so. Had that day arrived for St Austin's? he asked himself. + </p> + <p> + 'He may be a School-prefect, Mr Perceval, but the fact remains that he is + a trespasser, and ought from your point of view to be punished for + breaking bounds.' + </p> + <p> + The Head suddenly looked almost cheerful again. + </p> + <p> + 'Of course,' he said, 'of course. I thought that there must be an + explanation. The rules respecting bounds, Sir Alfred, do not apply to + School-prefects, only to the rest of the School.' + </p> + <p> + 'Indeed?' said Sir Alfred. His tone should have warned the Head that + something more was coming, but it did not. He continued. + </p> + <p> + 'Of course it was very wrong of him to trespass on your land, but I have + no doubt that he did it quite unintentionally. I will speak to him, and I + think I can guarantee that he will not do it again.' + </p> + <p> + 'Oh,' said his visitor. 'That is very gratifying, I am sure. Might I ask, + Mr Perceval, if School-prefects at St Austin's have any other privileges?' + </p> + <p> + The Head began to look puzzled. There was something in his visitor's + manner which suggested unpleasant possibilities. + </p> + <p> + 'A few,' he replied. 'They have a few technical privileges, which it would + be a matter of some little time to explain.' + </p> + <p> + 'It must be very pleasant to be a prefect at St Austin's,' said Sir Alfred + nastily. 'Very pleasant indeed. Might I ask, Mr Perceval, if the technical + privileges to which you refer include—smoking?' + </p> + <p> + The Head started as if, supposing such a thing possible, someone had + pinched him. He did not know what to make of the question. From the + expression on his face his visitor did not appear to be perpetrating a + joke. + </p> + <p> + 'No,' he said sharply, 'they do not include smoking.' + </p> + <p> + 'I merely asked because this was found by my keeper on the boy when he + caught him.' + </p> + <p> + He produced a small silver match-box. The Head breathed again. The + reputation of the School-prefect, though shaky, was still able to come up + to the scratch. + </p> + <p> + 'A match-box is scarcely a proof that a boy has been smoking, I think,' + said he. 'Many boys carry matches for various purposes, I believe. I + myself, though a non-smoker, frequently place a box in my pocket.' + </p> + <p> + For answer Sir Alfred laid a bloated and exceedingly vulgar-looking plush + tobacco-pouch on the table beside the match-box. + </p> + <p> + 'That also,' he observed, 'was found in his pocket by my keeper.' + </p> + <p> + He dived his hand once more into his coat. 'And also this,' he said. + </p> + <p> + And, with the air of a card-player who trumps his opponent's ace, he + placed on the pouch a pipe. And, to make the matter, if possible, worse, + the pipe was not a new pipe. It was caked within and coloured without, a + pipe that had seen long service. The only mitigating circumstance that + could possibly have been urged in favour of the accused, namely that of + 'first offence', had vanished. + </p> + <p> + 'It is pleasant,' said Sir Alfred with laborious sarcasm, 'to find a + trespasser doing a thing which has caused the dismissal of several + keepers. Smoking in my woods I—will—not—permit. I will + not have my property burnt down while I can prevent it. Good evening, Mr + Perceval.' With these words he made a dramatic exit. + </p> + <p> + For some minutes after he had gone the Head remained where he stood, + thinking. Then he went across the room and touched the bell. + </p> + <p> + 'Parker,' he said, when that invaluable officer appeared, 'go across to Mr + Ward's House, and tell him I wish to see Plunkett. Say I wish to see him + at once.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yessir.' + </p> + <p> + After ten minutes had elapsed, Plunkett entered the room, looking nervous. + </p> + <p> + 'Sit down, Plunkett.' + </p> + <p> + Plunkett collapsed into a seat. His eye had caught sight of the smoking + apparatus on the table. + </p> + <p> + The Head paced the room, something after the fashion of the tiger at the + Zoo, whose clock strikes lunch. + </p> + <p> + 'Plunkett,' he said, suddenly, 'you are a School-prefect.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir,' murmured Plunkett. The fact was undeniable. + </p> + <p> + 'You know the duties of a School-prefect?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'And yet you deliberately break one of the most important rules of the + School. How long have you been in the habit of smoking?' + </p> + <p> + Plunkett evaded the question. + </p> + <p> + 'My father lets me smoke, sir, when I'm at home.' + </p> + <p> + (A hasty word in the reader's ear. If ever you are accused of smoking, + please—for my sake, if not for your own—try to refrain from + saying that your father lets you do it at home. It is a fatal mistake.) + </p> + <p> + At this, to employ a metaphor, the champagne of the Head's wrath, which + had been fermenting steadily during his late interview, got the better of + the cork of self-control, and he exploded. If the Mutual Friend ever has + grandchildren he will probably tell them with bated breath the story of + how the Head paced the room, and the legend of the things he said. But it + will be some time before he will be able to speak about it with any + freedom. At last there was a lull in the storm. + </p> + <p> + 'I am not going to expel you, Plunkett. But you cannot come back after the + holidays. I will write to your father to withdraw you.' He pointed to the + door. Plunkett departed in level time. + </p> + <p> + 'What did the Old 'Un want you for?' asked Dallas, curiously, when he + returned to the study. + </p> + <p> + Plunkett had recovered himself by this time sufficiently to be able to + tell a lie. + </p> + <p> + 'He wanted to tell me he'd heard from my father about my leaving.' + </p> + <p> + 'About your leaving!' Dallas tried to keep his voice as free as possible + from triumphant ecstasy. + </p> + <p> + 'Are you leaving? When?' + </p> + <p> + 'This term.' + </p> + <p> + 'Oh!' said Dallas. It was an uncomfortable moment. He felt that at least + some conventional expression of regret ought to proceed from him. + </p> + <p> + 'Don't trouble to lie about being sorry,' said Plunkett with a sneer. + </p> + <p> + 'Thanks,' said Dallas, gratefully, 'since you mention it, I rather think I + won't.' + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0014" id="link2H_4_0014"></a> + CHAPTER XIV<br /> + THE LONG RUN + </h2> + <p> + Vaughan came up soon afterwards, and Dallas told him the great news. They + were neither of them naturally vindictive, but the Mutual Friend had been + a heavy burden to them during his stay in the House, and they did not + attempt to conceal from themselves their unfeigned pleasure at the news of + his impending departure. + </p> + <p> + 'I'll never say another word against Mr Plunkett, senior, in my life,' + said Vaughan. 'He's a philanthropist. I wonder what the Mutual's going to + do? Gentleman of leisure, possibly. Unless he's going to the 'Varsity.' + </p> + <p> + 'Same thing, rather. I don't know a bit what he's going to do, and I can't + say I care much. He's going, that's the main point.' + </p> + <p> + 'I say,' said Vaughan. 'I believe the Old Man was holding a sort of + reception tonight. I know he had Thomson over to his House. Do you think + there's a row on?' + </p> + <p> + 'Oh, I don't know. Probably only wanted to see if he was all right after + the mile. By Jove, it was a bit of a race, wasn't it?' And the + conversation drifted off into matters athletic. + </p> + <p> + There were two persons that night who slept badly. Jim lay awake until the + College clock had struck three, going over in his mind the various points + of his difficulties, on the chance of finding a solution of them. He fell + asleep at a quarter past, without having made any progress. The Head, + also, passed a bad night. He was annoyed for many reasons, principally, + perhaps, because he had allowed Sir Alfred Venner to score so signal a + victory over him. Besides that, he was not easy in his mind about Jim. He + could not come to a decision. The evidence was all against him, but + evidence is noted for its untrustworthiness. The Head would have preferred + to judge the matter from his knowledge of Jim's character. But after the + Plunkett episode he mistrusted his powers in that direction. He thought + the matter over for a time, and then, finding himself unable to sleep, got + up and wrote an article for a leading review on the subject of the + Doxology. The article was subsequently rejected—which proves that + Providence is not altogether incapable of a kindly action—but it + served its purpose by sending its author to sleep. + </p> + <p> + Barrett, too, though he did not allow it to interfere with his slumbers, + was considerably puzzled as to what he ought to do about the cups which he + had stumbled upon in the wood. He scarcely felt equal to going to the + Dingle again to fetch them, and yet every minute he delayed made the + chances of their remaining there more remote. He rather hoped that Reade + would think of some way out of it. He had a great respect for Reade's + intellect, though he did not always show it. The next day was the day of + the Inter-House cross-country race. It was always fixed for the afternoon + after Sports Day, a most inconvenient time for it, as everybody who had + exerted or over-exerted himself the afternoon before was unable to do + himself justice. Today, contrary to general expectation, both Drake and + Thomson had turned out. The knowing ones, however, were prepared to bet + anything you liked (except cash), that both would drop out before the + first mile was over. Merevale's pinned their hopes on Welch. At that time + Welch had not done much long-distance running. He confined himself to the + hundred yards and the quarter. But he had it in him to do great things, as + he proved in the following year, when he won the half, and would have + beaten the great Mitchell-Jones record for the mile, but for an accident, + or rather an event, which prevented his running. The tale of which is told + elsewhere. + </p> + <p> + The course for the race was a difficult one. There were hedges and brooks + to be negotiated, and, worst of all, ploughed fields. The first ploughed + field usually thinned the ranks of the competitors considerably. The + distance was about ten miles. + </p> + <p> + The race started at three o'clock. Jim and Welch, Merevale's first string, + set the pace from the beginning, and gradually drew away from the rest. + Drake came third, and following him the rest of the Houses in a crowd. + </p> + <p> + Welch ran easily and springily; Jim with more effort. He felt from the + start that he could not last. He resolved to do his best for the honour of + the House, but just as the second mile was beginning, the first of the + ploughed fields appeared in view, stretching, so it appeared to Jim, right + up to the horizon. He groaned. + </p> + <p> + 'Go on, Welch,' he gasped. 'I'm done.' + </p> + <p> + Welch stopped short in his stride, and eyed him critically. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes,' he said, 'better get back to the House. You overdid it yesterday. + Lie down somewhere. G'bye.' And he got into his stride again. Jim watched + his figure diminish, until at last it was a shapeless dot of white against + the brown surface. Then he lay down on his back and panted. + </p> + <p> + It was in this attitude that Drake found him. For a moment an almost + irresistible wish seized him to act in the same way. There was an + unstudied comfort about Jim's pose which appealed to him strongly. His + wind still held out, but his legs were beginning to feel as if they did + not belong to him at all. He pulled up for an instant. + </p> + <p> + 'Hullo,' he said, 'done up?' + </p> + <p> + For reply Jim merely grunted. + </p> + <p> + 'Slacker,' said Drake. 'Where's Welch?' + </p> + <p> + 'Miles ahead.' + </p> + <p> + 'Oh Lord!' groaned Drake and, pulling himself together, set out painfully + once more across the heavy surface of the field. + </p> + <p> + Jim lay where he was a little longer. The recollection of the other + runners, who might be expected to arrive shortly, stirred him to action. + He did not wish to interview everyone on the subject of his dropping out. + He struck off at right angles towards the hedge on the left. As he did so, + the first of the crowd entered the field. Simpson <i>major</i>, wearing + the colours of Perkins's House on his manly bosom, was leading. Behind him + came a group of four, two School House, Dallas of Ward's, and a + representative of Prater's. A minute later they were followed by a larger + group, consisting this time of twenty or more runners—all that was + left of the fifty who had started. The rest had dropped out at the sight + of the ploughed field. + </p> + <p> + Jim watched the procession vanish over the brow of the hill, and, as it + passed out of sight, began to walk slowly back to the School again. + </p> + <p> + He reached it at last, only to find it almost entirely deserted. In + Merevale's House there was nobody. He had hoped that Charteris and Tony + might have been somewhere about. When he had changed into his ordinary + clothes, he made a tour of the School grounds. The only sign of life, as + far as he could see, was Biffen, who was superintending the cutting of the + grass on the cricket-field. During the winter Biffen always disappeared, + nobody knew where, returning at the beginning of Sports' Week to begin + preparations for the following cricket season. It had been stated that + during the winter he shut himself up and lived on himself after the + fashion of a bear. Others believed that he went and worked in some Welsh + mine until he was needed again at the School. Biffen himself was not + communicative on the subject, a fact which led a third party to put + forward the awful theory that he was a professional association player and + feared to mention his crime in a school which worshipped Rugby. + </p> + <p> + 'Why, Mr Thomson,' he said, as Jim came up, 'I thought you was running. + Whoa!' The last remark was addressed to a bored-looking horse attached to + the mowing-machine. From the expression on its face, the animal evidently + voted the whole process pure foolishness. He pulled up without hesitation, + and Biffen turned to Jim again. + </p> + <p> + 'Surely they ain't come back yet?' he said. + </p> + <p> + 'I have,' said Jim. 'I did myself up rather in the mile yesterday, and + couldn't keep up the pace. I dropped out at that awfully long ploughed + field by Parker's Spinney.' + </p> + <p> + Biffen nodded. + </p> + <p> + 'And 'oo was winning, sir?' + </p> + <p> + 'Well, Welch was leading, the last I saw of it. Shouldn't wonder if he won + either. He was going all right. I say, the place seems absolutely + deserted. Isn't anybody about?' + </p> + <p> + 'Just what Mr MacArthur was saying to me just this minute, sir. 'E went + into the Pavilion.' + </p> + <p> + 'Good. I'll go and hunt for him.' + </p> + <p> + Biffen 'clicked' the <i>blasé</i> horse into movement again. Jim went to + the Pavilion and met the Babe coming down the steps. + </p> + <p> + 'Hullo, Babe! I was looking for you.' + </p> + <p> + 'Hullo! Why aren't you running?' + </p> + <p> + 'Dropped out. Come and have tea in my study.' + </p> + <p> + 'No, I'll tell you what. You come back with me. I've got rather a decent + dog I want to show you. Only got him yesterday.' + </p> + <p> + Jim revelled in dogs, so he agreed instantly. The Babe lived with his + parents in a big house about a mile from the College, and in so doing was + the object of much envy amongst those who had to put up with life at the + Houses. Jim had been to his home once or twice before, and had always had + a very good time indeed there. The two strolled off. In another hour the + place began to show signs of life again. The School began to return by + ones and twos, most of them taking up a position near the big gates. This + was where the race was to finish. There was a straight piece of road about + two hundred yards in length before the high road was reached. It was a + sight worth seeing when the runners, paced by their respective Houses on + each side of the road, swept round the corner, and did their best to + sprint with all that was left in them after ten miles of difficult + country. Suddenly a distant shouting began to be heard. The leaders had + been sighted. The noise increased, growing nearer and nearer, until at + last it swelled into a roar, and a black mass of runners turned the + corner. In the midst of the black was one white figure—Welch, as + calm and unruffled as if he had been returning from a short trot to + improve his wind. Merevale's surged round him in a cheering mob. Welch + simply disregarded them. He knew where he wished to begin his sprint, and + he would begin it at that spot and no other. The spot he had chosen was + well within a hundred yards from the gates. When he reached it, he let + himself go, and from the uproar, the crowd appeared to be satisfied. A + long pause, and still none of the other runners appeared. Five minutes + went by before they began to appear. First Jones, of the School House, and + Simpson, who raced every yard of the way, and finished in the order named, + and then three of Philpott's House in a body. The rest dropped in at + intervals for the next quarter of an hour. + </p> + <p> + The Headmaster always made a point of watching the finish of the + cross-country run. Indeed, he was generally one of the last to leave. With + the majority of the spectators it was enough to see the first five safely + in. + </p> + <p> + The last man and lock-up arrived almost simultaneously, and the Head went + off to a well-earned dinner. + </p> + <p> + He had just finished this meal, and was congratulating himself on not + being obliged to spend the evening in a series of painful interviews, as + had happened the night before, when Parker, the butler, entered the room. + </p> + <p> + 'Well, Parker, what is it?' asked he. + </p> + <p> + 'Mr Roberts, sir, wishes to see you.' + </p> + <p> + For a moment the Head was at a loss. He could not recall any friend or + acquaintance of that name. Then he remembered that Roberts was the name of + the detective who had come down from London to look into the matter of the + prizes. + </p> + <p> + 'Very well,' he said, resignedly, 'show him into the study.' + </p> + <p> + Parker bowed, and retired. The Head, after an interval, followed him, and + made his way to the study. + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0015" id="link2H_4_0015"></a> + CHAPTER XV<br /> + MR ROBERTS EXPLAINS + </h2> + <p> + Inspector Roberts was standing with his back to the door, examining a + photograph of the College, when the Head entered. He spun round briskly. + 'Good evening, Mr Roberts. Pray be seated. You wish to see me?' + </p> + <p> + The detective took a seat. + </p> + <p> + 'This business of the cups, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'Ah!' said the Head, 'have you made any progress?' + </p> + <p> + 'Considerable. Yes, very considerable progress. I've found out who stole + them.' + </p> + <p> + 'You have?' cried the Head. 'Excellent. I suppose it <i>was</i> Thomson, + then? I was afraid so.' + </p> + <p> + 'Thomson, sir? That was certainly not the name he gave me. Stokes he + called himself.' + </p> + <p> + 'Stokes? Stokes? This is curious. Perhaps if you were to describe his + appearance? Was he a tall boy, of a rather slight build—' + </p> + <p> + The detective interrupted. + </p> + <p> + 'Excuse me, sir, but I rather fancy we have different persons in our mind. + Stokes is not a boy. Not at all. Well over thirty. Red moustache. Height, + five foot seven, I should say. Not more. Works as a farmhand when + required, and does odd jobs at times. That's the man.' + </p> + <p> + The Head's face expressed relief, as he heard this description. 'Then + Thomson did not do it after all,' he said. + </p> + <p> + 'Thomson?' queried Mr Roberts. + </p> + <p> + 'Thomson,' explained the Head, 'is the name of one of the boys at the + School. I am sorry to say that I strongly suspected him of this robbery.' + </p> + <p> + 'A boy at the School. Curious. Unusual, I should have thought, for a boy + to be mixed up in an affair like this. Though I have known cases.' + </p> + <p> + 'I was very unwilling, I can assure you, to suspect him of such a thing, + but really the evidence all seemed to point to it. I am afraid, Mr + Roberts, that I have been poaching on your preserves without much + success.' + </p> + <p> + 'Curious thing evidence,' murmured Mr Roberts, fixing with his eye a bust + of Socrates on the writing-desk, as if he wished it to pay particular + attention to his words. 'Very curious. Very seldom able to trust it. Case + the other day. Man charged with robbery from the person. <i>With</i> violence. + They gave the case to me. Worked up beautiful case against the man. Not a + hitch anywhere. Whole thing practically proved. Man brings forward <i>alibi.</i> + Proves it. Turned out that at time of robbery he had been serving seven + days without the option for knocking down two porters and a guard on the + District Railway. Yet the evidence seemed conclusive. Yes, curious thing + evidence.' He nodded solemnly at Socrates, and resumed an interested study + of the carpet. + </p> + <p> + The Head, who had made several spirited attempts at speaking during this + recital, at last succeeded in getting in a word. + </p> + <p> + 'You have the cups?' + </p> + <p> + 'No. No, cups still missing. Only flaw in the affair. Perhaps I had better + begin from the beginning?' + </p> + <p> + 'Exactly. Pray let me hear the whole story. I am more glad than I can say + that Thomson is innocent. There is no doubt of that, I hope?' + </p> + <p> + 'Not the least, sir. Not the very least. Stokes is the man.' + </p> + <p> + 'I am very glad to hear it.' + </p> + <p> + The inspector paused for a moment, coughed, and drifted into his + narrative. + </p> + <p> + '... Saw at once it was not the work of a practised burglar. First place, + how could regular professional know that the cups were in the Pavilion at + all? Quite so. Second place, work very clumsily done. No neatness. Not the + professional touch at all. Tell it in a minute. No mistaking it. Very + good. Must, therefore, have been amateur—this night only—and + connected with School. Next question, who? Helped a little there by luck. + Capital thing luck, when it's not bad luck. Was passing by the village inn—you + know the village inn, I dare say, sir?' + </p> + <p> + The Head, slightly scandalised, explained that he was seldom in the + village. The detective bowed and resumed his tale. + </p> + <p> + 'As I passed the door, I ran into a man coming out. In a very elevated, + not to say intoxicated, state. As a matter of fact, barely able to stand. + Reeled against wall, and dropped handful of money. I lent helping hand, + and picked up his money for him. Not my place to arrest drunken men. + Constable's! No constable there, of course. Noticed, as I picked the money + up, that there was a good deal of it. For ordinary rustic, a <i>very</i> + good deal. Sovereign and plenty of silver.' He paused, mused for a while, + and went on again. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes. Sovereign, and quite ten shillings' worth of silver. Now the nature + of my profession makes me a suspicious man. It struck me as curious, not + to say remarkable, that such a man should have thirty shillings or more + about him so late in the week. And then there was another thing. I thought + I'd seen this particular man somewhere on the School grounds. Couldn't + recall his face exactly, but just had a sort of general recollection of + having seen him before. I happened to have a camera with me. As a matter + of fact I had been taking a few photographs of the place. Pretty place, + sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'Very,' agreed the Head. + </p> + <p> + 'You photograph yourself, perhaps?' + </p> + <p> + 'No. I—ah—do not.' + </p> + <p> + 'Ah. Pity. Excellent hobby. However—I took a snap-shot of this man + to show to somebody who might know him better than I did. This is the + photograph. Drunk as a lord, is he not?' + </p> + <p> + He exhibited a small piece of paper. The Head examined it gravely, and + admitted that the subject of the picture did not appear to be + ostentatiously sober. The sunlight beat full on his face, which wore the + intensely solemn expression of the man who, knowing his own condition, + hopes, by means of exemplary conduct, to conceal it from the world. The + Head handed the photograph back without further comment. + </p> + <p> + 'I gave the man back his money,' went on Mr Roberts, 'and saw him safely + started again, and then I set to work to shadow him. Not a difficult job. + He walked very slowly, and for all he seemed to care, the whole of + Scotland Yard might have been shadowing him. Went up the street, and after + a time turned in at one of the cottages. I marked the place, and went home + to develop the photograph. Took it to show the man who looks after the + cricket-field.' + </p> + <p> + 'Biffen?' + </p> + <p> + 'Just so, Biffen. Very intelligent man. Given me a good deal of help in + one way and another all along. Well, I showed it to him and he said he + thought he knew the face. Was almost certain it was one of the men at work + on the grounds at the time of the robbery. Showed it to friend of his, the + other ground-man. He thought same. That made it as certain as I had any + need for. Went off at once to the man's cottage, found him sober, and got + the whole thing out of him. But not the cups. He had been meaning to sell + them, but had not known where to go. Wanted combination of good price and + complete safety. Very hard to find, so had kept cups hidden till further + notice.' + </p> + <p> + Here the Head interrupted. + </p> + <p> + 'And the cups? Where are they?' + </p> + <p> + 'We-e-ll,' said the detective, slowly. 'It is this way. We have only got + his word to go on as regards the cups. This man, Stokes, it seems is a + notorious poacher. The night after the robbery he took the cups out with + him on an expedition in some woods that lie in the direction of Badgwick. + I think Badgwick is the name.' + </p> + <p> + 'Badgwick! Not Sir Alfred Venner's woods?' + </p> + <p> + 'Sir Alfred Venner it was, sir. That was the name he mentioned. Stokes + appears to have been in the habit of visiting that gentleman's property + pretty frequently. He had a regular hiding place, a sort of store where he + used to keep all the game he killed. He described the place to me. It is a + big tree on the bank of the stream nearest the high road. The tree is + hollow. One has to climb to find the opening to it. Inside are the cups, + and, I should say, a good deal of mixed poultry. That is what he told me, + sir. I should advise you, if I may say so, to write a note to Sir Alfred + Venner, explaining the case, and ask him to search the tree, and send the + cups on here.' + </p> + <p> + This idea did not appeal to the Head at all. Why, he thought bitterly, was + this wretched M.P. always mixed up with his affairs? Left to himself, he + could have existed in perfect comfort without either seeing, writing to, + or hearing from the great man again for the rest of his life. 'I will + think it over,' he said, 'though it seems the only thing to be done. As + for Stokes, I suppose I must prosecute—' + </p> + <p> + The detective raised a hand in protest. + </p> + <p> + 'Pardon my interruption, sir, but I really should advise you not to + prosecute.' + </p> + <p> + 'Indeed! Why?' + </p> + <p> + 'It is this way. If you prosecute, you get the man his term of + imprisonment. A year, probably. Well and good. But then what happens? + After his sentence has run out, he comes out of prison an ex-convict. + Tries to get work. No good. Nobody will look at him. Asks for a job. + People lock up their spoons and shout for the police. What happens then? + Not being able to get work, tries another burglary. Being a clumsy hand at + the game, gets caught again and sent back to prison, and so is ruined and + becomes a danger to society. Now, if he is let off this time, he will go + straight for the rest of his life. Run a mile to avoid a silver cup. He's + badly scared, and I took the opportunity of scaring him more. Told him + nothing would happen this time, if the cups came back safely, but that + he'd be watched ever afterwards to see he did not get into mischief. Of + course he won't really be watched, you understand, but he thinks he will. + Which is better, for it saves trouble. Besides, we know where the cups are—I + feel sure he was speaking the truth about them, he was too frightened to + invent a story—and here is most of the money. So it all ends well, + if I may put it so. My advice, sir, and I think you will find it good + advice—is not to prosecute.' + </p> + <p> + 'Very well,' said the Head, 'I will not.' + </p> + <p> + 'Very good, sir. Good morning, sir.' And he left the room. + </p> + <p> + The Head rang the bell. + </p> + <p> + 'Parker,' said he, 'go across to Mr Merevale's, and ask him to send + Thomson to me.' + </p> + <p> + It was with mixed feelings that he awaited Jim's arrival. The detective's + story had shown how unjust had been his former suspicions, and he felt + distinctly uncomfortable at the prospect of the apology which he felt + bound to make to him. On the other hand, this feeling was more than + equalled by his relief at finding that his faith in the virtue of the <i>genus</i> + School-prefect, though at fault in the matter of Plunkett, was not + altogether misplaced. It made up for a good deal. Then his thoughts + drifted to Sir Alfred Venner. Struggle with his feelings as he might, the + Head could <i>not</i> endure that local potentate. The recent interview + between them had had no parallel in their previous acquaintance, but the + Head had always felt vaguely irritated by his manner and speech, and he + had always feared that matters would come to a head sooner or later. The + prospect of opening communication with him once more was not alluring. In + the meantime there was his more immediate duty to be performed, the + apology to Thomson. But that reminded him. The apology must only be of a + certain kind. It must not be grovelling. And this for a very excellent + reason. After the apology must come an official lecture on the subject of + betting. He had rather lost sight of that offence in the excitement of the + greater crime of which Thomson had been accused, and very nearly + convicted. Now the full heinousness of it came back to him. Betting! + Scandalous! + </p> + <p> + 'Come in,' he cried, as a knock at the door roused him from his thoughts. + He turned. But instead of Thomson, there appeared Parker. Parker carried a + note. It was from Mr Merevale. + </p> + <p> + The Head opened it. + </p> + <p> + 'What!' he cried, as he read it. 'Impossible.' Parker made no comment. He + stood in the doorway, trying to look as like a piece of furniture as + possible—which is the duty of a good butler. + </p> + <p> + 'Impossible!' said the Head again. + </p> + <p> + What Mr Merevale had said in his note was this, that Thomson was not in + the House, and had not been in the House since lunchtime. He ought to have + returned at six o'clock. It was now half-past eight, and still there were + no signs of him. Mr Merevale expressed a written opinion that this was a + remarkable thing, and the Head agreed with him unreservedly. + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0016" id="link2H_4_0016"></a> + CHAPTER XVI<br /> + THE DISAPPEARANCE OF J. THOMSON + </h2> + <p> + Certainly the Head was surprised. + </p> + <p> + He read the note again. No. There was no mistake. 'Thomson is not in the + House.' There could be no two meanings about that. + </p> + <p> + 'Go across to Mr Merevale's,' he said at last, 'and ask him if he would + mind seeing me here for a moment.' + </p> + <p> + The butler bowed his head gently, but with more than a touch of pained + astonishment. He thought the Headmaster might show more respect for + persons. A butler is not an errand-boy. + </p> + <p> + 'Sir?' he said, giving the Head a last chance, as it were, of realising + the situation. + </p> + <p> + 'Ask Mr Merevale to step over here for a moment.' + </p> + <p> + The poor man bowed once more. The phantom of a half-smoked cigar floated + reproachfully before his eyes. He had lit it a quarter of an hour ago in + fond anticipation of a quiet evening. Unless a miracle had occurred, it + must be out by this time. And he knew as well as anybody else that a + relighted cigar is never at its best. But he went, and in a few minutes Mr + Merevale entered the room. + </p> + <p> + 'Sit down, Mr Merevale,' said the Head. 'Am I to understand from your note + that Thomson is actually not in the House?' + </p> + <p> + Mr Merevale thought that if he had managed to understand anything else + from the note he must possess a mind of no common order, but he did not + say so. + </p> + <p> + 'No,' he said. 'Thomson has not been in the House since lunchtime, as far + as I know. It is a curious thing.' + </p> + <p> + 'It is exceedingly serious. Exceedingly so. For many reasons. Have you any + idea where he was seen last?' + </p> + <p> + 'Harrison in my House says he saw him at about three o'clock.' + </p> + <p> + 'Ah!' + </p> + <p> + 'According to Harrison, he was walking in the direction of Stapleton.' + </p> + <p> + 'Ah. Well, it is satisfactory to know even as little as that.' + </p> + <p> + 'Just so. But Mace—he is in my House, too—declares that he saw + Thomson at about the same time cycling in the direction of Badgwick. Both + accounts can scarcely be correct.' + </p> + <p> + 'But—dear me, are you certain, Mr Merevale?' + </p> + <p> + Merevale nodded to imply that he was. The Head drummed irritably with his + fingers on the arm of his chair. This mystery, coming as it did after the + series of worries through which he had been passing for the last few days, + annoyed him as much as it is to be supposed the last straw annoyed the + proverbial camel. + </p> + <p> + 'As a matter of fact,' said Merevale, 'I know that Thomson started to run + in the long race this afternoon. I met him going to the starting-place, + and advised him to go and change again. He was not looking at all fit for + such a long run. It seems to me that Welch might know where he is. Thomson + and he got well ahead of the others after the start, so that if, as I + expect, Thomson dropped out early in the race, Welch could probably tell + us where it happened. That would give us some clue to his whereabouts, at + any rate.' + </p> + <p> + 'Have you questioned Welch?' + </p> + <p> + 'Not yet. Welch came back very tired, quite tired out, in fact and went + straight to bed. I hardly liked to wake him except as a last resource. + Perhaps I had better do so now?' + </p> + <p> + 'I think you should most certainly. Something serious must have happened + to Thomson to keep him out of his House as late as this. Unless—' + </p> + <p> + He stopped. Merevale looked up enquiringly. The Head, after a moment's + deliberation, proceeded to explain. + </p> + <p> + 'I have made a very unfortunate mistake with regard to Thomson, Mr + Merevale. A variety of reasons led me to think that he had had something + to do with this theft of the Sports prizes.' + </p> + <p> + 'Thomson!' broke in Merevale incredulously. + </p> + <p> + 'There was a considerable weight of evidence against him, which I have + since found to be perfectly untrustworthy, but which at the time seemed to + me almost conclusive.' + </p> + <p> + 'But surely,' put in Merevale again, 'surely Thomson would be the last boy + to do such a thing. Why should he? What would he gain by it?' + </p> + <p> + 'Precisely. I can understand that perfectly in the light of certain + information which I have just received from the inspector. But at the + time, as I say, I believed him guilty. I even went so far as to send for + him and question him upon the subject. Now it has occurred to me, Mr + Merevale—you understand that I put it forward merely as a conjecture—it + occurs to me—' + </p> + <p> + 'That Thomson has run away,' said Merevale bluntly. + </p> + <p> + The Head, slightly discomposed by this Sherlock-Holmes-like reading of his + thoughts, pulled himself together, and said, 'Ah—just so. I think it + very possible.' + </p> + <p> + 'I do not agree with you,' said Merevale. 'I know Thomson well, and I + think he is the last boy to do such a thing. He is neither a fool nor a + coward, to put it shortly, and he would need to have a great deal of both + in him to run away.' + </p> + <p> + The Head looked slightly relieved at this. + </p> + <p> + 'You—ah—think so?' he said. + </p> + <p> + 'I certainly do. In the first place, where, unless he went home, would he + run to? And as he would be going home in a couple of days in the ordinary + course of things, he would hardly be foolish enough to risk expulsion in + such a way.' + </p> + <p> + Mr Merevale always rather enjoyed his straight talks with the Headmaster. + Unlike most of his colleagues he stood in no awe of him whatever. He + always found him ready to listen to sound argument, and, what was better, + willing to be convinced. It was so in this case. + </p> + <p> + 'Then I think we may dismiss that idea,' said the Head with visible + relief. The idea of such a scandal occurring at St Austin's had filled him + with unfeigned horror. 'And now I think it would be as well to go across + to your House and hear what Welch has to say about the matter. Unless + Thomson returns soon—and it is already past nine o'clock—we + shall have to send out search-parties.' + </p> + <p> + Five minutes later Welch, enjoying a sound beauty-sleep, began to be + possessed of a vague idea that somebody was trying to murder him. His + subsequent struggles for life partially woke him, and enabled him to see + dimly that two figures were standing by his bed. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes?' he murmured sleepily, turning over on to his side again, and + preparing to doze off. The shaking continued. This was too much. 'Look + here,' said he fiercely, sitting up. Then he recognised his visitors. As + his eye fell on Merevale, he wondered whether anything had occurred to + bring down his wrath upon him. Perhaps he had gone to bed without leave, + and was being routed out to read at prayers or do some work? No, he + remembered distinctly getting permission to turn in. What then could be + the matter? + </p> + <p> + At this point he recognised the Headmaster, and the last mists of sleep + left him. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir?' he said, wide-awake now. + </p> + <p> + Merevale put the case briefly and clearly to him. 'Sorry to disturb you, + Welch. I know you are tired.' + </p> + <p> + 'Not at all, sir,' said Welch, politely. + </p> + <p> + 'But there is something we must ask you. You probably do not know that + Thomson has not returned?' + </p> + <p> + 'Not returned!' + </p> + <p> + 'No. Nobody knows where he is. You were probably the last to see him. What + happened when you and he started for the long run this afternoon? You lost + sight of the rest, did you not?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well?' + </p> + <p> + 'And Thomson dropped out.' + </p> + <p> + 'Ah.' This from the Headmaster. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir. He said he couldn't go any farther. He told me to go on. And, + of course, I did, as it was a race. I advised him to go back to the House + and change. He looked regularly done up. I think he ran too hard in the + mile yesterday.' + </p> + <p> + The Head spoke. + </p> + <p> + 'I thought that some such thing must have happened. Where was it that he + dropped out, Welch?' + </p> + <p> + 'It was just as we came to a long ploughed field, sir, by the side of a + big wood.' + </p> + <p> + 'Parker's Spinney, I expect,' put in Merevale. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir. About a mile from the College.' + </p> + <p> + 'And you saw nothing more of him after that?' inquired the Headmaster. + </p> + <p> + 'No, sir. He was lying on his back when I left him. I should think some of + the others must have seen him after I did. He didn't look as if he was + likely to get up for some time.' + </p> + <p> + 'Well,' said the Head, as he and Merevale went out of the room, leaving + Welch to his slumbers, 'we have gained little by seeing Welch. I had hoped + for something more. I must send the prefects out to look for Thomson at + once.' + </p> + <p> + 'It will be a difficult business,' said Merevale, refraining—to his + credit be it said—from a mention of needles and haystacks. 'We have + nothing to go upon. He may be anywhere for all we know. I suppose it is + hardly likely that he is still where Welch left him?' + </p> + <p> + The Head seemed to think this improbable. 'That would scarcely be the case + unless he were very much exhausted. It is more than five hours since Welch + saw him. I can hardly believe that the worst exhaustion would last so + long. However, if you would kindly tell your House-prefects of this—' + </p> + <p> + 'And send them out to search?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes. We must do all we can. Tell them to begin searching where Thomson + was last seen. I will go round to the other Houses. Dear me, this is + exceedingly annoying. Exceedingly so.' + </p> + <p> + Merevale admitted that it was, and, having seen his visitor out of the + House, went to the studies to speak to his prefects. He found Charteris + and Tony together in the former's sanctum. + </p> + <p> + 'Has anything been heard about Thomson, sir?' said Tony, as he entered. + </p> + <p> + 'That is just what I want to see you about. Graham, will you go and bring + the rest of the prefects here?' + </p> + <p> + 'Now,' he said, as Tony returned with Swift and Daintree, the two + remaining House-prefects, 'you all know, of course, that Thomson is not in + the House. The Headmaster wants you to go and look for him. Welch seems to + have been the last to see him, and he left him lying in a ploughed field + near Parker's Spinney. You all know Parker's Spinney, I suppose?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'Then you had better begin searching from there. Go in twos if you like, + or singly. Don't all go together. I want you all to be back by eleven. All + got watches?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'Good. You'd better take lanterns of some sort. I think I can raise a + bicycle lamp each, and there is a good moon. Look everywhere, and shout as + much as you like. I think he must have sprained an ankle or something. He + is probably lying somewhere unable to move, and too far away from the road + to make his voice heard to anyone. If you start now, you will have just an + hour and a half. You should have found him by then. The prefects from the + other Houses will help you.' + </p> + <p> + Daintree put in a pertinent question. + </p> + <p> + 'How about trespassing, sir?' + </p> + <p> + 'Oh, go where you like. In reason, you know. Don't go getting the School + mixed up in any unpleasantness, of course, but remember that your main + object is to find Thomson. You all understand?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'Very good. Then start at once.' + </p> + <p> + 'By Jove,' said Swift, when he had gone, 'what an unholy rag! This suits + yours truly. Poor old Jim, though. I wonder what the deuce has happened to + him?' + </p> + <p> + At that very moment the Headmaster, leaving Philpott's House to go to + Prater's, was wondering the same thing. In spite of Mr Merevale's + argument, he found himself drifting back to his former belief that Jim had + run away. What else could keep him out of his House more than three hours + after lock-up? And he had had some reason for running away, for the <i>conscia + mens recti,</i> though an excellent institution in theory, is not nearly + so useful an ally as it should be in practice. The Head knocked at + Prater's door, pondering darkly within himself. + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0017" id="link2H_4_0017"></a> + CHAPTER XVII<br /> + 'WE'LL PROCEED TO SEARCH FOR THOMSON IF HE BE ABOVE THE GROUND' + </h2> + <p> + 'How sweet the moonlight sleeps on yonder haystack,' observed Charteris + poetically, as he and Tony, accompanied by Swift and Daintree, made their + way across the fields to Parker's Spinney. Each carried a bicycle lamp, + and at irregular intervals each broke into piercing yells, to the marked + discomfort of certain birds roosting in the neighbourhood, who burst + noisily from the trees, and made their way with visible disgust to quieter + spots. + </p> + <p> + 'There's one thing,' said Swift, 'we ought to hear him if he yells on a + night like this. A yell ought to travel about a mile.' + </p> + <p> + 'Suppose we try one now,' said Charteris. 'Now. A concerted piece, <i>andante</i> + in six-eight time. Ready?' + </p> + <p> + The next moment the stillness of the lovely spring night was shattered by + a hideous uproar. + </p> + <p> + 'R.S.V.P.,' said Charteris to space in general, as the echoes died away. + But there was no answer, though they waited several minutes on the chance + of hearing some sound that would indicate Jim's whereabouts. + </p> + <p> + 'If he didn't hear that,' observed Tony, 'he can't be within three miles, + that's a cert. We'd better separate, I think.' + </p> + <p> + They were at the ploughed field by Parker's Spinney now. + </p> + <p> + 'Anybody got a coin?' asked Daintree. 'Let's toss for directions.' + </p> + <p> + Charteris produced a shilling. + </p> + <p> + 'My ewe lamb,' he said. 'Tails.' + </p> + <p> + Tails it was. Charteris expressed his intention of striking westward and + drawing the Spinney. He and Tony made their way thither, Swift and + Daintree moving off together in the opposite direction. + </p> + <p> + 'This is jolly rum,' said Tony, as they entered the Spinney. 'I wonder + where the deuce the man has got to?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes. It's beastly serious, really, but I'm hanged if I can help feeling + as if I were out on a picnic. I suppose it's the night air.' + </p> + <p> + 'I wonder if we shall find him?' + </p> + <p> + 'Not the slightest chance in my opinion. There's not the least good in + looking through this forsaken Spinney. Still, we'd better do it.' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes. Don't make a row. We're trespassing.' + </p> + <p> + They moved on in silence. Half-way through the wood Charteris caught his + foot in a hole and fell. + </p> + <p> + 'Hurt?' said Tony. + </p> + <p> + 'Only in spirit, thanks. The absolute dashed foolishness of this is being + rapidly borne in upon me, Tony. What <i>is</i> the good of it? We shan't + find him here.' + </p> + <p> + Tony put his foot down upon these opinions with exemplary promptitude. + </p> + <p> + 'We must go on trying. Hang it all, if it comes to the worst, it's better + than frousting indoors.' + </p> + <p> + 'Tony, you're a philosopher. Lead on, Macduff.' + </p> + <p> + Tony was about to do so, when a form appeared in front of him, blocking + the way. He flashed his lamp at the form, and the form, prefacing its + remarks with a good, honest swearword—of a variety peculiar to that + part of the country—requested him, without any affectation of + ceremonious courtesy, to take his something-or-other lamp out of his (the + form's) what's-its-named face, and state his business briefly. + </p> + <p> + 'Surely I know that voice,' said Charteris. 'Archibald, my long-lost + brother.' + </p> + <p> + The keeper failed to understand him, and said so tersely. + </p> + <p> + 'Can you tell <i>me</i>,' went on Charteris, 'if you have seen such a + thing as a boy in this Spinney lately? We happen to have lost one. An + ordinary boy. No special markings. His name is Thomson, on the Grampian + Hills—' + </p> + <p> + At this point the keeper felt that he had had enough. He made a dive for + the speaker. + </p> + <p> + Charteris dodged behind Tony, and his assailant, not observing this, + proceeded to lay violent hands upon the latter, who had been standing + waiting during the conversation. + </p> + <p> + 'Let go, you fool,' cried he. The keeper's hand had come smartly into + contact with his left eye, and from there had taken up a position on his + shoulder. In reply the keeper merely tightened his grip. + </p> + <p> + 'I'll count three,' said Tony, 'and—' + </p> + <p> + The keeper's hand shifted to his collar. + </p> + <p> + 'All right, then,' said Tony between his teeth. He hit up with his left at + the keeper's wrist. The hand on his collar loosed its grip. Its owner + rushed, and as he came, Tony hit him in the parts about the third + waistcoat-button with his right. He staggered and fell. Tony hit very hard + when the spirit moved him. + </p> + <p> + 'Come on, man,' said Charteris quickly, 'before he gets his wind again. We + mustn't be booked trespassing.' + </p> + <p> + Tony recognised the soundness of the advice. They were out of the Spinney + in two minutes. + </p> + <p> + 'Now,' said Charteris, 'let's do a steady double to the road. This is no + place for us. Come on, you man of blood.' + </p> + <p> + When they reached the road they slowed down to a walk again. Charteris + laughed. + </p> + <p> + 'I feel just as if we'd done a murder, somehow. What an ass that fellow + was to employ violence. He went down all right, didn't he?' + </p> + <p> + 'Think there'll be a row?' + </p> + <p> + 'No. Should think not. He didn't see us properly. Anyhow, he was + interfering with an officer in the performance of his duty. So were we, I + suppose. Well, let's hope for the best. Hullo!' + </p> + <p> + 'What's up?' + </p> + <p> + 'All right. It's only somebody coming down the road. Thought it might be + the keeper at first. Why, it's Biffen.' + </p> + <p> + It was Biffen. He looked at them casually as he came up, but stopped short + in surprise when he saw who they were. + </p> + <p> + 'Mr Charteris!' + </p> + <p> + 'The same,' said Charteris. 'Enjoying a moonlight stroll, Biffen?' + </p> + <p> + 'But what are you doing out of the 'ouse at this time of night, Mr + Charteris?' + </p> + <p> + 'It's this way,' said Tony, 'all the House-prefects have been sent out to + look for Thomson. He's not come back.' + </p> + <p> + 'Not come back, sir!' + </p> + <p> + 'No. Bit queer, isn't it? The last anybody saw of him was when he dropped + out of the long race near Parker's Spinney.' + </p> + <p> + 'I seen him later than that, Mr Graham. He come on to the grounds while I + was mowing the cricket field.' + </p> + <p> + 'Not really? When was that?' + </p> + <p> + 'Four. 'Alf past four, nearly.' + </p> + <p> + 'What became of him?' + </p> + <p> + ''E went off with Mr MacArthur. Mr MacArthur took 'im off 'ome with 'im, I + think, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'By Jove,' said Charteris with enthusiasm. 'Now we <i>are</i> on the + track. Thanks awfully, Biffen, I'll remember you in my will. Come on, + Tony.' + </p> + <p> + 'Where are you going now?' + </p> + <p> + 'Babe's place, of course. The Babe holds the clue to this business. We + must get it out of him. 'Night, Biffen.' + </p> + <p> + 'Good-night, sir.' + </p> + <p> + Arrived at the Babe's residence, they rang the bell, and, in the interval + of waiting for the door to be opened, listened with envy to certain sounds + of revelry which filtered through the windows of a room to the right of + the porch. + </p> + <p> + 'The Babe seems to be making a night of it,' said Charteris. 'Oh'—as + the servant opened the door—'can we see Mr MacArthur, please?' + </p> + <p> + The servant looked doubtful on the point. + </p> + <p> + 'There's company tonight, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'I knew he was making a night of it,' said Charteris to Tony. 'It's not Mr + MacArthur we want to see. It's—dash it, what's the Babe's name?' + </p> + <p> + 'Robert, I believe. Wouldn't swear to it.' + </p> + <p> + 'Mr Robert. Is he in?' It seemed to Charteris that the form of this + question smacked of Ollendorf. He half expected the servant to say 'No, + but he has the mackintosh of his brother's cousin'. It produced the + desired effect, however, for after inviting them to step in, the servant + disappeared, and the Babe came on the scene, wearing a singularly + prosperous expression, as if he had dined well. + </p> + <p> + 'Hullo, you chaps,' he said. + </p> + <p> + 'Sir to you,' said Charteris. 'Look here, Babe, we want to know what you + have done with Jim. He was seen by competent witnesses to go off with you, + and he's not come back. If you've murdered him, you might let us have the + body.' + </p> + <p> + 'Not come back! Rot. Are you certain?' + </p> + <p> + 'My dear chap, every House-prefect on the list has been sent out to look + for him. When did he leave here?' + </p> + <p> + The Babe reflected. + </p> + <p> + 'Six, I should think. Little after, perhaps. Why—oh Lord!' + </p> + <p> + He broke off suddenly. + </p> + <p> + 'What's up?' asked Tony. + </p> + <p> + 'Why I sent him by a short cut through some woods close by here, and I've + only just remembered there's a sort of quarry in the middle of them. I'll + bet he's in there.' + </p> + <p> + 'Great Scott, man, what sort of a quarry? I like the calm way the Babe + talks of sending unsuspecting friends into quarries. Deep?' + </p> + <p> + 'Not very, thank goodness. Still, if he fell down he might not be able to + get up again, especially if he'd hurt himself at all. Half a second. Let + me get on some boots, and I'll come out and look. Shan't be long. + </p> + <p> + When he came back, the three of them set out for the quarry. + </p> + <p> + 'There you are,' cried the Babe, with an entirely improper pride in his + voice, considering the circumstances. 'What did I tell you?' Out of the + darkness in front of them came a shout. They recognised the voice at once + as Jim's. + </p> + <p> + Tony uttered a yell of encouragement, and was darting forward to the spot + from which the cry had come, when the Babe stopped him. 'Don't do that, + man,' he said. 'You'll be over yourself, if you don't look out. It's quite + close here.' + </p> + <p> + He flashed one of the lamps in front of him. The light fell on a black + opening in the ground, and Jim's voice sounded once more from the bowels + of the earth, this time quite close to where they stood. + </p> + <p> + 'Jim,' shouted Charteris, 'where are you?' + </p> + <p> + 'Hullo,' said the voice, 'who's that? You might lug me out of here.' + </p> + <p> + 'Are you hurt?' + </p> + <p> + 'Twisted my ankle.' + </p> + <p> + 'How far down are you?' + </p> + <p> + 'Not far. Ten feet, about. Can't you get me out?' + </p> + <p> + 'Half a second,' said the Babe, 'I'll go and get help. You chaps had + better stay here and talk to him.' He ran off. + </p> + <p> + 'How many of you are there up there?' asked Jim. + </p> + <p> + 'Only Tony and myself,' said Charteris. + </p> + <p> + 'Thought I heard somebody else.' + </p> + <p> + 'Oh, that was the Babe. He's gone off to get help.' + </p> + <p> + 'Oh. When he comes back, wring his neck, and heave him down here,' said + Jim. 'I want a word with him on the subject of short cuts. I say, is there + much excitement about this?' + </p> + <p> + 'Rather. All the House-prefects are out after you. We've been looking in + Parker's Spinney, and Tony was reluctantly compelled to knock out a keeper + who tried to stop us. You should have been there. It was a rag.' + </p> + <p> + 'Wish I had been. Hullo, is that the Babe come back?' + </p> + <p> + It was. The Babe, with his father and a party of friends arrayed in + evening dress. They carried a ladder amongst them. + </p> + <p> + The pungent remarks Jim had intended to address to the Babe had no + opportunity of active service. It was not the Babe who carried him up the + ladder, but two of the dinner-party. Nor did the Babe have a hand in the + carrying of the stretcher. That was done by as many of the evening-dress + brigade as could get near enough. They seemed to enjoy it. One of them + remarked that it reminded him of South Africa. To which another replied + that it was far more like a party of policemen gathering in an 'early + drunk' in the Marylebone Road. The procession moved on its stately way to + the Babe's father's house, and the last Tony and Charteris saw of Jim, he + was the centre of attraction, and appeared to be enjoying himself very + much. + </p> + <p> + Charteris envied him, and did not mind saying so. + </p> + <p> + 'Why can't <i>I</i> smash my ankle?' he demanded indignantly of Tony. + </p> + <p> + He was nearing section five, sub-section three, of his discourse, when + they reached Merevale's gates. It was after eleven, but they felt that the + news they were bringing entitled them to be a little late. Charteris + brought his arguments to a premature end, and Tony rang the bell. Merevale + himself opened the door to them. + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + + <h2><a name="link2H_4_0018" id="link2H_4_0018"></a> + CHAPTER XVIII<br /> + IN WHICH THE AFFAIRS OF VARIOUS PERSONS ARE WOUND UP + </h2> + <p> + 'Well,' he said, 'you're rather late. Any luck?' + </p> + <p> + 'We've found him, sir,' said Tony. + </p> + <p> + 'Really? That's a good thing. Where was he?' + </p> + <p> + 'He'd fallen down a sort of quarry place near where MacArthur lives. + MacArthur took him home with him to tea, and sent him back by a short cut, + forgetting all about the quarry, and Thomson fell in and couldn't get out + again.' + </p> + <p> + 'Is he hurt?' + </p> + <p> + 'Only twisted his ankle, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'Then where is he now?' + </p> + <p> + 'They carried him back to the house.' + </p> + <p> + 'MacArthur's house?' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'Oh, well, I suppose he will be all right then. Graham, just go across and + report to the Headmaster, will you? You'll find him in his study.' + </p> + <p> + The Head was immensely relieved to hear Tony's narrative. After much + internal debate he had at last come to the conclusion that Jim must have + run away, and he had been wondering how he should inform his father of the + fact. + </p> + <p> + 'You are certain that he is not badly hurt, Graham?' he said, when Tony + had finished his story. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, sir. It's only his ankle.' + </p> + <p> + 'Very good. Good-night, Graham.' + </p> + <p> + The Head retired to bed that night filled with a virtuous resolve to seek + Jim out on the following day, and speak a word in season to him on the + subject of crime in general and betting in particular. This plan he + proceeded to carry out as soon as afternoon school was over. When, + however, he had arrived at the Babe's house, he found that there was one + small thing which he had left out of his calculations. He had counted on + seeing the invalid alone. On entering the sick-room he found there Mrs + MacArthur, looking as if she intended to remain where she sat for several + hours—which, indeed, actually was her intention—and Miss + MacArthur, whose face and attitude expressed the same, only, if anything, + more so. The fact was that the Babe, a very monument of resource on + occasions, had, as he told Jim, 'given them the tip not to let the Old Man + get at him, unless he absolutely chucked them out, you know'. When he had + seen the Headmaster approaching, he had gone hurriedly to Jim's room to + mention the fact, with excellent results. + </p> + <p> + The Head took a seat by the bed, and asked, with a touch of nervousness, + after the injured ankle. This induced Mrs MacArthur to embark on a + disquisition concerning the ease with which ankles are twisted, from which + she drifted easily into a discussion of Rugby football, its merits and + demerits. The Head, after several vain attempts to jerk the conversation + into other grooves, gave it up, and listened for some ten minutes to a + series of anecdotes about various friends and acquaintances of Mrs + MacArthur's who had either twisted their own ankles or known people who + had twisted theirs. The Head began to forget what exactly he had come to + say that afternoon. Jim lay and grinned covertly through it all. When the + Head did speak, his first words roused him effectually. + </p> + <p> + 'I suppose, Mrs MacArthur, your son has told you that we have had a + burglary at the School?' + </p> + <p> + 'Hang it,' thought Jim, 'this isn't playing the game at all. Why talk + shop, especially that particular brand of shop, here?' He wondered if the + Head intended to describe the burglary, and then spring to his feet with a + dramatic wave of the hand towards him, and say, 'There, Mrs MacArthur, is + the criminal! There lies the viper on whom you have lavished your + hospitality, the snaky and systematic serpent you have been induced by + underhand means to pity. Look upon him, and loathe him. <i>He</i> stole + the cups!' + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, indeed,' replied Mrs MacArthur, 'I have heard a great deal about it. + I suppose you have never found out who it was that did it?' + </p> + <p> + Jim lay back resignedly. After all, he had not done it, and if the Head + liked to say he had, well, let him. <i>He</i> didn't care. + </p> + <p> + 'Yes, Mrs MacArthur, we have managed to discover him.' + </p> + <p> + 'And who was it?' asked Mrs MacArthur, much interested. + </p> + <p> + 'Now for it,' said Jim to himself. + </p> + <p> + 'We found that it was a man living in the village, who had been doing some + work on the School grounds. He had evidently noticed the value of the + cups, and determined to try his hand at appropriating them. He is well + known as a poacher in the village, it seems. I think that for the future + he will confine himself to that—ah—industry, for he is hardly + likely ever to—ah—shine as a professional house-breaker. No.' + </p> + <p> + 'Oh, well, that must be a relief to you, I am sure, Mr Perceval. These + poachers are a terrible nuisance. They do frighten the birds so.' + </p> + <p> + She spoke as if it were an unamiable eccentricity on the part of the + poachers, which they might be argued out of, if the matter were put before + them in a reasonable manner. The Head agreed with her and rose to go. Jim + watched him out of the room and then breathed a deep, satisfying breath of + relief. His troubles were at an end. + </p> + <p> + In the meantime Barrett, who, having no inkling as to the rate at which + affairs had been progressing since his visit to the Dingle, still imagined + that the secret of the hollow tree belonged exclusively to Reade, himself, + and one other, was much exercised in his mind about it. Reade candidly + confessed himself baffled by the problem. Give him something moderately + straightforward, and he was all right. This secret society and dark + lantern style of affair was, he acknowledged, beyond him. And so it came + about that Barrett resolved to do the only thing he could think of, and go + to the Head about it. But before he had come to this decision, the Head + had received another visit from Mr Roberts, as a result of which the table + where Sir Alfred Venner had placed Plunkett's pipe and other accessories + so dramatically during a previous interview, now bore another burden—the + missing cups. + </p> + <p> + Mr Roberts had gone to the Dingle in person, and, by adroit use of the + divinity which hedges a detective, had persuaded a keeper to lead him to + the tree where, as Mr Stokes had said, the cups had been deposited. + </p> + <p> + The Head's first act, on getting the cups, was to send for Welch, to whom + by right of conquest they belonged. Welch arrived shortly before Barrett. + The Head was just handing him his prizes when the latter came into the + room. It speaks well for Barrett's presence of mind that he had grasped + the situation and decided on his line of action before Welch went, and the + Head turned his attention to him. + </p> + <p> + 'Well, Barrett?' said the Head. + </p> + <p> + 'If you please, sir,' said Barrett, blandly, 'may I have leave to go to + Stapleton?' + </p> + <p> + 'Certainly, Barrett. Why do you wish to go?' + </p> + <p> + This was something of a poser, but Barrett's brain worked quickly. + </p> + <p> + 'I wanted to send a telegram, sir.' + </p> + <p> + 'Very well. But'—with suspicion—'why did you not ask Mr + Philpott? Your House-master can give you leave to go to Stapleton.' + </p> + <p> + 'I couldn't find him, sir.' This was true, for he had not looked. + </p> + <p> + 'Ah. Very well.' + </p> + <p> + 'Thank you, sir.' + </p> + <p> + And Barrett went off to tell Reade that in some mysterious manner the cups + had come back on their own account. + </p> + <p> + When Jim had congratulated himself that everything had ended happily, at + any rate as far as he himself was concerned, he had forgotten for the + moment that at present he had only one pound to his credit instead of the + two which he needed. Charteris, however, had not. The special number of <i>The + Glow Worm</i> was due on the following day, and Jim's accident left a + considerable amount of 'copy' to be accounted for. He questioned Tony on + the subject. + </p> + <p> + 'Look here, Tony, have you time to do any more stuff for <i>The Glow Worm?</i> + </p> + <p> + 'My dear chap,' said Tony, 'I've not half done my own bits. Ask Welch.' + </p> + <p> + 'I asked him just now. He can't. Besides, he only writes at about the rate + of one word a minute, and we must get it all in by tonight at bed-time. + I'm going to sit up as it is to jellygraph it. What's up?' + </p> + <p> + Tony's face had assumed an expression of dismay. + </p> + <p> + 'Why,' he said, 'Great Scott, I never thought of it before. If we + jellygraph it, our handwriting'll be recognised, and that will give the + whole show away.' + </p> + <p> + Charteris took a seat, and faced this difficulty in all its aspects. The + idea had never occurred to him before. And yet it should have been + obvious. + </p> + <p> + 'I'll have to copy the whole thing out in copper-plate,' he said + desperately at last. 'My aunt, what a job.' + </p> + <p> + 'I'll help,' said Tony. 'Welch will, too, I should think, if you ask him. + How many jelly machine things can you raise?' + </p> + <p> + 'I've got three. One for each of us. Wait a bit, I'll go and ask Welch.' + </p> + <p> + Welch, having first ascertained that the matter really was a pressing one, + agreed without hesitation. He had objections to spoiling his sleep without + reason, but in moments of emergency he put comfort behind him. + </p> + <p> + 'Good,' said Charteris, when this had been settled, 'be here as soon as + you can after eleven. I tell you what, we'll do the thing in style, and + brew. It oughtn't to take more than an hour or so. It'll be rather a rag + than otherwise.' + </p> + <p> + 'And how about Jim's stuff?' asked Welch. + </p> + <p> + 'I shall have to do that, as you can't. I've done my own bits. I think I'd + better start now.' He did, and with success. When he went to bed at + half-past ten, <i>The Glow Worm</i> was ready in manuscript. Only the + copying and printing remained to be done. + </p> + <p> + Charteris was out of bed and in the study just as eleven struck. Tony and + Welch, arriving half-an-hour later, found him hard at work copying out an + article of topical interest in a fair, round hand, quite unrecognisable as + his own. + </p> + <p> + It was an impressive scene. The gas had been cut off, as it always was + when the House went to bed, and they worked by the light of candles. + Occasionally Welch, breathing heavily in his efforts to make his + handwriting look like that of a member of a board-school (second + standard), blew one or more of the candles out, and the others grunted + fiercely. That was all they could do, for, for evident reasons, a vow of + silence had been imposed. Charteris was the first to finish. He leant back + in his chair, and the chair, which at a reasonable hour of the day would + have endured any treatment, collapsed now with a noise like a pistol-shot. + </p> + <p> + 'Now you've done it,' said Tony, breaking all rules by speaking + considerably above a whisper. + </p> + <p> + Welch went to the door, and listened. The House was still. They settled + down once more to work. Charteris lit the spirit-lamp, and began to + prepare the meal. The others toiled painfully on at their round-hand. They + finished almost simultaneously. + </p> + <p> + 'Not another stroke do I do,' said Tony, 'till I've had something to + drink. Is that water boiling yet?' + </p> + <p> + It was at exactly a quarter past two that the work was finished. + </p> + <p> + 'Never again,' said Charteris, looking with pride at the piles of <i>Glow + Worms</i> stacked on the table; 'this jelly business makes one beastly + sticky. I think we'll keep to print in future.' + </p> + <p> + And they did. Out of the twenty or more numbers of <i>The Glow Worm</i> + published during Charteris' stay at School, that was the only one that did + not come from the press. Readers who have themselves tried jellygraphing + will sympathise. It is a curious operation, but most people will find one + trial quite sufficient. That special number, however, reached a record + circulation. The School had got its journey-money by the time it appeared, + and wanted something to read in the train. Jim's pound was raised with + ease. + </p> + <p> + Charteris took it round to him at the Babe's house, together with a copy + of the special number. + </p> + <p> + 'By Jove,' said Jim. 'Thanks awfully. Do you know, I'd absolutely + forgotten all about <i>The Glow Worm</i>. I was to have written something + for this number, wasn't I?' + </p> + <p> + And, considering the circumstances, that remark, as Charteris was at some + pains to explain to him at the time, contained—when you came to + analyse it—more cynical immorality to the cubic foot than any other + half-dozen remarks he (Charteris) had ever heard in his life. + </p> + <p> + 'It passes out of the realm of the merely impudent,' he said, with a happy + recollection of a certain favourite author of his, 'and soars into the + boundless empyrean of pure cheek.' + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE POTHUNTERS ***</div> +<div style='text-align:left'> + +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will +be renamed. +</div> + +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright +law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, +so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United +States without permission and without paying copyright +royalties. 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