"The what?"
"The Regulators. They are a secret society for certain purposes. It is a powerful organization, Grant, I can tell you. If you will do the right thing, we will take you in."
"No you won"t. I"m not to be taken in by any such bait," replied Richard, who was disposed to laugh at the ridiculous a.s.sociation that had taken upon itself the duty of regulating the affairs of the Tunbrook Inst.i.tute.
"You may sneer as much as you please. Every fellow in the school knows there is such a society, but no one but members can tell who belong to it. We mean to have fair play in this inst.i.tution, and we have never yet failed in getting it."
"Come, Kennedy, you will talk all night," said Dobbin. "You can"t do any thing with him."
"Well, Grant, you may leave, compromise, or take the consequences.
Which will you do?"
"I will not leave; and I certainly will not compromise on the terms named. I mean to behave myself like a man, while I am here. If any one is a better fellow than I am, I will step one side for him, as I must.
If any fellow gets above me in the cla.s.s, I will not complain, or attempt to pull him down. If the fellows think I am fit to be a sergeant, or a captain, or a corporal, I shall abide their decision. I won"t pull any fellow down, or be pulled down myself. I think the Regulators are a mean, dirty, cowardly set of bullies, who mean to build themselves up by pulling others down. Let every fellow be judged by his own merits. That"s my opinion. Now you can do what you please."
And they did do what they pleased, though it was evident the Regulators were not accustomed to deal with so stubborn a subject. At the word from Kennedy, who seemed to be the chief of the society, the whole band fell upon Richard with sticks which they had cut in the woods, and gave him a most unmerciful beating. The prisoner bore it with silent disdain. He felt that the cause in which he was engaged was a good one, and he did not flinch from the penalty of fidelity.
At the word from the chief, they suspended the flagellation, and Kennedy again attempted to bring him to terms by argument, but it was in vain.
"Very well," said he, evidently disappointed at the ill success of the reasoning process. "This is only the first installment of what is your due. When any thing goes wrong with you, when you get into a sc.r.a.pe, when you find the ushers and the colonel down upon you, just understand that the Regulators are round. You have fifty enemies now, instead of one, as you had two hours ago."
"That"s all, Kennedy; don"t say any more," interposed Dobbin, impatiently. "Let"s take him back now. He will find out the rest of it fast enough."
If Richard could have heard the conversation among the Regulators before they waited upon him, he might have been flattered by the complimentary manner in which his name was handled. His talents and his muscle, no less than his growing popularity, were appreciated by the band, and it was more desirable to win him than it was to drive him out. They knew what a valuable acquisition he would be to their number.
But he must stand one side, and wait for his turn before he aspired to become a leader.
The Regulators, using the utmost caution, unloosed the prisoner, and marched him back to the camp. When they reached the line, they threw him upon the ground. While one of the largest of them, having all the advantage, held him there, the others disappeared in the darkness. The fellow that held him then removed the strap from the arms of the captive, and bounded away as fast as his legs would carry him.
Richard jumped up as quick as he could and gave chase. But the Regulator had the start of him, and the pursuit was useless. The victim returned to his beat, felt round upon the ground till he found his gun, picked it up, and resumed his solitary walk. He was a little confused by the events which had transpired, and he was forced to acknowledge that the Regulators had managed their business with consummate address and skill. He hardly knew what to make of the affair. He knew that he had been whipped; this fact was still patent to his consciousness in the tingling sensation that played over his legs.
The whole thing seemed very much like an illusion. It was almost too strange and ridiculous to be credited, and he could not help considering whether he had not actually been walking in his sleep this time. The Regulators appeared, to his sober senses, to be the most absurd inst.i.tution ever invented by the mischievous brain of a boy. Yet he could not disbelieve the evidence of his senses, and especially of his smarting legs, and he was compelled to admit that the society actually existed; though there was a remote possibility that the whole affair was a practical joke, devised by Nevers and his clique.
We have before intimated, in the course of this story, that Richard Grant was an "old head." He had a very tolerable conception of the principles of strategy; therefore he did not do as most boys would have done--make a tremendous row over the occurrences of the night. He decided that it would be politic for him to keep both eyes and both ears open, while he kept his mouth closed. By this course he hoped to obtain a clew to the mystery, and thus eventually to make the daylight shine in upon the dark proceedings of the Regulators.
"Where have you been this hour?" demanded the sentinel, whose beat was next to his own, when they met.
"I haven"t been far off," replied Richard; "that is, not more than half a mile off," he added, in a tone so low that his companion could not hear him.
"I understand. You have been taking a nap."
""Pon my word, I haven"t."
"But you have; I haven"t seen you before for an hour."
"I haven"t been asleep."
"Honor bright, Grant, haven"t you?" asked his companion, good naturedly.
"No, I haven"t."
"Where were you when the grand rounds were made?"
"I was close by."
"Of course you were, or you would have been missed," added his neighbor, as he turned on his heel and made off.
Richard thought he was very easily satisfied, and he wondered if he wasn"t a member of the secret band of Regulators. Our sentinel marched to the other end of his beat. His neighbor on this side had missed him, but he was as easily satisfied as the other had been, and Richard wondered whether _he_ was not a Regulator.
While he was musing upon the extraordinary events of the night, the relief came round, and he was marched to the guard tent, where, for four hours, he had an opportunity to dream of the Regulators, and their secret management of the affairs of the Tunbrook Inst.i.tute.
CHAPTER XVI.
RICHARD BECOMES FIRST SERGEANT OF COMPANY D.
The next morning Richard was discharged from guard duty, and returned to the battalion. From the moment he opened his eyes he carefully observed the actions of his companions, and even studied the glances which were bestowed upon him. All his watching seemed to be in vain, for he could not obtain a particle of information that would aid him in solving the mystery of the Regulators.
Among the boys there were several with whom he had become quite intimate, particularly Bailey, who occupied the next bed to his in Barrack B. So eager was he to fathom the mystery, that he was tempted to make some inquiries of them; but they might themselves be members of the Regulators. Even Bailey might belong to the potent organization, and he did not care to expose himself in the slightest degree to their jeers or their malice. Though, as he had been informed, there were fifty boys who had become his enemies, and who were pledged to annoy him to the utmost of their ability, every one seemed to be his friend.
Hardly had he been discharged from guard duty before his arrest was ordered, and he found himself accused of sleeping at his post. He was conducted to the tent of Colonel Brockridge, where the charge was distinctly recited to him.
"What do you say to this charge, Grant? Are you guilty or not guilty?"
demanded the princ.i.p.al.
"Who are my accusers, sir?" asked Richard, thinking only of the task he had laid upon himself of discovering the Regulators.
"That does not answer my question, Grant. I asked you whether you were guilty or not guilty," added the colonel, sternly.
"Not guilty, sir!" replied Richard, promptly and firmly.
"Then you wish to have the charge proved?"
"I do, sir."
"That is rather inconvenient," said the colonel, biting his lip. "If you are guilty, I should prefer to have you say so."
"I am not guilty, sir."
Colonel Brockridge had had too much experience with boys to neglect the looks and actions of the accused while he questioned him, for the expression often reveals more than the words. Richard"s communication, on this occasion, was "yea, yea; nay, nay." He had the look of one who speaks the truth, and the princ.i.p.al was duly impressed by the appearance and manner of the prisoner.
"You speak very decidedly," added the colonel. "Were you at your post at half past nine o"clock?"
"I was not, sir."
"Where were you?"