The day-boys looked so exceedingly blank at the news that Mr. West added that he included them because, "as long as I can obtain no full confession, I am compelled to regard you, with all your opportunities and freedom, as being as much under suspicion as the rest". He wound up by observing that no doubt it was "the old, hard case of the many suffering for the few", but this did not afford much consolation to his aggrieved pupils.
Of course there was nothing to be said at the time, but as soon as they were alone they fell into cl.u.s.ters, and gave vent to their opinions by storming at one another.
"Abominable!"
"Beastly unfair!"
"The meanest thing I ever heard!"
These were the kind of expressions that floated about the room.
But one small group, of which Hallett was the princ.i.p.al member, instead of reviling the head-master, was expending its wrath upon a fellow-boy.
"The cowardly young toad! Had to do with it, you say? I should think he had, indeed! A good deal more than we"ve any idea of."
"Well, we know he did the window."
"We do, and he shall have the pleasure of paying for that. He shall, if it empties his cash-box for a year following. Those members of the room who yearn to subscribe may do so."
"He was on the outlook for the chicken, you remember. Of course he must have known all about it. Cadbury can confirm that."
"_Can_, but you don"t know Cadbury if you think he will. What I say is, ask the young sneak himself. Put it to him straight, and let"s see that we get the truth. Why, we should never have lost our half if he had owned up with Cadbury."
"And it"s so jolly rough on Cadbury too! Why should one be licked and not the other?"
"Oh, we"ll see to the other if necessary. But let"s hear what he says for himself. By the way, where is he?"
Where indeed? A careful search revealed the hapless Grey huddled up in the book-room, terrified and miserable.
"Here he is! Hoping to be taken for the _Treasury of Knowledge_," cried his discoverer, and straightway dragged him into the light. There was a rush to the book-room.
Grey was put to the question, failed to clear himself, found guilty--and licked.
Jack Brady was the centre of another group, which seemed inclined to be angry with him.
"Brady"s no business to have his supper stopped," said Trevelyan. "He never touched a morsel of that wretched fowl."
"He ought to have told West so."
"Such nonsense!" exclaimed Jack. "I could have eaten some if I"d wanted to. Now, Toppin"s case is different. He wasn"t allowed to have any. I vote we sign a pet.i.tion in favour of him. It will really be hard cheese if he"s made to suffer."
"Toppin, here!"
The boy was chanting over his spelling, but he hopped up promptly at his elder brother"s call.
"They say they are going to get up a pet.i.tion to have you let off the sentence for our room, because you didn"t eat any chicken."
"Oh, I"d hate to be let off!" exclaimed Toppin. "I know it"s because I"m little, and I want to be treated as if I was big like the rest. I"d heaps rather! "Sides, I would have eaten some chicken if you"d have let me, so it"s same as if I had done, isn"t it?"
"You hear, Brady?" said Trevelyan with a laugh. "A nice pair of lawyers you"d make! Two exactly contrary arguments are used to persuade us of the very same fact."
"Well, it comes to this, that we want all to share and share alike.
Isn"t that it, Top?"
Jack tweaked the defiant tuft as he put the question, and Toppin laughed up at him and nodded.
The most unfortunate effect of the whole incident was the bitterness which it revived in the day-scholars. It had almost seemed as if time was breaking down the wall of enmity which was so strong at the beginning. But today"s work strengthened it still further. The day-boys had congregated together, and were speaking their minds in tones that were the more seriously angry because they were subdued.
"This is what they wanted, to bring us into trouble; and a lot they care that they"re in the same boat!" The theory was Bacon"s, and he announced it with confidence.
"It"s the spirit of the thing one kicks at--the spite, the injustice!
Not the loss of the half!" declaimed Mason with warmth.
"Let"s pay "em out!" said Simmons.
"How, Lew?" Hughes put the question, but all waited eagerly for the answer.
Simmons might be small, but he was brimful of bright ideas.
"Fight," he replied. "We"re much fewer, but it would be mostly a matter of siege and stratagem, and if we planned it out, I bet we could give them a wipe-down."
"I mayn"t fight," said Frere sadly. "They won"t allow me to."
"And I"m awfully afraid I can"t," added Hughes.
"What"s more, you sha"n"t, Ethel!" said Simmons, who was amusingly careful of his friend"s health. "There"ll be lots of quiet work for you and Frere--scouting and so forth."
"I"m nuts on fighting," put in Armitage.
"As for me, I"m spoiling for the fray," laughed Mason, exhibiting the muscle of his arm with great pride.
"Oh, well, it will teach them to respect us anyway. And that will be something gained," said Simmons. "Mason, will you captain us?"
"Not much! No, I"ll do my duty as a lieutenant, but I am no commander.
Nor are you. You"re too little."
"Napoleon--Nelson!" muttered Simmons. He would have liked the offer of the post, and his size was a sore point with him.
"Jack Brady must be captain," said Bacon firmly, and all agreed with him.
"However could we have forgotten him?" exclaimed Hughes.
"He"s the right man, if he"ll consent," remarked Mason. "But I wish I felt sure about that."
[Ill.u.s.tration]
"Well, I see at the present moment he"s hobn.o.bbing with the enemy," said Hughes doubtfully.