The Cock-House at Fellsgarth Part 14

"Well, you see," continued Percy, "it's this way. I've got a brother, you know, called Wally, a seedy Cla.s.sic chap, and up to no end of low tricks."

"We know him," echoed the court generally.

"Not got such a rummy-shaped waist as his brother, though," whispered Cottle.

"All right, young Cottle, I'll take it out of you, you'll see."

"What'll you take! I keep mine outside," replied Cottle.

"Order in the court. Forge away, Wheatfield."

"I should like to know how I'm to forge away, with these two a.s.ses fooling about down here? Why can't you raise them to the bench to keep them quiet? Oh yes--well, you see, this kid, being new, and green, and about as high old an idiot as they make them--did you fellows see him on first-night? I say! oh my--"

"Look here, Wheatfield," said the judge, sternly, "if you aren't done in three minutes, I'll call the next witness."

"_He_ wouldn't know anything about it, bless you," said Percy. "You see, it was like this--this kid thought I was Wally--what do you think of that?"

"Cheek. Jolly rough on Wally," remarked Cash. The witness looked at the interrupter, and tried to make out whether his remark was a compliment or the reverse. He decided that, as he had only three minutes left, he had better defer thinking the question out till afterwards.

"So, of course, he began to swagger about his big brother--"

"No, you asked me--" began the prisoner.

"Shut up," cried Percy, sternly, "how am I to get done in three minutes if--"

"Only two left now," said Ramshaw.

"Go on, Ram, I've not been a minute yet."

"Yes, you have--sixty-five seconds," said Ramshaw, who held his watch in his hand.

"I never did believe in those Waterbury turnips, they always stop when you--oh yes!--swaggered about his big brother and all those fellows over there, and blabbed out there'd been a regular plant among 'em to rig the Elections, and he and a lot of 'em had been out canva.s.sing and bagged a lot of our kids and locked them out, and if it hadn't been for that, Brinkman would have pulled off the treasurership, and if it hadn't been for me getting wind of it, and going and fetching them out and bringing them into Hall in the nick of time, Ranger would have got the secretaryship, and our side would have been jolly well out of it, and I mean to say it's a howling swindle--and--hope--there'll--be--a--jolly-- good--row kicked--up--and--you--needn't--say--I--let--out--about it-- because--Wally--asked--me--to--keep--it--mum--and I--said--"

"Time's up," said Ramshaw. "No side?"

Whereupon the witness stopped short triumphantly, like an athlete who has just won his race by a neck.

"Come," said the judge, "this is getting interesting. Who's the next witness? Are any of our fellows who were collared here?"

"Rather--young Rix is one."

"Please, Dangle," said the prisoner, "I didn't touch anybody. I was-- that is--"

"Don't tell crams," said Percy, "it's a bad habit."

"Rix had better go into the witness-box," said the judge.

"What about the jury?" asked that functionary.

"Oh, I'd keep the place warm," volunteered Percy.

Whereupon Rix quitted his ha.s.sock, and entered the fender.

"I and Slingsby got nailed by a Cla.s.sic cad outside our form door. I kicked him on the shins, though," said he.

"What Cla.s.sic cad!"

"Oh, I don't know; a new kid with sandy hair, a horrid lout. It was Wally's room we were taken to, and they fooled us about high tea and that sort of thing. The place was swarming with our chaps who had been collared."

"How many?" asked the judge. "Fifty?"

"Not quite so many; there were four or five."

"Next witness."

Another of the captives gave similar evidence. After which, Lickford deposed that he had seen the troop come in to Elections just in time to vote for Dangle.

"Yes; and who tried to keep us out, I'd like to know?" said Percy.

"There you are, it was _you_!"

"I thought you were on the other side."

"Did you? I'm very glad Wally gave you a welting for it. I wish he'd do it again."

"He hits above the belt, that's how I know him from you," retorted Lickford.

"Order--what's the prisoner got to say!"

"Crams," said Percy, "it's no use asking him."

"Wait a bit," said the judge. "Fisher minor, how many of our chaps did you collar?"

"None, really," said the prisoner. "I waited by the gymnasium."

"Oh. What for?"

"Well, I was canva.s.sing."

"What did you wait at the gymnasium for?" This was awkward. Fisher minor found himself getting into a tight corner, tighter even than the wash-stand. "I was told to."

"Who by? your brother, I suppose."

"Oh no. My brother wouldn't do such a thing. What sort of thing?"

"Why, try to collar fellows off the other side."

"Oh, that was your little game, was it? Whose idea was it? Yorke's?"