The Cock-House at Fellsgarth Part 16

"What! They'll get their man in."

"My dear fellow, suppose they do. You'll still belong to Fellsgarth.

They mustn't have a chance of saying they don't get fair play."

"Well, perhaps you're right. I don't care twopence about the treasurership, but I wouldn't like to be beaten by Brinkman."

"I hope you won't be, old man," said the captain.

Next morning, when fellows got up, they found the following notice on the boards:

"Elections.

"A protest having been handed in against the recent election for treasurer, notice is given that a fresh election will be held for this office on Friday next at 3.

"C.Y., Captain."

CHAPTER EIGHT.

ONE TOO MANY.

The seniors of Forder's house were by no means gratified at the captain's prompt reply to Dangle's accusation. Indeed, that active and energetic official had written to Fisher on his own responsibility, and was now a little hurt to find that his colleagues were half inclined to repudiate his action.

"Why ever couldn't you speak about the thing before you wrote like that?" said Clapperton. "We don't want another election."

"You weren't going to sit down meekly, and let those fellows cheat without saying a word, were you?" retorted Dangle.

"No--rather not. But that wasn't the way to do it. It would have paid us much better to stand on our dignity."

"In other words," said Fullerton in his melancholy voice, "to have a grievance, and nurse it well."

"You idiot!" said Clapperton. "I don't want you to tell me what I mean."

"I wasn't, I was telling the others," said Fullerton. "But I agree with you. If we have another election and get beaten, we shall be far worse off than if we were able to take heaven and earth to witness we had been wronged and were too n.o.ble to seek revenge."

If Fullerton could have translated Cicero as well as he translated Clapperton, what a good Cla.s.sic he would have been!

"We'd better decline the new election at once," said Brinkman; "it concerns me more than anybody else; and I agree with Clapperton."

"Why ever not have the new election?" said Dangle. "We're bound to get our man in."

"Better decline it first," said Clapperton. "They'll be glad enough not to let it go to a trial, I expect."

"Hurrah for injured innocence," said Fullerton; "it's the best paying thing I know."

The result of this conference was, that Dangle went across after school next morning to the captain's study where Fisher and Ranger happened to be calling at the same time.

"Look here, Yorke," said the secretary, adopting his most civil tones, "you quite misunderstood my letter to Fisher major. We don't want another election. We'd just as soon let things stop as they are. It was rough on us, of course; but it divides the offices up more fairly to have them as they are."

"Thanks," said Yorke, "that's not good enough. We'll have another election on Friday."

Dangle's face fell.

"You're fools if you do," said he. "Those five votes will make all the difference."

"I don't care if they've five hundred," said Yorke.

"Oh, all right. You've no message about the cheats who kept our men out, have you? Probably they've been promoted to prefects!"

"You took care not to commit yourself to any names; but, as you wrote to Fisher major, you probably include him as one of the cheats. If so, I dare say he'll be glad to discuss the matter with you outside."

"I never said it was he," said Dangle hurriedly.

"But I know who it was."

"Three of our juniors, I understand?" said Yorke. "The f.a.gs of three of your prefects, yes."

"Fisher," said the captain, "will you fetch Ashby, D'Arcy, and Fisher minor here?"

The young gentlemen in question were not far away busily engaged in their joint study, with Wally's a.s.sistance, in getting up a stock of impositions, which should serve as a common fund on which to draw daring the term.

The idea was D'Arcy's.

"You see," he had said, "we're bound to catch it, some of as, and it's a jolly f.a.g having to do the lines just when they're wanted. My notion is, if we just keep a little stock by us, it'll be awfully handy. Why, suppose young Ashby were to get fifty lines at morning school next Sat.u.r.day, what about his chance of getting into the 58th fifteen?"

"It's the 6th fifteen, not the 58th," said Ashby.

"Well, there's not much difference."

"It would be jolly awkward," said Ashby.

"Yes; and you always do get potted just when it is jolliest awkward,"

said D'Arcy. "That's why it's such a tip to have your impots written before you get them. Penny wise, pound foolish, you know."

It was not at all clear what this valuable aphorism had to do with the subject in hand, but it impressed the two new boys considerably.

"And just fancy," continued Wally, driving home his chum's nails with considerable industry, "just fancy if young Fisher was to have to sit up here swotting over lines, just when his brother wants his vote in Hall on Friday! Why, one vote will make all the difference."

Fisher immediately called for pens, ink, and paper, which Wally and D'Arcy promptly supplied for him and Ashby, and a scene of unparalleled industry ensued. Even D'Arcy insisted on doing his share, which consisted of drawing n.i.g.g.e.rs in various stages of public execution, labelled with the names of Clapperton, Dangle, and Brinkman, while Wally generally superintended and a.s.sisted, by playing fives against the wall.

"I say," said he presently, "I suppose it's all out about your precious canva.s.sing. That beast Percy has gone and blabbed--after me giving him toffee too!"

"Never mind," said D'Arcy, "we rather took it out of them, I fancy, yesterday. They won't mess about with us in a hurry again."

"No, we did pull that off pretty well. I'm sorry for our seniors, you know. We did our best for them, and we shan't be able to give them the same leg-up on Friday."

"They ought to be pretty civil to us this term, anyhow," said Wally.