The Fifth Form at Saint Dominic's Part 10

"You mean, about what figure will he want for it? Well, I don't know exactly. They run so very various, do good rods. You could get what they call a rod for ten bob, I dare say. But _you_ wouldn't hardly fancy that style of thing."

"Oh no; if it was a really good one," said Loman, "I wouldn't mind giving a good price. I don't want a rotten one."

"That's just it. This one I'm telling you of is as sound as a bell, and as strong as iron. And _you_ know, as well as I do, these things are always all the better after a little use. My friend has only used this twice. But I'll find out about the price, and drop you a line, you know. May be 2 pounds or 3 pounds, or so."

"I suppose that's about what a really good rod ought to cost?" said Loman, who liked to appear to know what was what, but secretly rather taken aback by this estimate.

"So it is. It's just a guess of mine though; but I know for _me_ he'll put it as low as he can."

"I'm sure I shall be very much obliged to you," said Loman, "if you can manage it for me."

"Not at all, young gentleman. I always like to oblige where I can; besides, you would do as much for me, I'll wager. Well, good-day, Mr-- what's your name?"

"Loman--at Saint Dominic's. You'll send me a line, then about the price?"

"Yes, sir. Good-day, sir."

But Mr Cripps had forgotten to send the line, and to-day, when Loman, according to arrangement, came up to the lock-keeper's to receive the rod, the keeper of the c.o.c.kchafer was most profuse in his apologies. He was most sorry, but his friend had been ill and not able to attend to business. He had been a _trifle_ afraid from what he heard that he was not quite as anxious to part with that rod as formerly. But Cripps had gone over on purpose and seen him, and got his promise that he should have it to-morrow certain, and if Mr Loman would call or send up, it should be ready for him, without fail.

At this stage, Stephen, having explored the weir, rejoined his schoolfellow, and the two, after partaking of a bottle of ginger-beer at Mr Cripps's urgent request, returned with the stream to Saint Dominic's.

The result of this delay was to make Loman doubly anxious to secure this famous fishing-rod, on which his heart was set. Next day, however, he had cla.s.ses all the afternoon, and could not go himself. He therefore determined to send Stephen.

"I want you to run up to Gusset Weir," said he to his f.a.g, "to fetch me a rod the keeper's son is getting for me. Be quick back, will you? and ask him what the price is."

So off Stephen trotted, as soon as school was over, in spite of the counter attraction of a Guinea-pig cricket match. When he reached the lock, Cripps had not arrived.

"He warn't be long, young maister," said old Jeff, who was one of the snivelling order. "Take a seat, do 'ee. Nice to be a young gemm'un, I says--us poor coves as works wery 'ard, we'd like to be young gemm'un too, with lots o' money, and all so comfortable off. Why, young maister, you don't know now what it is to be in want of a shillun. I do!"

Stephen promptly pulled out one of his five shillings of pocket-money in answer to this appeal, and felt rather ashamed to appear "comfortable off" in the presence of this patriarch.

"Not that I complains o' my lot, young gemm'un," continued old Cripps, pulling his forelock with one hand and pocketing the shilling with the other. "No, I says, the honest working man don't do no good a-grumblin', but when he's got his famerly to feed," [old Cripps was a widower, and his family consisted of the landlord of the c.o.c.kchafer], "and on'y this here shillin' to do it with--"

Stephen was _very_ green. He almost cried at the sight of this dest.i.tute, tottering, honest old man, and before the latter could get farther in his lament another shilling was in his palsied old hand, and the grey old forelock was enduring another tug.

It was well for Stephen that Mr Cripps junior turned up at this juncture, or the entire five shillings might have made its way into the old man's pouch.

Mr Cripps junior had the rod. He had had a rare job, he said, to get it, for his friend had only yesterday had an offer of 3 pounds 15 shillings, and was all but taking it. However, here it was, and for only 3 pounds 10 shillings tell Mr Loman; such a bargain as he wouldn't often make in his life, and he could get him the fly-book for a sovereign if he liked. And Mr Cripps would charge him nothing for his trouble.

After this Mr Cripps junior and the boy got quite friendly. The former was greatly interested in hearing about Saint Dominic's, especially when he understood Stephen was a new boy. Cripps could remember the day when _he_ was a new boy, and had to fight three boys in three hours the first afternoon. He was awfully fond of cricket when he was a boy. Was Stephen?

"Oh, yes," said Stephen; "I like it more than anything."

"Ah, you should have seen the way we played. Bless me! I'd a bat, my boy, that could tip the b.a.l.l.s clean over the school-house. You've got a bat, of course, or else--"

"No, I haven't," said Stephen. "I shall get one as soon as I can."

"Well, that _is_ lucky! Look here, young gentleman," continued Cripps confidentially; "I've taken a fancy to you. It's best to be plain and speak out. I've taken a fancy to you, and you shall have that bat.

It's just your size, and the finest bit of willow you ever set eyes on.

I'll wager you'll make top score every time you use it. You shall have it. Never mind about the stumpy--"

"Stumpy!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Stephen; "I don't want stumps, only a bat."

"What I meant to say was, never mind about the price. You can give me what you like for it. I wish I could make you a present of it. My eye, it's a prime bat! Spliced! Yes. Treble-cane, as I'm a poor man. I'll send it up to you, see if I don't, and you can pay when you like."

And so he chattered on, in a way which quite charmed Stephen, and made him rejoice in his new friend, and still more at the prospect of the bat.

"If it's awfully dear," he said, at parting, with a sort of sigh, "I couldn't afford it. My pocket-money's nearly all gone."

He did not say how.

"Oh, never mind, not if you don't pay at all," replied the genial Cripps. "You'll be having more tin soon, I bet."

"Not till June," said Stephen.

"Well, leave it till June--no matter. But you may as well have the use of the bat now. Good-day, Master Green--"

"Greenfield, Stephen Greenfield," said Stephen.

"Good-day, and give my respects to Mr Loman, and I hope I shall see you both again."

Stephen hoped so too, and went off, highly elated, with Loman's rod under his arm.

Loman pulled rather a long face at hearing the price, and pulled a still longer face when Stephen told him about the bat. He read his f.a.g a long lecture about getting into debt and pledging his pocket-money in advance.

That evening Stephen was solemnly tossed up for by the Guinea-pigs and Tadpoles. "Heads, Guinea-pigs; tails, Tadpoles." It turned up heads, and from that time forward Greenfield junior was a Guinea-pig.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

THE "DOMINICAN," NUMBER ONE.

The eventful day had come at last. Anthony and his confederates had worked hard, evening after evening, in the secrecy of their studies, and the first number of the _Dominican_ was ready for publication. The big frame had been smuggled in, and the big sheet was now safely lodged behind the gla.s.s, with its eight broad columns of clearly-written ma.n.u.script all ready to astonish Saint Dominic's. Two nails had surrept.i.tiously been driven into the wall outside the Fifth Form room, on which the precious doc.u.ment was to be suspended, and Tony only waited for "lights out" to creep down and, with the aid of Ricketts and Bullinger, fix it in position. Everything succeeded well. The secret had been kept most carefully, and when, next morning, Saint Dominic's woke up and swarmed down the pa.s.sage past the Fifth Form cla.s.s-room, the sight of a huge frame, with the words _The Dominican_ staring out from it, and several yards of writing underneath, fairly startled them.

Master Paul, the f.a.g who had been deputed to the no easy task of preserving the structure from injury, had a hard time of it, there was such a hustling and crowding in front of it whenever cla.s.ses were not going on. The little boys squeezed in front; the bigger boys read over their heads; the Sixth examined it from the back of the crowd, and the Fifth Form from various positions watched with complacency the effect of this venture.

At first it was looked upon as a curiosity, then as a joke; then gradually it dawned on Saint Dominic's that it was a Fifth Form production, and finally it appeared in its true light as a school newspaper.

Loman, attracted by the crowd of boys, strolled down the pa.s.sage to the place and joined the group, just as a small boy was reading aloud the following descriptive extract from:

"Our Special Correspondent in Guinea-pig Land.

"Last night the ceremony of admitting a new member into the ancient and honourable craft of Guinea-pigs was celebrated with the usual mysteries.

The event took place in the fourth junior cla.s.s-room. The Guinea-pigs a.s.sembled in force, with blackened faces and false whiskers. The lights being put out, Brother Bilke proposed, and Brother Smudge seconded, the election of the new aspirant, and the motion being put to the Guinea-pigs, was received with a unanimous grunt. The Guinea-pig elect was then admitted. He was cla.s.sically attired in a pair of slippers and a collar, and the ceremony of initiation at once commenced. The candidate was stretched across the lowest desk, face downwards, and in this position greeted with the flat side of a cricket-bat by the junior brother present. He was then advanced to the next desk, where a similar compliment was paid by the next youngest; and so on to the senior brother present. Half way through the ceremony the new member expressed a desire to withdraw his candidature, but this motion was negatived by a large majority. When our reporter left, the ceremony was being repeated with the round side of the bat. We understand the new Guinea-pig is keeping his bed to-day after the exciting ceremony of initiation."

This was capital fun, and greatly appreciated by all--even by Stephen, who knew it was intended to represent his own experience, which, mercifully, had not been nearly so sore as pictured.

But the next extract was not quite as pleasing.