Tom, Dick and Harry Part 28

I felt quite sufficiently avenged when I saw the captain's face. He strode on some distance in silence, and then said,--

"I'm sorry, youngster. It can't be helped, though. Jarman's strictly in the right, though it's sharp practice. You'd better cut in now.

Good night."

"Good night," said I, making off. But he called me back.

"You'd better do the doctor's lines to-night. Leave Jarman's till the morning."

"All right."

And I departed, not a little impressed with the incident.

The captain had disappointed me a little. I should have liked to see him knock Jarman down, or at least openly defy him; whereas he seemed to back him up, although much against his will. The net result to me was that I had three hundred lines to write on my third day at school, and that, for a well-meaning youth, was tribulation enough.

I took Redwood's advice and wrote the doctor's lines that evening, trusting to a chance next forenoon of satisfying the demands of Mr Jarman. To their credit be it said, some of the f.a.ggery helped me out with my task, and as we all wrote in the same style of penmanship, namely, a back-handed slope spread out very wide to cover as much ground as possible, it was very difficult when all was done to believe that the performance was a co-operative one.

Before going to bed I told Tempest of my adventure, and had the satisfaction of receiving his complete sympathy.

"That's the worst of Redwood--he'll let it all slide. I wish I'd been with you when it happened. There'd have been a row. There will some day, too."

All which was very consoling to me and helped me to sleep soundly.

But the surprise of surprises happened next morning when I encountered the captain's f.a.g at the door before breakfast with a letter in his hand.

"Here you are," said he, thrusting the doc.u.ment on me. "I don't see why you can't come and fetch your own things instead of me having to run after you."

"You can walk," said I, "I suppose."

I meant to be conciliatory, but he was highly offended and began to kick, and it took some little time to pacify him and induce him to return to the bosom of his house.

When he had gone, I opened the envelope with some little curiosity.

What was my astonishment when I found it enclosed one hundred lines written out in a bold clear hand, which it was easy to guess was that of the captain himself!

There was no letter or message; but the explanation was clear enough.

Redwood having got me into my row, had, like a gentleman, paid the penalty; and as I realised this I could have kicked myself for the unworthy thoughts I had indulged about him.

I only wished Jarman, to whom in due time I handed the precious doc.u.ment, could have known its history.

He evidently gave me credit for being an excellent writer, and perhaps for having an unusual acquaintance, for a boy of my age, with the works of the Immortal Bard. For Redwood had grimly selected the following pa.s.sage to write out over and over again for the police-master's benefit: "It is excellent to have a giant's strength; but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant."

I fear the satire was lost on its victim, and that he meekly concluded I had selected the pa.s.sage because it happened to be in my lesson for the day, and was probably the first to come to hand.

Tempest laughed when I told him.

"It's all very well," said he, "but it's encouraging the enemy.

Redwood's a dear old chap, but he's too much of an anything-for-a-quiet- life fellow for captain. By the way, has Crofter replied to your polite letter?"

"No," said I, "not a word, and I haven't seen him."

"Well, take my advice, kid. If he wants to kick you, consider yourself lucky. If he's extra civil, cut him like mischief. Some day you may thank me for the tip."

It seemed queer advice at the time, but I had occasion to call it to mind later on, as the reader will discover.

By the end of my first week I was pretty well domesticated at Low Heath.

My chief regret was that I saw so little of d.i.c.ky Brown; and when we did meet the only thing we had in common was our lessons, which were not always congenial topics of conversation.

d.i.c.ky was fully imbued with the superiority of the town-boy over the house boy, and irritated me sometimes by his repeated regret that I was not eligible for the junior Urbans.

"What do you do?" I inquired.

"Oh, hosts of things. We go in for geology, and part songs, and antiquities, and all that sort of thing; and have excursions--at least, we're going to have one soon--to look for remains."

"Ah! it's a pity you couldn't come to our picnic next week. It's to be no end of a spree."

"Oh, we've heard all about that," said d.i.c.ky, with a grin. "_Mens sano in corpore sanae_--you should hear some of our chaps yell about that."

"I'm sure it's not a bad motto," ventured I.

"I don't know about that. But it's not the motto, it's the grammar."

I wasn't quite pleased with d.i.c.ky for this. It seemed as if he thought he knew more than other people, which I held to be a reprehensible failing in any one--particularly a day boy. I flattered myself that, as an exhibitioner, he had hardly the right to talk to me about grammar.

But it was d.i.c.ky's way, and I knew he couldn't help it.

For all that, I referred to the subject in the f.a.ggery that evening. My comrades were in high glee. Half a dozen subscriptions had come in, with requests to be allowed to join the picnic, and a considerable number of others had asked to be allowed at half price or on the deferred payment system.

"It's going like anything, Sarah," said Langrish, thumping me violently on the back.

"Where's the picnic to be?" I inquired.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" said the secretary.

I said I would, and, as president, considered I was ent.i.tled to the information.

"We're not as green as we look; are we, you chaps?" said Trimble. "Why, you don't suppose we're going to let out and give you a chance of blabbing to the day-boy cads, do you?"

"I'm not any more likely to blab than you are," said I, warmly.

"All serene. You keep your temper--you'll know time enough."

"Suppose I resigned," said I, feeling I must support my dignity.

"Resign away. We've got your subscription."

"I don't mean I shall," said I; "but--"

"Shut up, and don't disturb the committee meeting."

"If I'm president, I suppose I've a right to speak."