Glyn Severn's Schooldays, by George Manville Fenn. 

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Glyn Severn and the Maharajah of Dour, both about 15 or 16, have beensent together to an English Boarding School. Glyn's father has been formany years a Colonel in the Maharajah's father's army, but now the oldMaharajah is dead, and his son, known at school as "Singh", hasinherited the title. The Colonel is Singh's guardian. 

There are the usual schoolboyish rivalries and fights, in particularinvolving a nasty individual called Slegge. A menagerie owner livesnearby, and among his animals is an elephant who is sometimes in a badmood. It turns out that Glyn and Singh, who have had dealings withelephants in India, are rather good at bringing it under control. 

Singh has brought one of his Princely regalia, a heavily bejewelledbelt. One day it disappears. Several people are known to be short ofcash, so are suspected of the theft. Nearly half the book is spent inchasing out the culprit, but we get there in the end. 

However, there is a surprise ending to the book. 

It should be mentioned that the title is a little misleading, for"schooldays" covers well over a decade, but the action in this bookcovers only a few days. NH

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GLYN SEVERN'S SCHOOLDAYS, BY GEORGE MANVILE FENN. 

CHAPTER ONE. 

THE NEW BOYS. 

Slegge said it was all "bosh;" for fifty years ago a boy at school hadnot learned to declare that everything which did not suit his taste was"rot. " So Slegge stood leaning up against the playground wall with asupercilious sneer upon his lip, and said it was all "bosh, " and onlyfit for children. 

The other fellows, he said, might make idiots of themselves if theyliked, he should stop in and read; for Dr Bewley, DD, Principal of theworld-famed establishment--a grey, handsome, elderly gentleman in thetruest sense of the word--had smilingly said after grace at breakfastthat when he was a boy he used to take a great deal of interest innatural history, and that he presumed his pupils would feel much thesame as he did, and would have no objection to setting aside theirclassical and mathematical studies for the morning and watching theentrance of the procession when it entered the town at twelve o'clock. 

The boys, who were all standing and waiting for the Doctor to leave thedining-hall, gave a hearty cheer at this; and as the ragged volley diedout, after being unduly prolonged by the younger pupils, instead ofcrossing to the door from the table, the Doctor continued, turning tothe mathematical master:

"I think, Mr Morris, you might be kind enough to tell Wrench to get theboy to help him and place a line of forms by the wall, so that the younggentlemen can enjoy the privilege of having a prolonged private boxabove the crowd; or, shall I say, a high bank in this modern form of theclassic amphitheatre?"

"Hear, hear!" said Mr Rampson, the heavy, solid-looking classicalmaster, impressed by the Principal's allusion to the Roman sports; andhe grumbled out something in a subdued voice, with his eyes shut. Whatit was the boys did not hear, but it was evidently a Latin quotation, and ended in _ibus_. 

The Doctor then marched slowly towards the door, with his black gownfloating out around him, and carrying his mortar-board cap by the limpcorner; for while everything about him was spick and span--his cravat ofthe stiffest and whitest as it supported his plump, pink, well-shavenchin, and his gown of the glossiest black--a habit of holding hiscollege cap by its right-hand corner had resulted in the formation of akind of hinge which made the University headpiece float up and down inconcert with his stately steps as he turned his head from side to sideand nodded benignantly at first one and then another of his juniorpupils. 

The masters followed, looking very severe indeed; and, following theexample set by Mr Morris, they all frowned and shook their heads at thegreat waste of time that would follow the passing of the procession. 

"So childish of the old man, " said Morris to the French master, MonsieurBrohanne, a particularly plump-looking Gaul. "The boys will be fit fornothing afterwards. "

"_Certainement_!" said the French master. 

"But I suppose I must give orders for these seats to be placed;" and assoon as he was outside he summoned Wrench--the pale-faced and red-nosedofficial whose principal duty it was, with the assistance of a sturdyhobbledehoy (Mounseer Hobby-de-Hoy, as the boys called him) to keepwell-blackened the whole of the boots in the big establishment--and gaveorders to carry out and run a line of forms all along the outer wall ofthe great playground, which was continued farther on by thecricket-field hedge. 

"A great waste of time, " said Morris; but he gave very strict orders tothe man-servant that the biggest and strongest form was to be chalked"Number One, " and reserved for the masters only. 

There was a buzz in the dining-hall which grew into a roar as the doorclosed. The boys, who had sat down to breakfast rather wanting inappetite--from the fact that their consciences were not very clearregarding studies in English and French or certain algebraic solutionsor arrangements in angles specified by "A B C" and "D E F, " according tothe declarations of a well-known gentleman named Euclid--felt in theirgreat relief as if they would like another cup of coffee and two slicesmore, for the holiday was quite unexpected. 

It was about this time that Slegge gave his opinion to his following, which was rather large, he being the senior pupil and consideringhimself head-chief of the school, not from his distinguished position asa scholar, but from the fact that his allowance of cash from home wasthe largest of that furnished to any pupil of the establishment, withoutcounting extra tips. Slegge, Senior--not the pupil, for there was noother boy of the same name in the school, but Slegge _pere_, as MonsieurBrohanne would have termed him--being sole proprietor of the greatwholesale mercantile firm of Slegge, Gorrock and Dredge, Italianwarehousemen, whose place of business was in the City of London, andwas, as Slegge insisted, "not a shop. "

"You fellows, " he said, "can do as you like. Some of you had better setup a wicket and the net, and come and bowl to me. Ha, ha! look atThames and the Nigger! It will just suit them. Those Indian chapsthink of nothing else but show. I shan't be at all surprised if thenigger goes up to dress and comes down again in white muslin and aturban. --I say! Hi! Thames! Rivers! What's your stupid name? It'sgoing to be a hot day. You ought to come out with the chow-chow. "

"No, no, " whispered a boy beside him, "chowri. "

"Well, chow-chow, chowri; it's all the same, " said the big ladimpatiently. "Horse-tail to whisk the flies away. --Hi! do you hear?"

"Are you speaking to me?" said the tall, very English-looking ladaddressed. 

"Of course I am. "

"Well, you might address me by my name. "

"Well, so I did. Thames. No, I remember, Severn! What idiots yourpeople were to give themselves names like that!"

"Well, it's as good as Slegge anyhow, " said the lad. 

There was a little laugh at this, which made the owner of the lattername turn sharply and fiercely upon the nearest boy, who shut his mouthinstantly and looked as innocent as a lamb. 

"Look here, " said Slegge, turning again to the lad he had addressed, "don't you be cheeky, sir, or you'll find yourself walked down behindthe tennis-court some morning to have a first breakfast; and you won'tbe the first that I have taught his place in this school. "

"Oh, " said the lad quietly, "you mean fighting?"

"Yes, " said Slegge, thrusting out his chin, "I mean fighting. You arenew to this place, and you have been coming the stuck-up on the strengthof your father being a poor half-pay Company's colonel. Honourable EastIndia Company indeed! Shabby set of sham soldiers got-up to look likethe real. "

The face of the boy he addressed changed colour a little, and he drew adeep breath as he compressed his lips. 

"And don't you look at me like that, " continued Slegge, who wasdelighted to find a large audience gathering round him to listen whilehe gave one of the new boys a good setting down, "or you may find that, after I have done with you, you won't be fit to show your uglymug in the row of grinning boobies staring over the wall at atwopenny-halfpenny wild-beast show. "

"I don't want to quarrel, " said the lad quietly. 

"Oh, don't you!" continued Slegge, with a sneering laugh. "Well, perhaps I do, and if I do I shall just give your master one for himselfas well. "

"My master, " said the lad staring. 

"Yes, your master, the nigger--Howdah, Squashee, or whatever he callshimself. Here! hi! you, Aziz Singh-Song, or whatever your name is, whydon't you dress up and go and get leave from the Doctor to ride theelephant in the procession? Your father is a mahout out there in India, isn't he?"

The boy he addressed, who had just come up to lay his hand upon theshoulder of Severn, to whisper, "What's the matter, Glyn?" started onhearing this address, and his dark face, which was about the tint of a_young_ Spaniard's, whom he resembled greatly in mien, flushed up andthe lips closed very tightly, but only to part again and show hisglistening white teeth. "My father--" he began. 

"Bother! come on, " cried Severn, putting his arm round the other andhalf-pushing, half-dragging him through the crowd of lads who wereclustering round in expectation of a coming set-to. 

There was a low murmur as of disgust as the two lads elbowed their waythrough, whilst Slegge shouted after them. 

"Sneaks!" he cried. "Cowards! But I haven't done with you yet;" and asthey passed out through the door into the great playground he drewhimself up, giving his head a jerk, and then moistening his hands in avery objectionable way, he gave them a rub together, doubled his fists, and threw himself into a fighting attitude, jerking his head to and froin the most approved manner; and, bringing forth a roar of delight fromthe little crowd around him, as quick as lightning he delivered twosharp blows right and left to a couple of unoffending schoolfellows, picking out, though, two who were not likely to retaliate. 

"That'll be it, boys, the pair together--one down and t'other come on. Both together if they like. They want putting in their places. I meanto strike against it. "

"Hit hard then, Sleggy, " cried one of his parasites. 

"I will, " was the reply. "There you have it;" and to the last speaker'sdisgust he received a sharp blow in the chest which sent him staggeringback. "Now, don't you call me Sleggy again, young man. Next time itwill be one in the mouth. --Yes, boys, " he continued, drawing himself up, "I do mean to hit hard, and let the Principal and the masters see thatwe are not going to have favouritism here. Indian prince, indeed! Yah!who's he? Why, I could sell him for a ten-pun note, stock and lock andbag and baggage, to Madame Tussaud's. That's about all he's fit for. Dressed up to imitate an English gentleman! Look at him! His clothesdon't fit, even if they are made by a proper tailor. "

"It's he who doesn't fit his clothes, " cried one of the circle. 

"Well done, Burney!" cried Slegge approvingly. "That's it. Look at hishands and feet. Bah! I haven't patience with it. The Doctor ought tobe ashamed of himself, taking a nigger like that! Why didn't he comedressed like a native, instead of disguised as an English lad? And he'sno more like it than chalk's like cheese. Yes, I say the Doctor oughtto be ashamed of himself, bringing a fellow like that into anestablishment for the sons of gentlemen; and I'll tell him so before Ihave done. "

"Do, " said the lad nearest to him; "only do it when we are all there. Ishould like to hear you give the Doctor a bit of your mind. "

Slegge turned round upon him sharply. "Do you mean that, " he said, "oris it chaff?"

"Mean it? Of course!" cried the boy hastily. 

"Lucky for you, then, " continued Slegge. "I suppose you haven'tforgotten me giving you porridge before breakfast this time last year?"

"Here, what a chap you are! I didn't mean any harm. But I say, Slegge, old chap, you did scare them off. I wish the Principal wouldn't haveany more new boys. I say, though, you don't mean to get the wicketspitched this morning, do you?"

"Of course I do, " cried Slegge. "Do you want to go idling and staringover the wall and look at the show?"

"Well, I--I--"

"There, that will do, " cried Slegge. "I know. Just as if there weren'tmonkeys enough in the collection without you!"

At this would-be witticism on the part of the tyrant of the school therewas a fresh roar of laughter, which made the unfortunate against whom itwas directed writhe with annoyance, and hurry off to conciliate hisschoolfellow by getting the wickets pitched. 

CHAPTER TWO. 

DECLARATION OF WAR. 

Meanwhile the two lads, who had retired from the field, strolled offtogether across the playground down to the pleasant lawn-like levelwhich the Doctor, an old lover of the Surrey game, took a pride inhaving well kept for the benefit of his pupils, giving them a fairamount of privilege for this way of keeping themselves in health. Butto quote his words in one of his social lectures, he said:

"You boys think me a dreadful old tyrant for keeping you slaving away atyour classics and mathematics, because you recollect the work that youare often so unwilling to do, while the hours I give you for play quiteslip your minds. Now, this is my invariable rule, that you shall doeverything well: work hard when it's work, and play hard when it'splay. "

The two lads, Glyn Severn and his companion of many years, Aziz Singh, adark English boy in appearance and speech, but maharajah in his ownright over a powerful principality in Southern India, strolled rightaway over the grass to the extreme end of the Doctor's extensivegrounds, chatting together as boys will talk about the incidents of themorning. 

"Oh, " cried the Indian lad angrily, "I wish you hadn't stopped me. Iwas just ready. "

"Why, what did you want to do, Singhy?" cried the other. 

"Fight, " said the boy, with his eyes flashing and his dark brows drawndown close together. 

"Oh, you shouldn't fight directly after breakfast, " said Glyn Severn, laughing good-humouredly. 

"Why not?" cried the other fiercely. "I felt just then as if I couldkill him. "

"Then I am glad I lugged you away. "

"But you shouldn't, " cried the young Indian. "You nearly made me hityou. "

"You had better not, " said Glyn, laughing merrily. 

"Yes, of course; I know, and I don't want to. "

"That's right; and you mustn't kill people in England because you fallout with them. "

"No, of course not; I know that too. But I don't like that boy. Hekeeps on saying nasty things to us, and--and--what do you call it? Iknow--bullies you, and says insulting things to me. How dare he call mea nigger and say my father was a mahout?"

"The insulting brute!" said Glyn. 

"Why should he do it?" cried Singh. 

"Oh, it's plain enough. It's because he is big and strong, and he wantsto pick a quarrel with us. "

"But what for?" cried Singh. "We never did him any harm. "

"Love of conquest, I suppose, so as to make us humble ourselves to himsame as the other fellows do. He wants to be cock of the school. "

"Oh--oh!" cried Singh. "It does make me feel so hot. What did he sayto me: was I going to ride on the elephant?--Yes. Well, suppose I was. It wouldn't be the first time. "

"Not by hundreds, " cried Glyn. "I say, used it not to be grand? Don'tyou wish we were going over the plains to-day on the back of oldSultan?"

He pronounced it Sool-tann. 

"Ah, yes!" cried Singh, with his eyes flashing now. "I do, I do!instead of being shut up in this old school to be bullied by a boy likethat. I should like to knock his head off. "

"No, you wouldn't. There, don't think anything more about it. He isn'tworth your notice. "

"No, I suppose not, " said the Indian boy;--"but what makes me so angryis that he despises me, and has treated me ever since we came here as ifI were his inferior. It is not the first time he has called me anigger. --There, I won't think anything more about it. Tell me, what'sthis grand procession to-day? Is it to be like a durbar at home, whenall the rajahs and nawabs come together with their elephants andtrains?"

"Oh, no, no, no!" cried Glyn, laughing. "Nothing of the kind. "

"Then, why are they making all this fuss? It said on the bills we sawyesterday in the town, `Ramball's Wild-Beast Show. Grand Procession. '"

"I don't know much about it, " said Glyn; "only here in England incountry places they make a great fuss over things like this. I askedWrench yesterday, and he said that this was a menagerie belonging to aman who lives near and keeps his wild-beasts at a big farm-like placejust outside the town. "

"But why a procession?" said Singh impatiently. 

"Oh, he takes them all round the country, going from town to town, andthey are away for months, and now they are coming back. "

"Menagerie! beast show!" said Singh thoughtfully. "They are all tame, of course?"

"Yes, of course, " said Glyn. "It said lions and tigers and elephantsand camels, and a lot more things on the bills. I should like to seethem. "

"You English are a wonderful people. My father used to have tigers--three of them--a tiger, a tigress, and a nearly full-grown cub. Butthey were so fierce he got tired of keeping them, and when the tigresskilled one of the keepers, you remember, he asked your father about it, and they settled that it would be best to kill them. "

"Of course, I remember, " said Glyn; "and they had a tiger-hunt, and letone out at a time, and had beaters to drive them out of the nullahs, andshot all three. "

"Yes, " said Singh thoughtfully; "and my father wouldn't let me go withhim on his elephant, because he said it wouldn't be safe. Then thesewill all be tame tigers and lions? Well, I shall like to see them allthe same, because it will make me feel like being at home once more. Isay, when is your father coming down again?"

"Don't know, " said Glyn quietly. "I did ask in my last weekly letter. "

"Ah!" said the Indian boy with a sigh, "I wish I were you. "

"Well, let's change, " said Glyn laughing. "You envy me! Why, I oughtto envy you. "

"Why?" said Singh, staring. 

"Why, because you are a maharajah, a prince; and when you grow oldenough you are going back to Dour to rule over your subjects and be oneof the biggest pots in Southern India. "

"Well, what of that?" said Singh quietly. "What good will that do me?But of course the Colonel will come too. "

"Ah, that remains to be seen, " said Glyn. "That'll be years to come, and who knows what will happen before then?"

"I don't care what happens, " cried Singh hotly. "He's coming back toIndia when I go. Why, he told me himself that my father made him myguardian, and that he promised to look after me as long as he lived. Hesaid he promised to be a father to me. It was that day when I got intoa passion about something, and made him so cross. But I was very sorryafterwards, " said the boy quietly, "he's such a good old fellow, andmade me like him as much as I did my own father. "

"Well, " said Glyn merrily, "you have always had your share of him. Ithas made me feel quite jealous sometimes. "

"Jealous! Why?" said Singh wonderingly. 

"Because he seemed to like you better than he did me. "

"What a shame!" cried Singh. "Oh, I say, you don't mean that, do you, Glyn, old chap? Why, you don't know how fond he is of you. "

"Don't I?"

"No; you should hear what he says about you sometimes. "

"Says about me? What does he say about me?"

"Oh, perhaps I oughtn't to tell you, " said Singh, showing his whiteteeth. 

"Yes, do, there's a good fellow, " cried Glyn, catching the other by thearm. 

"Well, he said he should be proud to see me grow up such a boy as youare, and that my father wished me to take you for an example, for hewanted me to become thoroughly English--oh, and a lot more like that. "

Glyn Severn was silent, and soon after, as the two boys turned, they sawa group of their schoolfellows coming down the field laden with bats andstumps, while one carried a couple of iron-shod stakes round which wasrolled a stout piece of netting. 

"Here, " said Glyn suddenly, "let's go round the other side of the field. Old Slegge's along with them, and he'll be getting up a quarrel again. I don't want to fight; but if he keeps on aggravating like he did thismorning I suppose I shall have to. "

"But if we go now, " said Singh, "it will look as if we are frightened. We seemed to run away before, only you made me come. "

"Oh, it doesn't matter what seems, " cried Severn irritably. "We know weare not frightened, and that's enough. Come on. "

The two boys began to move slowly away; but they had not gone far beforeSlegge shouted after them, "Hi, you, sirs! I want you to come andfield. "

"Then want will be your master, " said Severn between his teeth. --"Comeon, Singh. Don't look round. Let's pretend we can't hear. "

They walked steadily on for a few paces, Severn making-believe to betalking earnestly to his companion, when:

"Do you hear, there, you, sirs? Come here directly. I want you tofield!"

"I dare say you do; cheeky great bully!" said Glyn softly. "I shan'tcome and field for you. The Doctor did not give us a holiday to-day tocome and be your slaves. "

"Hi, there! Are you coming, or am I to come and fetch you?" shoutedSlegge, without any effect, and the big lad turned to Burney and gavehim an order. The next minute the boy, armed with a stump, came runningat full speed across the grass, shouting to the two companions to stop, but without their paying the slightest heed or increasing their pace. 

The consequence was that the lad soon overtook them, to cry, rather outof breath, "Did you hear the captain call to you to come and field?"

Singh glanced at Glyn, who gave him a sharp look as he replied, "Yes, Iheard him quite plainly. "

The messenger stared with open eyes and mouth, as if it was beyond hiscomprehension. 

"Then, why don't you come?" he cried. 

"Because we are going up to the house, " replied Glyn coolly, "to ourdormitory. "

"That you are not, " cried Burney. "The rules say that the fellows arenot to go up to their rooms between hours, and you have been here longenough to know that. Now then, no nonsense. Here, you, Singh, you'vegot to come and field while old Slegge practises batting, and Tompkinshas got to bowl. "

As the boy spoke in an unpleasant dictatorial way he made a thrust atSingh with the pointed stump he held; but quick as thought and before itwas driven home, this third-part of a wicket was wrenched from his handby Severn and sent flying through the air. 

"How dare you!" shouted Burney, and he made a rush at Glyn to collar himand make him prisoner; but before he could reach the offending lad afoot was thrust out by Singh, over which he tripped and fell sprawlingupon his face. 

"Oh!" he shouted, half-beside himself with rage; and, scrambling up, hemade a rush with clenched fists at the two boys, who now stood perfectlystill awaiting his onslaught. 

It was a thoroughly angry charge, but not a charge home; for Burneystopped some three or four yards short of the distance, with his rageevaporating fast and beginning to feel quite discreet. 

For quite a minute the opponents stood gazing fiercely, and then whathad threatened to become a cuffing encounter became verbal. 

"Look here, " cried Burney, "you two will get it for this. What am I tosay to the captain?"

"Tell him to bowl for himself, " said Singh sharply. 

"Here! Hi! Burney, bring 'em along!" came from across the field andfrom between Slegge's hands. "Tell these beggars they had better notkeep me waiting much longer!"

"All right!" shouted back Burney; and then to the two lads, "There, youhear. Come on at once, and as you are new chaps I won't tell on you. You had better come, or he'll pay you out by keeping you on bowling sothat you can't go and see the show. "

"Yes, " said Glyn quietly. "Go back and tell him what Singh said. "

"What!" cried Burney, staring with wonder. "Tell the captain he's tobowl for himself?"

"Yes, " said Glyn coolly, "as long as he likes. --Come along, Singh;" and, throwing his arm over his Indian companion's shoulder, the two lads fellinto military step and marched slowly towards the Doctor's mansion-likehouse. 

"I am afraid it means a fight, Singh, " said Glyn quietly. "Well, I daresay we can get over it. I am not going to knuckle down to that fellow. Are you?"

"Am I?" cried the boy, flashing a fierce look at his English companion. "What do you think?"

Glyn laughed softly and merrily. 

"Shall I tell you?" he said. 

"Yes, of course, " cried the Indian boy hotly. 

"Well, I think you will. "

"What!"

"When you can't lift hand or foot, and your eyes are closing up so asyou can hardly see. "

"And I won't give up then!" cried the boy passionately. 

"Well, don't get into a wax about it, old chap, " said Glyn in a dry, slow way. "I don't suppose you'll have to, for the big chuckle-headedbully will have to lick me first, and I dare say I can manage to tirehim so that you can easily lick him in turn. "

"You are not going to fight him, " cried Singh hotly. 

"Yes, I am. "

"You are not. He insulted my dead father. A mahout indeed!"

"So he did mine, " said Glyn. "A shabby half-pay military officerindeed! I'll make _him_ look shabby before I have done. "

"Now, look here, " cried Singh, "don't be a beast, Glynny, and make memore angry than I am. I am bad enough as it is. "

"So am I, so don't you get putting on the Indian tyrant. Recollect youare in England now. This is my job, and I know if father were here he'dsay I was to have the first go in. He's such a big fellow that Ibelieve he'll lick me easily. But, as I said before, I shall prettywell tire him out, and then you being the reserve, he'll come at you, and then he'll find out his mistake. And I say, Singhy, old chap, I dohope that my eyes won't be so closed that I can't see. Now then, comeup to our room. It's a holiday, and the rules won't count to-day. Comeon, and we'll talk it over. "

"But--" began Singh. 

"Now, don't be obstinate. You promised father you'd try and give way tome over English matters. Now, didn't you?"

"Well, " said the lad hesitatingly, "I suppose I did. "

"Come on, then. You see war's begun, and we have got to settle our planof campaign. "

The young Maharajah nodded his head and smiled. 

"Yes, " he said, "come up to our room. We ought to dress, oughtn't we, to see the procession? I say, I don't know how it is, I always likefighting against any one who tries to bully. I am not sorry that warhas begun. "

"Neither am I, " said the English lad quietly, "for things have been veryunpleasant ever since we came here, and when we've got this over perhapswe shall be at peace. "

CHAPTER THREE. 

THE PRINCE'S REGALIA. 

The bedroom shared by Glyn Severn and Singh was one of a series, smalland particularly comfortable, in the new annexe the Doctor had builtexpressly for lecture-room and dormitories when his establishment beganto increase. 

The comfortably furnished room just sufficed for two narrow beds and thecustomary furniture; and as soon as the two lads had entered, Singhhurried to his chest of drawers, unlocked one, took out a second bunchof keys to that he carried in his pocket, and was then crossing to asea-going portmanteau standing in one corner, when Glyn, who was lookingvery thoughtful and abstracted, followed, and as Singh knelt down andthrew open the travelling-case, laid his hand upon the lad's shoulder. "What are you going to do?" he said shortly. "Only look out two orthree things that there's not room for in the drawer. "

"What for?"

"Why, to dress for the procession. "

"Stuff and nonsense! You are quite right as you are, " cried Glynhalf-mockingly. "You must learn to remember that you are in England, where nobody dresses up except soldiers. Why, what were you going todo?"

"I was going to put on a white suit and belt. "

"Nonsense!" cried Glyn. "This isn't India, but Devonshire. Why, if youwere to come down dressed like that the boys would all laugh at you, andthe crowd out in the road shout and cheer. "

"Well, of course, " said Singh; "they'd see I was a prince. "

"Oh, what a rum fellow you are!" cried Glyn, gripping his companion'sshoulders and laughingly shaking him to and fro. "I thought that I hadmade you understand that now we are over here you were to dress just thesame as an English boy. Why, don't you know that when we had a king inEngland he used to dress just like any ordinary gentleman, onlysometimes he would wear a star on his breast. "

"Oh, but surely, " began Singh, in a disappointed tone, "he must have--"

"Yes, yes, yes; sometimes, " cried Glyn. "I know what you mean. Onstate occasions, or when he went to review troops, he would wear grandrobes or a field-marshal's uniform. "

"But didn't he wear his crown?"

"No, " cried Glyn, bursting out laughing. "That's only put on for alittle while when he's made king. "

"What does he do with it, then, at other times?"

"Nothing, " cried Glyn merrily. "It's kept shut up in a glass case atthe Tower, for people to go and see. "

"England seems a queer place, " said Singh quietly. 

"Very, " cried Glyn drily. "You never want those Indian clothes, and youought to have done as I told you--left them behind. "

"But the Colonel didn't say so, " replied the boy warmly. "He said thatsome day he might take me with him to Court. It was when I asked himfor the emeralds. "

"What do you mean--the belt?" said Glyn quickly. 

"Yes. "

"You never told me that you had got them. "

"No; the Colonel said that I was not to make a fuss about them nor showthem to people, but keep them locked up in the case. Here they are, "cried the boy; and, thrusting down one hand, he drew from beneath somefolded garments a small flat scarlet morocco case, which he opened bypressing a spring, and drew out from where it lay neatly doubled, agold-embroidered waistbelt of some soft yellow leather, whose fasteningwas formed of a gold clasp covered by a large flat emerald, two othersof similar shape being arranged so that when the belt was fastened roundthe waist they lay on either side. It was a magnificent piece ofornamentation, but barbaric, and such as would be worn by an Indianprince. 

Apparently it was of great value, for the largest glittering green stonewas fully two inches in length and an inch and a half wide, the othersbeing about half the size, and all three engraved with lines of largeArabic characters, so that either stone could have been utilised as agigantic seal. 

"I don't see why one shouldn't wear a thing like this, " said Singh. "Myfather always used to wear it out at home wherever he went, even when hewore nothing else but a long white muslin robe. On grand Court days hewould be covered with jewels, and his turban was full of diamonds. "

"Yes, " said Glyn drily and with a half-contemptuous smile upon his lips;"but that was in India, where all the rajahs and princes wear suchthings. "

"Well, " said the boy proudly, "I am still a maharajah, even if I havecome to England to be educated; so why shouldn't I put on a belt likethis on a grand day if I like?"

Glyn took the brilliant belt from his companion's hand and held ittowards the light, inspecting curiously the beautiful gems, which wereof a lustrous green marked with flaws. 

"Ah, " he said, "it looks nice, and is worth a lot of money I suppose. "

"Of course, " said the young Indian; and he added haughtily, "I shouldn'twear it if it were not. "

"Well, you can't wear it, " said Glyn, passing the embroidered leatherthrough his hands and turning it over in the bright sunlight which camethrough the window. 

"But why?" cried Singh, frowning slightly at having his will challenged. 

"Well, " said Glyn, "first of all, as I told you, because the boys wouldlaugh at you. "

"They dare not, " cried the boy proudly. 

"What!" cried Glyn laughing. "Why, English boys dare do anything. Whatdid Slegge say this morning?"

"Slegge is what you call a blackguard, " cried Singh angrily. 

"Well, he isn't nice certainly, " said Glyn; "but he'd begin at you againdirectly, and chaff, and say that you ought to ride on the elephant. "

"Well, " said the boy, "and that would be my place if there were ahowdah. Of course I shouldn't ride on the great brute's neck. "

"Yes, in India; but can't you recollect that you are still in England?"

"Of course I can, " cried the boy, with flashing eyes; "but I can'tforget that I am a prince. "

"Now, look here, " said Glyn, "what did dad say to you when the Doctorleft us with him in the drawing-room? I mean before father went away. Have you forgotten?"

"Of course not. He said, `Never mind about being a prince. Be contentwith the rank of an English gentleman till you go back to your owncountry. ' And that's what I am going to do. "

"Well done, " cried Glyn merrily. "Then, now, put this thing away; youdon't want it. But stop a moment. I never had a close look at itbefore. "

"No; the Colonel told me to keep it locked up and not to go showing itabout so as to tempt some _budmash_ to steal it. "

"Well, we haven't got any _budmashes_ in England, " said Glyn merrily, ashe began to inspect the emeralds again and took out his handkerchief torub off a finger-mark or two and make the gems send off scintillationsof sunlight which formed jack-o'-lanterns on the ceiling. "But we haveplenty of blackguards who would like to get a chance to carry it off. "

"What, among our schoolfellows?" cried Singh hastily. 

"Bah! No! There, put it away. But I should like to know what thatwriting means. "

"It's out of the Koran, " said the boy as he took the jewelled belt backreverently and held it up to the light in turn. "It's very, very old, and means greatness to my family. It is a holy relic, and theMaharajahs of Dour have worn that in turn for hundreds of years. "

"Well, you put it away, " said Glyn; "and I wouldn't show it to anybodyagain, nor yet talk about it. I wonder the dad let you have it. "

"Why?" said Singh proudly. "It is mine. "

"Yes, of course; but it is not suited for a boy like you. "

"A boy like me!" cried Singh half--angrily. "Why, I am as old as you. "

"Well, I know that; but my father doesn't give me emeralds and diamondsto take with me to school. He could, though, if he liked, for he's gotall those beautiful Indian jewels the Maharajah gave him. "

"Yes, " said Singh, "and that diamond--hilted tulwar. "

"Yes, that's a grand sword, " cried Glyn, with his eyes sparkling. "Ishould like to have that. "

Singh laughed mockingly. 

"Why, you are as bad as I am, " he cried. 

"That I am not! Why, if I had it, do you think I should buckle it on togo and see a country wild-beast show?"

"Well, no, I don't suppose you would, " said Singh quietly, as he gravelyreplaced the emeralds in their receptacle and curled the belt aroundthem before shutting down the velvet-lined and quilted cover with a loudsnap. "But some day, when we have both grown older, and we are back inIndia--I mean when I am at home in state and you are one of myofficers--you will have to get the Colonel to let you wear it then. "

"Ah, " said Glyn, slowly and thoughtfully, "some day; but that's a longtime off. I suppose I shall be a soldier like the dad is, and in yourarmy. "

"Why, of course, " cried Singh. "You will be my greatest general, justthe same as your father was when mine was alive. He was always a greatgeneral there, though he was only colonel in the Company's army. There, I suppose you are right. I like to look at that belt, but I won't showit about; but I say, Glyn, I shall be glad when we get older and haveboth begun learning to be--no, what do you call it?--not learning--Imean, being taught to be soldiers. "

"Training, " said Glyn. 

"Yes, training--that's it; and we shall go together to that place whereyour father was, not far from London. You know--the place he used totalk to us about, where he was trained before he came out to India. "

"Addiscombe, " said Glyn quietly, as he stood watching his companionthrust the case back into the bottom of the portmanteau and rearrangethe garments he had moved, while his hand lingered for a few momentsabout a soft white robe, which he covered over with a sigh beforeclosing the lid and turning the key of the great leather case. 

"Yes, " he said, "Addiscombe. What stories he used to tell us about theyoung officers there! What did he call them? I forget. "

"Cadets, " said Glyn thoughtfully. 

"That's it. I wish I didn't forget so many of those English words;but, " continued the boy, "I liked it best when he told us about thebattles out at home, when all the chiefs around were fighting against myfather the Maharajah, so as to slay him and divide his possessions. Youknow, my father has talked about it to me as well--how he was so nearlybeaten and weakened, and so many of his bravest officers killed, that itmade him apply to the great Company for help, and they sent your father. Oh, what a brave man he was!"

"Who said that?" cried Glyn, flushing up. 

"My father the Maharajah. He said so to me many times, and that he washis best and truest friend. Oh yes, I used to like to hear about itall, and he used to tell me that the Colonel would always be my truestfriend as well, and that I was to love him and obey him, and alwaysbelieve that what he told me to do was right. And I always do. "

"Of course you do, " said Glyn flushing. "Yes, Singh, he is some one tobe proud of, isn't he? But I am like you; I don't much like coming tothis school, though the Doctor is very nice and kind to us both. "

"Yes, I like him better than the masters, " said Singh; "but I don't likethe boys, and I don't think they like me. "

"Oh, wait a bit, " said Glyn. "It's because everything seems sodifferent to being in India; but, as father says, there is such a lotone ought to learn, and we shall get used to it by-and-by; only, I say, you know what the dad said?"

"You mean about trying to be an English gentle man and leaving themaharajah till I get back home?"

"Yes, that's it, " cried Glyn eagerly. 

"Yes; but it's hard work, for everything is so different here, and theboys are not like you. "

"Oh yes, they are, " cried Glyn merrily; "just the same. Here, come on;let's go down and see whether Wrench has put up those forms by the wall. We want to see the show. "

"Yes, " cried Singh. "It puts one in mind of Dour again, and I have beenthinking that we don't get on with the other boys through me. "

"What do you mean with your `through me'?" said Glyn. 

"Well, I don't quite know. It's because I am an Indian, I suppose; andwhen they talk to me as they do, and bully me, as you call it, it makesmy heart feel hot and as if I should like to do something strange. ButI am going to try. And look here, Glyn, " said the lad very seriously, "I shall begin at once. "

"Begin what?"

"Trying to make them like me. I shall make friends with that big fellowSlegge, and bear it all, and if he goes on again like he did thismorning I have quite made up my mind I won't fight. "

"Oh, " said Glyn drily. "Well, come on down the grounds now. We shallsee. "

CHAPTER FOUR. 

THE ELEPHANT CRIES "PHOOMP!"

Plymborough was out in street and road excepting those who lived on theline of route and had windows that looked down upon the comingprocession, which was to be timed to reach the town, after a long marchfrom Duncombe, at noon precisely. 

Small things please country people, and there was not much work beingdone that day. It was an excuse for a holiday, as eagerly seized uponby the townsfolk, old and young, as by the young gentlemen of DrBewley's establishment. 

But that was not all. The villages near Plymborough were many, and thepeople for miles round flocked into the place to see the procession andstop afterwards about the market-place to visit the exhibition of beastsand listen to the band. 

The day was gloriously fine, and all promised a famous harvest ofsixpences for the great Ramball himself, a man as punctual in hisappointments as he was in the feeding of his beasts, this being carriedout regularly at certain times, but, unfortunately for the animals, inuncertain quantities dependent upon the supplies. 

Dr Bewley's boys took their places along the forms quite an hour beforenoon, this punctuality having something to do with getting the bestplaces, as they put it, though--as the forms were in a line under thebrick wall, which was low enough with their help for the shortest boy tosee over, and the procession would pass close beneath--it was hard tosee any difference in the positions, or why the form reserved for themasters was any better than that at the extreme end. 

But certainly the masters' form was considered the best from the factthat it stood first, while the nearest end of the next form was taken upin spite of his declaration by Slegge, whose greatest admirers got asclose to him as they could or as he would allow. 

"Let's go and stand with them, " said Singh, as they crossed over to thewall. 

"Oh, I don't know, " replied his companion. "I vote we go right to theother end along with the juniors. "

"Very well, " said Singh with a laugh; "but they'll say it's becausewe're afraid. "

"Yes, " replied Glyn coolly; "but let them. I don't think we are. " Andleading the way, he made for the last form, which they had all tothemselves, and stood there quietly looking down at the crowd below andalong the Duncombe road, which was pretty well lined with peoplestanding about or seated in cart or chaise waiting for the coming sight. 

The masters were not in such a hurry, and they remained in the housetalking together, so that they were not present to see the skylarkingand listen to the banter going on, a good deal of which was set going bySlegge, who was in a high state of glee, and scattered a great deal ofchaff, to the great delight of his parasites, who eagerly conveyedinsulting messages from their chief to the two new pupils at the otherend of the line--at least, they bore those that were not too offensive;others that seemed likely to produce some form of resentment from thelads they attacked were sent on by the youngest boys. 

All this palled after a time, and a certain amount of whisperingbeginning close at hand, Slegge asked sharply what the whisperers weretalking about, when silence ensued, no one present daring to repeat theremark which Burney had made, which was to the effect that old Sleggehad said that he was not going to stoop to see the miserable procession, but all the same he had taken the best place. 

The consequence was that Slegge guessed pretty correctly that somethingwas being whispered dealing with him, and he was just growing fiercelyinsistent and threatening what he would do if somebody did not confess, when the masters came upon the scene and took their places; whiledirectly after there was a loud cheer, for from out of the distance camethe faintly heard throbbing of a drum. 

Everything else was now forgotten. Eyes and ears were strained, andminutes elapsed before the pulsations caused by the beating of two ballsupon the tightly stretched skin began to grow nearer, and Mr Rampsoncommenced a discussion to fill up the time by throwing quotations fromthe old Roman authors at his fellow-tutors and the older boys. 

It was a favourable moment for calling a drum a tympanum and givingdescriptions of the different forms, curves, and lengths of the varioustrumpets used by the Roman soldiery in their warlike processions, all ofwhich Slegge voted bosh, and intimated his opinion to the next boy thatold Rampson had better go to the other end of the forms and pour it outon the two new fellows. 

At last, though, the pulsations of the well-belaboured drum came nearerand were mingled with the mournfully plaintive notes of the windinstruments being blown by the band, the performers seated in a talltriumphal car decorated in scarlet and gold, and ornamented by a giltcarving meant to represent the giant anaconda of South America embracingand crushing the twenty bandsmen of Ramball's show, gentlemen who, bythe way, wore a richly worsted-embroidered uniform of scarlet baize, thebraid being yellow ochre of the deepest dye. 

The carving round the car was either a two-headed anaconda or acombination of two performing an evolution in twists about themusicians, tying them up apparently, from the spectators' point of view, in horrible knots and giving them a terrible aspect of suffering, theapparent pressure of the serpents' folds causing their faces and cheeksto swell out in an appalling way, and their eyes to start from theirsockets, while their sufferings seemed to produce wails, shrieks, andcries for help or mercy, mingled with groans, as the men worked hardwith a perfect battery of old-fashioned key-bugles, supported byophicleide and bassoon. 

Most painful were the shrieking, strident cries produced by a pair ofclarinets, and altogether there came from out of the knots of theserpents a hideous chaos of sound, drawn onward by a team of six horses, and received with wild cheers by the crowd, for it was really the newtriumphal march freshly down from town, but in which the bandsmen werenot perfect as regarded their parts. 

"Is that music or the roarings and cries of some of the beasts?"whispered Singh. 

There was a burst of laughter from the boys who heard the native remark, which made Singh turn round upon them angrily; but at a touch from Glynhe smiled good-humouredly, and then laughed aloud. 

"Well, it was a stupid thing to say, " he cried. "Of course it's themusic. "

"I say, Singh, " burst in Glyn, and he nodded towards the huge drum thatwas suspended at the back in the highest part of the car, hung, as itwere, between the curling tails of the two gilt serpents. "I say, " hecried, "wouldn't that astonish the people at Dour? What would they sayto that for a tom-tom?"

"Ah!" cried Singh, "I'll buy one like that, and take it back with uswhen we go home. "

"No, I say, don't, " cried Glyn. "They make noise enough there as itis. "

"Noise!" echoed Singh. "They don't call that noise. "

As they were speaking the great six-horse car rumbled slowly by, withthe drummer beating hard and the buglers and trombonists blowing theirbest; while the crowd, taking up the cheer started by the boys, sent itechoing along towards the main street, where, coming slowly along, andstretching as far as eye could reach, there was a long line of caravans, all exceedingly plain and of a uniform yellow colour, with the names oftheir contents painted on them in black letters. 

The place of honour was given to the king of beasts, for the first ofthe cars bore the word "Lions;" but probably his majesty was asleep, fornot so much as a muttering purr on a large scale came from the narrowgrating at the top. 

Tigers followed; the next car held leopards, each carriage being of thesame uniform level, with the black letters; and, coming slowly afterthem, were about two score, kept a good distance apart so as to lengthenthe line as much as possible. 

But at first there was nothing else to see, and Singh turned impatientlyto his companion, and said: "When does the procession begin?"

"Why, that's the procession, " said a small boy close to him, taking theanswer upon himself. "The wild beasts are inside. Didn't you know?"And then he proceeded to display his own knowledge. "They draw all thevans up in a square, " he began excitedly, "out there in the home-fieldbehind the `King's Arms, ' and then they open the sides of the vans, which are like great shutters on hinges at the top and bottom, so thatwhen they are opened one shutter falls down and covers the wheels, andthe other is pulled up, leaving the side all iron bars. Don't you see?Then, instead of being vans, they are turned into dens and cages. "

"Is that so?" said Singh quietly. 

"Oh, I suppose so, " replied Glyn. "I have never seen one of theseaffairs; but it seems a very reasonable way for building up a place alldens and cages in very short time. "

"Oh, look here!" cried another of the boys. "Here's a game! Look atthat nigger!"

Singh started as if he had been stung, and was about to turn furiouslyupon the boy, under the impression that he was the nigger in question;but at the same moment he caught sight of a full-blooded, woolly-headedWest Coast African leading a very large camel by a rope, the greatungainly beast mincing and blinking as it gently put down, one after theother, its soft, spongy feet, which seemed to spread out on thegravelled road, while their high-shouldered owner kept on turning itsbird-like head from side to side, muttering and whining discontentedly, as if objecting to be seen by such an elongated crowd, and murmuringagainst being made the one visible object of the show. 

The camel was not an attractive creature, for, in addition to itsnatural peculiarities of shape, it was the time of year for shedding itslong hairy coat, and this was hanging in ragged ungainly locks andflakes all along its flanks and about its loping, unhealthy-lookinghump. 

This was something to look at, and the excited boys shouted, cheered, and gave forth remark after remark such as must have been painful to thedignity of the melancholy-looking beast, which kept on turning itshalf-closed, plaintive-looking eyes at the noisy groups, wincing andseeming to protest against the unkindly and insulting remarks. 

"Oh, I say, isn't he a beauty?" cried one. 

"Yes; it's just like a four-legged bird, " shouted another. 

"That's right. They've caught Sindbad's roc and clipped his wings. "

"Cut them right off, " said Glyn laughingly, joining in the mirth. "Poorfellow, look how he's moulting!"

There was a burst of laughter at this, and as it ceased another boyshouted:

"Ought its hump to wobble like that, and hang over all on one side?"

"That isn't its hump, " cried Burney; "that's its cistern in which itcarries its drinking-water. Don't you know they can go for days withoutwanting any more? Can't you see it's empty now?"

"Poor camel!" said one of the boys. 

"Yes, poor, and no mistake! Why, it's all in rags, " cried Burney, andthe unhappy-looking beast went mincing on, to be followed by another vanlabelled "Birds. " Then came one labelled ominously and in very largeletters, "Serpents;" those next in succession containing antelopes, nylghaus, crocodiles, eagles, rhinoceroses, zebras, monkeys, orang-outangs, chimpanzees, rib-nosed baboons, and so on, and so on, cage after cage, den after den, a procession of so many painted yellowvans drawn by very unsatisfactory-looking horses, till, as the last onecame into sight far on the right, it was observed by the boys as theystood leaning their elbows on the wall that there was something specialbeing kept for the finale, for the crowd was closing in behind andcoming on surrounding this last van. 

"Oh, I shall be so glad when it's all over, " said Singh. "I would havesaid let's go away ever so long ago, only the Doctor might think itdisagreeable after he had given us leave to see. "

"Yes, it would have looked bad, " replied Glyn. "It seems to me such ashame, " he continued, "getting us all here to see a procession of wildbeasts, and all we have seen is a camel. "

"But don't you see--" began Singh. 

"Of course; I said so. I have seen a camel. But if the man let thepeople see all his wild beasts they wouldn't pay to go into his show. "

"Oh, " cried Singh, "that's it. I never thought of that. Of course. But what are the people all crowding up for behind that last van?"

"Because it's the end, " said the small boy who had spoken before. 

"No; but there's something they can see, for they are all pressing closeup, and the boys are stooping down to look underneath. "

"Yes, and there's a man with a whip trying to keep them back. "

That was all plain enough to view as the great van, drawn by four stoutcart-horses, came nearer, with the whip-armed carter who walked by theirside varying his position to cross round by the back, making-believe touse his whip and keep the boys from getting too close. 

"Well, they can see something, " said Glyn, as the great vehicle camenearly abreast; and as it did the lad gripped his companion by theshoulder. 

"Look, look!" he cried. "My word, it is queer!"

"What is?" said Singh excitedly. 

"Two pairs of giants' trousers walking underneath the van. There, can'tyou see? Oh, isn't it comic. And they don't fit. "

"Nonsense, " cried Singh excitedly. "It's a big elephant underneaththere, and he's so heavy he has broken through the bottom of the wagon. "

It certainly gave a stranger that impression; but the young Indian wasnot right. It was only the showman's ingenious device to convey hishuge attraction from town to town unseen save just so much as would whetthe spectator's curiosity and make him wish to see more. 

"Dear me, " said a rich, unctuous voice just behind the lads; and theboys started round at the familiar tones, to see the benignant-lookingDoctor blinking through his gold-rimmed spectacles and commenting uponthe spectacle for the benefit of his younger pupils. "You see, my dearlads, " he began, "a monstrous animal like that must weigh tons, andwould be too heavy for the horses to--"

The Doctor's words were drowned by the roar of laughter that arose frombehind the wall, for Glyn's comment had been taken up quickly, and ranfrom end to end of the line, with the result that, like a chorusdominating their laughter, the boys joined in one insane shout of:

"Trousers! trousers!"

The next moment it was over the wall and running through the crowd, whocaught it up and began to yell out the name of the familiar object ofattire, staid elderly men holding their sides and laughing, boysshrieking with delight and pointing under the van at the two pairs ofhuge pillar-like legs with the loose skin hanging about them like somespecimen of giant frieze, till, as the van moved on, the driver grewfrantic and began to smack his whip; while, to add to the tumult, therearose from within a peculiar hoarse trumpeting roar that can only be putinto print by the words: _Phoomp! phoomp! phoomp_!

"Ha!" cried Singh excitedly, and he gripped at Glyn's arm so sharplythat he made him wince. "Hark at him! Hark at him!" he whisperedhoarsely in the boy's ear. "The jungle! the jungle! Why, it must be abig bull elephant. Oh, we must go and see him to-night!"

Singh saw him the next minute; for, startled by the terrific roar behindthem, and probably knowing well the power of the utterer, the fourdraught horses began to suffer from panic. One began to rear andplunge, and before the driver, who was close to the hind wheels, couldforce his way through the crowd and seize its rein, it made a dash forthe sidewalk farthest from the Doctor's wall. Like gregarious beasts, its companions went with it; the front of the van was wrenched round andthe off fore-wheel ascended the path, while at the same moment, as thefurious trumpeting continued, there was a crash, one side of the van washeaved up as if by an internal earthquake, and the next moment, amidstthe noise of splintering wood, the plunging of horses, and theelephant's deafening roar, the great yellow vehicle lay over on itsside, and the monstrous beast, fully ten feet high, stood panting andtrumpeting with uplifted trunk by the side of the ruins, glaring roundas if seeking which enemy to charge. 

CHAPTER FIVE. 

AN AL-FRESCO LUNCH. 

There were plenty of those whom the great beast looked upon as foeslying prostrate, for with yells of dismay the crowd dashed offhelter-skelter, trampling each other down in their efforts to escape, clearing the way as rapidly as they could; but the only object thatoffered itself for attack was one of the big van horses, which had swunground in the alarm, to stand right in the elephant's way. 

And now, flapping its ears, giving its miserable little tail a twist inthe air, and uttering a pig-like squeak, the elephant charged, catchingthe horse in the ribs and knocking it over on to its side; and then, without stopping to trample upon the poor animal, the monster indulgedin a peculiar caper resembling a triumphant war-dance, a movement whichbut for the suggestion of danger would have been comical in the extreme. Then, stopping short as if to make a survey of its position with itspiercing eyes, the elephant looked at the ruined van, then at the villaresidences opposite the Doctor's great mansion, then at the blank wall(which seemed to puzzle it, with what looked like a palisade of boys'heads), and next up the road. 

At last, turning sharply round to point with uplifted trunk down theroad in the direction from which it had come, it went off in its curiousshuffling shamble as if in pursuit of the flying crowd; while, now in astate of the greatest excitement, about a score of the wild-beastvan-drivers, headed by the man who had the elephant in charge, crackinghis whip and shouting for it to come back, started in pursuit. 

The Doctor's pupils, evidently feeling that they were safe behind thewall, for the elephant displayed no intention of using his trunk to picktheir heads as if they were gigantic cherries, all stood fast, mostprobably too much startled to stir; and having an excellent view of thisunexpected episode in the procession, had the satisfaction of seeing theprincipal actor trotting away the whole length of the playground wall, his hind-quarters looking more than ever like an enormous pair ofill-made, ill-fitting trousers. 

"Will he catch them--overtake any of them?" cried Glyn, as the elephantpassed the spot where he and Singh were watching the proceedings, thelatter with his dark eyes glittering and nostrils quivering, as thewhole business brought back something he had once seen in his nativestate. 

But as he spoke the loud shouting of the frightened crowd tearing awaydown the road suddenly ceased, as those nearest became conscious of thefact that their pursuit by the great beast had ceased. 

Soon after passing the end of the Doctor's wall, the elephant, now fullyat liberty, found itself by the tall, well-clipped mingledhawthorn-and-privet hedge that enclosed the lawn-like, verdantcricket-field, at the far side of which there was a grand row of oldelms which brought back to the escaped animal memories of Indian forestsand pendant boughs covered with fresh green leaves that could be torndown and eaten; and, stopping short in the rapid pace which it hadpursued, swinging its massive head from side to side, it once moreturned itself "half-right, " as if upon a pivot, stared at the tall greenhedge for a few moments, and then, curling its trunk right backwardsover its neck, it uttered another trumpeting note which was no longerangry, but sounded cracked and partook of the nature of a squeak. Thenit did not charge the hedge, but just walked through it; and as soon asits great circular feet began to feel the soft, yielding grass intowhich they sank, for the ground was moist, the great brute began totwitch its tail in the most absurd way, squeak with delight, and indulgein the most clumsily ridiculous gambol ever executed by monster ten feethigh. 

It was for all the world such a dance, magnified, as a fat, chubbylittle Shetland pony would display when, freed from bit, bridle, orhalter, it was turned out to grass. And now, as the elephant begancareering right across the cricket-field in the direction of the row ofelms, there was a shout of dismay from the row occupying the forms; and, headed by Mr Morris, a retreat was made to a place of safety, thatbeing represented by the doors opening on to the playground--Mr Morris, the mathematical master, charged as he was with his long study ofEuclid, evidently considering it to be his duty for the benefit of hispupils to describe a straight line. 

But he was soon distanced by the boys, whose wind was much better. Thelast, as if he considered it his duty to protect the rear, was theDoctor himself, looking exceedingly red in the face and breathing veryhard. But, truth to tell, he--not being either a general, admiral, oreven captain of a vessel of war--was not influenced by any braveintention to leave the field or vessel only after the last of his men. The Doctor's proceedings were caused by inability to keep up. 

But he was not the last. The sight of an elephant cantering acrosscountry, or in its customary shuffling gait, was nothing new to Singhand Glyn. Experience gained in more than one hunt, and in a land wherethese mammoth-like creatures are beasts of burden, as well as perhaps afeeling that if they did happen to be pursued youth and activity wouldenable them to get out of the brute's way, caused the two boys to standfast alone upon the last form, thoroughly enjoying the acts of theperformer, and wondering what he would do next. 

"Oh, Glyn, " cried Singh, clapping his hands as hard as he could, "and Iwas grumbling! Why, this is a procession! I haven't seen anything likethis since we left home. "

"No, " panted Glyn, who was as excited as his companion. "Why, it's likeold Rajah Jamjar, as we used to call him, on the rampage. Here come themen, " he continued. --"Hi! I say, the Doctor won't like you breakingthrough his hedge, " he shouted, though his words were not heard. --"He'sbroken a way for them, though. "

"Here, " shouted Singh, with his hands to his mouth, "you mustn't goafter that elephant with whips. He's raging, and if you go near he'llturn upon you perhaps, and kill you. "

But the men could not hear his words, and, each with his big carter'swhip, they followed slowly across the field, unheeded by the elephant, and evidently without the slightest intention of overtaking thefugitive. 

The great brute turned neither to the right nor left, but stopped assoon as he reached the row of elms, beyond which were the garden andgrounds of the most important resident in Plymborough, a very wealthyretired merchant, who took great pride in his estate, and whose orchardannually displayed a vast abundance of red and gold temptations of thekind beloved by boys in other counties as well as sunny Devon. 

It was pleasant and shady beneath the elms, and a faintly heard grunt ofsatisfaction came to the two boys' ears as they saw the great fugitivereach up, twist its indiarubber-like trunk, and gather together a bunchof twigs, which it snapped off, and then, reversing its elastic organ, stood tucking them into its peculiarly moist mouth. 

"Oh, he's quiet and tame enough, " said Glyn. 

"No, he isn't, " cried Singh; "he's in a fury. "

"But it's a regular tame one, " said Glyn. "I dare say they might walkup and drive it in now. I'll go and help them if you will. "

"Well, " said Singh, slowly and thoughtfully, "I don't know. It's astrange elephant; he's been scared, and I saw as he passed that he wasin a temper; but I dare say we know as much about elephants as they do. "

"Yes, let's go. "

But as they were speaking, and the elephant stood refreshing itself withanother bunch of green leaves, it appeared to catch sight of the groupof drivers, who, whip-armed, had now stopped together to consult in themiddle of the field, where they were being joined by a fat, chuffy-looking little man, who was hurrying to them, hat in one hand, yellow silk pocket-handkerchief in the other, with which he kept ondabbing his very smooth and shiny white bald head. 

The elephant was evidently watching, and had recognised this white shinyhead, for he raised his trunk and let fall the twigs, blew a defiantblast upon his natural trumpet, and, wheeling round once more, did notcharge, but made a crashing sound as he walked right through thepark-palings which divided the two estates, where beneath the trees agreen hedge would not grow. 

As the elephant disappeared in the next field, only a glimpse beingobtained of it through the one panel of the split oak fence, every oneseemed to recover his departed courage. The men, now joined by thebald-headed personage, who was really the proprietor of the great show, began to follow the fugitive to the boundary of the Doctor's grounds. 

The two boys sprang off the form and ran to join them, while away to theright, bodies began to appear from the Doctor's premises where headsonly had been seen; and chief amongst these was Mr Morris, themathematical master, who, influenced by his conscience, and reminded ofthe fact that he had gone on drawing that line very straight till hereached the shelter of the house, an act which he felt must have ratherlowered his reputation for bravery amongst the boys, now came out a fewyards into the playground; and, as the boys began to gather round him, he moved on again a little way, making a point of keeping himselfnearest to the danger, if any danger there were, but not going so far asto preclude an easy retreat. 

Now, in naval law, during an action there is a tradition that the safestplace for a sailor, and where he is least likely to be hit, is the holethrough which a cannon-ball or shell has crashed into the ship. Possibly, being a mathematician, Mr Morris may have calculated thepossibilities against the elephant that had marched through that pieceof fence coming back through it again. And so it was that as theDoctor's grounds were clear, the enemy having departed, he followedfarther and farther out into the cricket-field, and then headed acluster of the first-form boys who, unknown to the Doctor, were makingfor the broken fence. The fact that they soon saw the elephant'spursuers pass through, and with them the bald-headed man, with theirfellow-pupils Glyn and Singh on each side leading, had doubtlesssomething to do with the forward movement. 

Slegge, too, was the biggest and loudest there. He was looking verywhite, almost as white as Ramball's bald head, but he said it was all a"jolly lark;" and then for want of something else to say to express howhe was enjoying himself, he made the same remark again, and then laughedaloud. But it was the same sort of laugh as would be uttered by thevictim of a practical joke who has suddenly sat down upon a tin-tack ora pin. 

Mr Morris, too, grew braver and braver, and he smiled a ghastly smilewhich rather distorted his features as he addressed his pupils. 

"Come along, boys, " he said. "This is a holiday indeed. We are goingto search for the unknown quantity. An elephant hunt in the Doctor'sgrounds! It is quite a novelty. "

"But it isn't in the Doctor's grounds now, sir, " said Burney. 

This was meant to be facetious; but it turned Mr Morris's smile into aglare, and brought down upon the boy's head a rebuke from Slegge. 

"Here, don't you be so fast, youngster, " cried the latter, with thewisdom of a sage in his stern look. "Just remember whom you are talkingto, if you please. " Then, to curry favour with the master, "I beg yourpardon, Mr Morris, would this be an Indian or an African elephant?"

"Well, Mr Slegge, " said the mathematical master, with his ghastly smilecoming back, "now if this were a question of a surd in a compoundequation I should be happy to tell you; but as soon as the captive istaken again, and the `lark, ' as you call it, is over, I should recommendyou to ask Mr Rampson. He'll tell you, and give you some informationas well respecting the Carthaginian army and the elephants with theirtowers that they marched against the Romans. My mathematical studiestake up all my brain-power, and I never venture upon another master'sground. By the way, who are those boys that we just saw walk throughthat fence with the show-people? Trespassers, of course. We don't wantany of the town boys here. No violence, mind; but I think you mightgive them a lesson and turn them out. "

"But they were the two new pupils, sir. "

"What! Severn and the Prince?"

"Yes, sir, " came in chorus. 

"Dear me! The Doctor would be very angry if he knew. He stronglyobjects to his young gentlemen making friends with strangers. "

"Yes, sir, " said Burney; "and they have gone out of bounds. "

"Will you keep your mouth shut?" whispered Slegge; and, dropping a pacebehind the master, he clenched and held up one fist very close toBurney's nose as if it were a curiosity that the boy might like to see. 

"Ah, well, " said Mr Morris, "perhaps they thought that it would be thesafest place behind the elephant's keepers. These tamed animals have agreat dread of the whip. "

All was beautifully calm now out in the field. The grass seemed greenerthan ever. There was an excited crowd in the main road by the damagedhedge, and quite a cluster of pupils, masters, and servants up by thehouse; but Morris and his little party were alone, and all seemed sosafe that they grew thoroughly brave, and quite nonchalantly edged theirway on towards the broken panel which looked temptingly clear. 

All was still, and there was no suggestion of danger, while as theyslowly went close up there was no sound of voice. It was perfectlyevident that the elephant must have been followed far away, and hadprobably gone right on through the neighbouring grounds and made his waysomewhere out at the back. 

They were approaching diagonally, and as they came very near to theopening a curious electric kind of feeling such as is called by oldwomen "the creeps, " manifested itself in what doctors term the "lumbarregions" of every one's back. 

But they were all very brave, and Morris suddenly became conscious ofthe fact that the boys were all looking at him in a very questioningway, so he could not help feeling that there were drawbacks to being theleader of a party when there is possible danger somewhere ahead, and itis impossible for the sake of one's credit to retreat. 

This is especially the case in connection with dogs that are supposed tobe mad and have to be driven away, or in haunted rooms, and the walkingof ghosts and other vapours of that kind which a puff of the wind ofcommon-sense would always blow away. 

Somehow or other, Morris began to talk very loudly to his youngcompanions as he screwed his courage up to the sticking-point, feelingas he did that at all hazards he must go right up to that opening andjust look through. And with this intent, followed not quite closely bythe boys, he went so near that he had but to take one more step to beable to look through into the next field; in fact, he was in the act ofstretching out his hand to lay it upon one of the big oaken splints thathung from its copper nail, when there was a sharp report as if a pistolhad been fired just on the other side, and in an instant the whole partywere in retreat. 

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Morris. At least it was supposed to be a laugh;but the sounds were very peculiar, and he looked strangely white as heshouted, "Stop, boys, stop! What are you afraid of? It was only one ofthose carter fellows who cracked his whip. --Well, my man, " he continued, in a husky voice that did not seem like his own, to one of thevan-drivers who now appeared in the opening, "have you caught theelephant?"

As the man replied the boys began to collect again from theirignominious flight, and it was observable that they were all laughing atone another in an accusatory manner, each feeling full of contempt forthe pusillanimous behaviour of the others, while the looks of Morrismight have given the whole party a conscious sting. 

But there was the van-driver answering as the boys clustered hurriedlyup. 

"No, sir, and I've had enough of it, " said the man. "It aren't mybusiness. I'm monkeys, I am; and got enough to do to keep theymischievous imps in their cage. I don't hold with elephants; they aretoo big for me, and I know that chap of old. "

"Indeed!" said Morris, eager to cover his last retreat by drawing theman into conversation. 

"Yes, sir, he's a treacherous beggar. Pretends to be fond of a man, andgets him up against a wall or the side of a tree, and then plays pussycat. "

"Plays what?" cried Slegge. 

"Pussy cat, sir. You know: rubs hisself up again' a man same as akitten does against your leg. But it aren't the same, because if thepore chap don't dodge him he gets rubbed out like a nought on theslate. "

"Dear me! Extraordinary!" said Morris. "But--er--er--where is thefugitive beast now?"

"Ah, you may well call him a fugity beast, sir. I don't quite know whatit means; but that's a good name for him, and he desarves it. Oh, he'sover yonder now, right in the middle of yon orchard, and nobody durst gonear him. Every time any one makes a start he begins to roosh, and thengoes back in amongst the trees, and when I come away I never seeanything like it in my life. It was bushels then. "

"Bushels--bushels, my man?"

"Yes, sir, he was a-picking the apples with that trunk of his, andtucking them in as fast as ever they'd go. A beast! he'll fill hisselfbefore he's done. He won't leave off now he's got the chance, and he'llkill anybody who goes nigh him. You see, the master keeps him prettyshort to tame him down and keep him from going on the rampage. It's alla mistake having a thing like that in a show. You take my word for it, sir. If you goes in for a mennar-gerry you take to monkeys. They don'ttake nothing to keep, for the public feeds them on nuts and buns, and ifit warn't for their catching cold and going on the sick-list they'd beprofit every ounce. "

"Er--thank you, my man, " said Morris haughtily; "but I don't think itprobable that I shall venture upon a peripatetic zoo--eh, younggentlemen?"

"Oh no, sir!" came in chorus. 

"Can we see the huge pachyderm from here?"

"Packing apples, sir? No, no, don't you alter that there, sir. Youcalled him fugity beast just now, and you can't beat that. --No, youcan't see him. He's in there among them apple-trees. "

"Why, he's got into old Bunton's orchard, sir, " cried Slegge, and hestepped forward to the opening. "Yes, you can't see the elephant, sir, but you can see the men all round. I think they are tying him up to atree, sir. "

"Yes, that's likely, " said the man grimly. "I dare say they've all gota bit of string in their pockets as will just hold him. "

"Er--do you think we could go up a little closer, my man, without theyoung gentlemen getting into danger?" said Morris, in the fullexpectation that he would be told it would be dangerous in the extreme. 

"Go closer, sir? Yes, of course you can. He won't hurt none of you solong as you don't try to take his apples away. If yer did I shouldn'tlike to be you. "

"Let's go, then, sir, " cried Burney eagerly, and the desire seemed to begrowing in the other boys' breasts. 

"Well, I don't know, " said Morris; "that is, if you will promise not togo too close. "

"Oh, we won't go too close, sir, " cried Slegge warmly, and he looked asif he were speaking the truth. 

The result was that the master, trying very hard to carry off hisdisinclination to go with the remark, "We don't often have such anopportunity as this, boys, " led the way across the park-like field ofthe Doctor's neighbour towards an extensive orchard, in which, nearlyhidden by the trees, the escaped monster was having his banquet ofapples, and turning a deaf ear, or rather two deaf ears of the largestsize, to all orders to come out. 

CHAPTER SIX. 

GLYN AND SINGH TO THE RESCUE. 

As the party from the school drew nearer they could hear the occasionalcrack of a whip and a loud order given in a rather highly pitched toneto the beast, bidding him come out. 

Then followed the snapping of twigs and a peculiarly dull grumblingsound as if the elephant were muttering his objections to the orders ofhis master, the bald-headed man, who still held his hat in one hand, hisyellow handkerchief in the other, and dabbed the big whitebilliard-ball-like expanse as if he felt that it was very warm work. 

Then there was a _crunch, crunch, crunch_, as if pippins were beingreduced to pulp, and more twigs were heard to snap. 

"Let him hear the whip again, Jem, " shouted Mr Ramball. 

"Oh, he won't come for that, sir, " growled the man addressed; but hemade the long cart-whip he carried crack loudly three times in obedienceto the order; and as the fresh party drew as near to the orchard as theycared to go, after all had given a furtive glance round for a way toescape, the low grumbling muttering grew louder; while as the animalmoved right into sight so did those who were watching him, and Sleggeand his companions saw Glyn and Singh approach. 

There was another movement on the part of the elephant, whose toweringform came through the thickly growing orchard trees to one whose burdenwas of a deep rich-red, and here it stood bowing its head up and down, and slowly shaking it from side to side, while the trunk swung andturned and turned and swung here and there, till its owner had selectedthe fruit most pleasing to its little pig-like eye, when withserpent-like motion it rose in the air, and the end curled round theselected fruit, which was lowered and tucked out of sight on theinstant. 

"Now, look here, my lads, " cried the proprietor of the menagerie to hismen, "I can't have you all standing here gaping like a set of idiots asif you had never seen the brute before. Go in round behind him withyour whips and drive him out. "

There was a murmur of grumbles from the men, that seemed to be echoed bythe elephant, which went on swinging its head up and down as if it werebalanced on a spring. But no one stirred. 

"Do you hear me?" cried the proprietor, his highly pitched voice growingquite shrill. "Here, I shall have no end of damages to pay for whathe's doing. They'll be putting it in the lawyers' hands, and they'll becharging me a shilling for every apple he eats. --Eh! what's that? Notsafe?"

"No; he's got one of his nasty fits o' temper on, " said the driver ofthe great van which had come to grief. 

"Tchah! Nonsense! You are a coward, Jem. "

"Mebbe I am, " grumbled the man; "but, coward or no, he knocked me flatover on my back, and once is quite enough for one day. "

"Yah!" shouted his master. "You are ready enough to come on Saturdaynight for your pay; but if I want anything a little extra done, where amI?--Here, give me the whip. " And he snatched it from the man's hand andwalked towards the great beast, half-hidden among the trees. 

"Say, you boys, " growled the driver, "if I was you I'd just be ready torun. You've only just got to dodge him. Stop and make sure which wayhe's going, and then get in among the trees. "

"Yes, quick: in amongst the trees, " cried Morris, and he set theexample. 

"Nay, " growled the man. "Not yet. Wait and see first which way hemeans to go. "

Morris set the example of running in another direction, followed by hisboys and by the voice of the driver. 

"Why, that's worse, " he cried. "That's about the way he'd go. "

"Then which--what--why--Here, what are you two laughing at?" This toGlyn, who was stamping about with delight. 

"Oh, I couldn't help it, sir, " cried the boy, and before he could saymore there was another loud crack of the whip as Ramball made his wayround behind his rebellious beast and shouted at him to "Come out ofthat. "

He had hardly uttered the words when there was a crashing and breakingof wood as if the elephant were making its way quickly through the treesin obedience to the command; and as the sounds ceased, the menagerieproprietor came staggering out without his handkerchief or whip, tostand in the middle of his men looking half-stunned and confused. 

"Did he ketch you, sir?" said the driver, with a laugh of satisfactionin his twinkling eyes. 

"Brought down his trunk across my back, " panted the proprietor. "Myword, he can hit hard!"

"Yes, sir; I know. Knocked me flat on my back, he did. "

"Knocked me on my face, " cried the proprietor angrily. "Look here, " hesaid, "is there any skin off my nose? I fell against a tree. "

"Took a little bit of the bark off, " grumbled the man, who did not seemat all sympathetic. "Hadn't you better let him fill hisself full, sir, and have a rest? He'll come easy, perhaps, then. "

"Do you want me to stand still here and see a devouring elephant go oneating till he ruins me? We must all join together and drive him out. "

"But he'll drive us out, sir, " said the man in a tone full ofremonstrance. 

"Then we must try again. I am not going to be beaten by a beast likethat. "

"Look here, my man, " said Morris, "hadn't you better tie him up to oneof the trees and leave him till to-morrow? They do this sort of thingabroad, I hear, by tying the elephant's legs or ankles to the trunks oftrees. "

"What!" shouted Ramball. "Why, he'd take them all up by the roots andgo cantering through the town, doing no end of mischief, with themhanging to his legs. Think I want to have to pay for the trees as wellas the apples?"

"Then--er--lasso him and lead him home. "

"Lass which, sir?"

"Lasso him, my man, with ropes. "

"Why, he ain't a wild ostrich of the desert, sir. Look at him!--Here, one on yer run off and fetch the longest cart-rope. This 'ere gentlemanwould like to have a try. "

The boys were roaring with laughter by this time, the mathematicalmaster's parasites joining in as heartily as Glyn and Singh. 

"Don't be rude, fellow, " said Morris. 

"Don't be rude?" cried Ramball, who was fuming with disappointment andrage. "Rude yourself. If you give me much more of your sarce I'll setthe animile at you. "

As this was proceeding, the elephant, whose taste for apples had beensatiated, came slowly out into the open, to stand bending and bowing hismassive head, which he swayed slowly from side to side and blinked andflapped his ears, as he watched the assembly with his little reddisheyes in a way which made the mathematical master grip Slegge by the arm. 

"I am getting uneasy, " he whispered, "about you boys. Don't run, butfollow me slowly back to the fence. Tell the other boys, and we will goat once. "

"Can't you coax him out, sir?" said Glyn, as he approached theproprietor. 

"No, I can't coax him out, " cried Ramball snappishly; "but you mind yourown business, I know mine. I have had enough of you putting your spoonsin my porridge. "

"Here, Mr Severn! Mr Singh!" shouted the mathematical master. "Thisway! We are going back to the college. " But he did not go far. 

"But I want to see the elephant brought out, sir, " replied Singh. "Heoughtn't to be left like this. He may do mischief. "

"Oh, now you've begun, have you?" yelped the proprietor, whose voice inhis anger had gradually reached the soprano. "I suppose you would liketo have a try?"

"Oh, I don't want to interfere, " replied Singh coolly. "Where do youwant the elephant to go?"

"Where do I want him to go? Why, home of course, before he does anymore mischief. I wish he was dead; that I do! And he shall be too. Here, Jem, run back to Number One--here's the key--and bring my rifleand the powder-flask and bullet-bag. I'm sick of him. He'll be killingsomebody before he's done--a beast!--Tigers is angels to him, sir, " hecontinued appealingly to Morris. "He's the wickedest elephant I eversee, and I've spent more on him in damages than I paid for him at first;but he's played his last prank, and if I can't drive him I canshoot. --'Member that lion, my lads, as killed the gentleman's hoss?"

"Ay, ay, ay!" came in a low murmured growl. 

"Got out, sir, " continued the proprietor, waving one hand aboutoratorically, and dabbing his bald head with his hand. "Here, some ofyou, where's my yellow handkerchy? Oh, I know; I left it in that thereapple-wood, and I'd lay sixpence, he's picked it up and swallowed itbecause it's yellow and he thinks it's the skin of a big orange. Gotout of his cage, he did, sir, that there lion--been fiddling all night, I suppose, at the bolts and bars--and we followed him up to where he gotin the loose-box of a gentleman's stable; and there was the poor horsedown--a beauty he was--and that there lion--Arena his name was--lying onhim with his face flattened out and teeth buried in the poor hoss'sthroat, so that when I got to the stable door there he was, all eyes andwhiskers, and growling at you like thunder. I knowed what my work was, sir, " continued the proprietor, addressing his conversation entirely toMorris, "and you can ask my men, sir; they was there. "

"Ay, ay, ay!" was growled. 

"It warn't the time for showing no white feathers when a lion's got hismonkey up like that. I brought my gun with me--fine old flint-lockrifle it is, and I got it now--and the next minute that there dead horsehad got a dead lion lying beside him. But I sold his skin to a gent fora ten-pun note, to have it stuffed, and it's in his front hall now, nearLungpuddle, in Lancashire. --Well, you, are you going to fetch that thererifle, or am I to fetch it myself?" he yelled at his man. 

"Oh, I wouldn't shoot him, guv'nor, " growled the man. 

"What's it got to do with you?" almost shrieked his master. 

"Oh, I aren't going to lose nothing, guv'nor, only a bit of a chum. He's knocked me about a bit, and tried to squeeze all the wind out of metwo or three times; but that was only his fun. I shouldn't like to seehim hurt. "

"Then perhaps you'd like to go and fetch him out of that there urcherd?"cried his master. 

"He aren't in, " said the man sturdily; "and if he were, no, thank you, to-day. To-morrow morning perhaps I shouldn't mind; but I do say thatit'd be a burning shame to shoot the finest elephant there is inEngland. The one at the Slogical Gardens in London is nothing to him, and you know, master, that that's the truth. "

"You fetch my rifle. "

"I wouldn't talk quite so loud, guv'nor, if I was you, " replied the man. "Elephants is what they call 'telligent beasts, and you don't know butwhat that there annymile is a-hearing every word you say and onlywaiting till I'm gone to make a roosh, knock you down, and do hiswar-dance all over you. "

"Hah! The same as they trample the life out of the tigers at home. "

Every one turned sharply upon the speaker, whose voice sounded clear andringing, as he stood there frowning angrily at the elephant's master. 

"Bah! Stuff!" cried the man in his high-pitched voice. "I have readanecdotes about animals, and I know all them stories by heart. Theylook as if they could; but them beasts can't think, and the stories areall lies. --You be off and fetch that rifle before I send somebody else;and look here, Jem, if you don't obey my orders you take a fortnight'snotice to quit from next Saturday, when you are paid. "

"Then you are going to shoot the elephant, " cried Glyn, "because youdon't know how to manage him?"

"What!" half-shrieked the man. "Here, I say, where do you go to school?Things are coming to a pretty pass when boys like you begin teachingme, who've been nigh forty year in the wild-beast trade! What next?"

"Glyn Severn's right, " said Singh sternly. 

"Here's another of them!" cried the man, looking round from face toface. 

"Quite right, " continued Singh. "Why, the poorest coolie in my father'sdominions would manage one of the noble beasts far better. "

"Ho!" said Ramball sarcastically. "Then perhaps the biggest swell outof my father's dominions would like to show me how to do it himself. "

"I don't know that I can, " said Singh quietly; "but I dare say the poorbeast would obey me if I tried. "

"Oh, pray try, then, sir. --Only, look here, governor, " continued theman, addressing Morris, who was not far off, "I don't know whether he'syour son or your scholar--I wash my hands of it. I warn you; he's avicious beast, and I aren't a-going to pay no damages if my youngcock-a-hoop comes to grief. "

Singh laughed a curious, disdainful laugh. Then he took a step in thedirection of the elephant, but Glyn caught him by the arm. 

"Don't do that, Glyn, " said the boy quietly. "I don't believe he wouldhurt me. Come with me if you like. You know what he'll do if he'sgoing to be savage, and you run one way and I'll run the other. "

This was in a low voice, unheard by any one but him for whom it wasintended; and the next moment, amidst a profound hush, the two boysmoved towards the elephant, who was swaying his head slowly from side toside, and looking "ugly, " as the man Jem afterwards said. 

Then out of the silence, urged by a sense of duty, Morris cried in aharsh, cracked, emotional voice, not in the least like his own, "Severn!Prince! Come back! What are you going to do?"

His last words came as if he were half-choked, and then like the rest hestood gazing, with a strange clammy moisture gathering in his hands andupon his brow, for as the two boys drew near, the elephant suddenlyraised its head, threw up its trunk, and uttered a shrill trumpetingsound. 

As the defiant cry ceased, Singh stepped forward in advance of hiscompanion, and shouted a few words in Hindustani. 

The elephant lowered its trunk and stood staring at the boy, as ifwonderingly, before coming slowly forward in its heavy, ponderous way, crashing down the green herbage beneath the orchard trees, and its greatgrey bulk parting the twigs of a tree that stood alone, and beneathwhose shade the monster stopped. 

The boys stood still now, and Singh uttered a short, sharp order inHindustani once more. 

Instantly, but in a slow, ponderous way, the great beast slowlysubsided, kneeling in the long grass, while Singh went up quite close, with the animal watching him sharply the while, and laying out its trunkpartly towards him, so that when close up the boy planted one of hisfeet in the wrinkling folds of the monstrous nose, caught hold of thehuge flapping ear beside him, climbed quickly up, and the next minutewas astride the tremendous neck and uttering another command in theIndian tongue. The result was that the elephant raised its earsslightly so that Singh could nestle his legs beneath; and as he settledhimself in position a merry smile spread about his lips. 

"Come on, Glyn, " he cried. "It's all right. Take my hand. "

Glyn obeyed, and as if fully accustomed to the act, he rapidly climbedup and settled himself behind his companion. 

There was another sharp order, and the great beast slowly heaved himselfup, muttering thunder, and grumbling the while. 

"Well, I _am_ blessed!" cried the proprietor. "You, Jem, did you eversee such a game as this?"

The man addressed did not say a word, but gave one thigh a tremendousslap, while the elephant stretched out his trunk towards them, took astep or two in their direction, and uttered a squeal. 

Singh shouted out a few words angrily, and the long serpent-like trunkhung pendent once again, with the tip curled up inward so that it shouldnot brush the ground. 

"Now then, " cried Singh to the proprietor, "where do you want him togo?"

"Right up into the show-field, squire, " cried the man excitedly. "Thinkyou can take him?"

"Try, " replied the boy with a scornful laugh; "but I ought to have an_ankus_. But never mind, I can do it with words. --I say, Glyn, " hecontinued, speaking over his left shoulder, "we are going to ride in theprocession after all. If the Colonel knew, what would he say?"

"But--but--" cried Morris. "My dear boys, pray, pray come down! Thinkof the consequences to yourselves--and what will be said to me. "

"Oh, it's all right, Mr Morris, " cried Glyn confidently; "we must takethe elephant now. Singh and I have ridden on elephants hundreds oftimes, though we have never acted the parts of mahouts. --There, go on, Mr What's-your-name, and Singh here will make him carry us back rightto where you wish. "

There was no further opposition. In fact, it would have been a bold manwho would have dared to offer any; but the proprietor came as close ashe thought prudent, panting hard, as the huge beast swept along in itsstately stride. 

"I beg your pardons, young gents--beg your pardons! Honour bright, sirs, I didn't know. Oh, thank you; thank you kindly. You are savingme a hundred pounds at least, and if you'd like a nice silver watchapiece, or a monkey, or a parrot, only say the word, and you shall havethe pick of the collection. And look here, gentlemen, I'll give youboth perpetual passes to my show. "

"Thank you! thank you!" Glyn shouted back. "We will come and see it;"while Singh sat as statuesque as a native mahout, and an imaginativeAnglo-Indian would have forgotten his Eton costume and pictured him inwhite cotton and muslin turban; while, as they neared the greatelm-trees where the gap showed grimly in the fence and the boughs hunglow, the amateur driver uttered a warning cry in Hindustani, with theresult that his great steed threw up its trunk, twined it round apendent branch that was in their way, snapped it off, and trampled itunder foot. 

CHAPTER SEVEN. 

"SALAAM, MAHARAJAH!"

The menagerie proprietor hurriedly led the way straight across thecricket-field; for, full of excitement, he was eager to get right awaywith the depredating animal before the owner of the damaged fence andorchard came upon the scene. 

"I can talk to him better when I get on my own ground, " he said tohimself; and, making straight for the gap in the Doctor's hedge, theelephant, in obedience to word after word from his mahout, followed withlong, swinging strides. 

There was a crowd outside the hedge in the road, and they would havebeen across the field long before; but, in obedience to an order fromthe Doctor, Wrench was on guard and kept them back. His ratherdifficult task ceased as the elephant drew near, for the crowd scatteredto avoid the monster, and the Doctor's man gave way too, the onlydifference being that the little mob drew away outside the hedge whilethe man made way in; for, seeing who were mounted on the great animal'sneck, he ran towards the house to meet the Doctor, who, followed by theother masters, was now coming toward the gap with a small opera-glass inhis hand. 

"Here, Joseph, " he cried breathlessly, "am I right? Are those two of mypupils?"

"Yes, sir; a-riding striddling on the elephant's neck. "

"Dangerous! Madness! So undignified too! What will people think? Runand tell them to get off directly and come to me. "

The man hurriedly retraced his steps; but before he could reach the gapin the hedge the elephant strode through and out into the road, and theDoctor and his aides hurried back into the house to reach one of thefront windows just as, headed by the proprietor and followed by a crowd, the elephant strode by, the two boys taking off their caps to salutethose at the window. 

The Doctor turned with a look of blank amazement upon his countenance, to stare for a few moments at the classical and French masters, who hadfollowed him in. 

"Gentlemen, " he exclaimed angrily, "did you ever see such extraordinarybehaviour in your lives? Oh, this must be stopped!"

But it was not stopped, for the elephant was striding away along themain street of the town, with a crowd regathering as they saw that thepowerful monster seemed to be well under control; while the boys, nowthoroughly enjoying their exciting ride, needed no persuasion fromRamball to keep their places and take their mount right up to theshow-field, where several of the yellow vans were already in place, their drivers having commenced the formation of the oblong square whichwas to form the show. 

Here, shortly afterwards, the elephant stopped of its own volition closeto a great iron picket which was being driven into the soft earth, andby which a truss of hay had been placed ready for its refection. 

Here, as the elephant stood still, it paid no heed to a couple ofRamball's men, who in obedience to their master's orders set to work tofasten a strong chain to the monster's leg and attach it to the ironpicket. 

For, evidently satisfied with its fruity lunch, and calmed down from theexcitement brought on by the accident, possibly too from a certainfeeling of satisfaction at hearing the native tongue of some old mahoutringing in its great ears, the huge beast now began to take mattersaccording to its old routine. It commenced by gathering up portions ofthe hay, which it loosened with its trunk, sniffing at it audibly, andthen beginning to scatter it about, the boys making no attempt to quittheir lofty perch. 

"Here, one of you, bring a bucket of water, " cried Ramball. "He ain'thungry now. Don't let him waste that hay. Have you fastened thechain?"

Without waiting for the men to answer, the menagerie proprietor examinedthe great fetters himself. 

"Look sharp, " he shouted; "quick with that water before he spoils allthe hay. "

One man had hurried off to the pump with a couple of empty buckets, while the others seized upon the truss which the elephant wasdisturbing, but only to drop it directly, for the captive just lightlywaved its trunk right and left, and the men were sent flying indifferent directions. 

_Phoompf_ snorted the tyrant, and immediately went on picking up andscattering the hay all around it, thickly covering the grass. 

"Well, I suppose we had better get down now, hadn't we?" cried Glyn. 

"Yes, sir--no, sir. Just wait a little bit, please, " cried Ramball. "You're a-keeping of him quiet; only I don't want this 'ere to be made afree gratus exhibition for everybody to see. It's a cutting off myprofits. Hi, there, some of you! why don't you shut them gates?" heshouted to certain of his men who were driving in the latter half of theline of yellow vans. 

"Can't get the rest in if we do, sir, " came back. 

"No, of course they can't, " grunted their master, looking up at the twolads. "Things is going awkward to-day, and no mistake. --Oh, here comesthe water, " he continued, speaking now to Singh. "I dare say that willcool him down. Just say a word to him, sir, and tell him to drink. "

"Tell the men to put the buckets down before him, " replied Singh; and asthe water-bearer drew near the elephant evidently scented the refreshingfluid, and uttered a sonorous snort. 

Directly after, as the man nervously set down the brimming buckets, anxiously watching the waving trunk the while, and leaping away as hesaw it coming towards him, the tip of the great hose-like organ wasthrust into the first vessel, there was a low sound of suction as manyquarts were drawn up, and then the end was curled under, thrust rightback into the huge creature's mouth, and then there was a loud squirtingsound like a fire-engine beginning to play to put out the animal'sburning thirst. 

Back went the trunk into the bucket again, the curving inward followedfor a second discharge, there was repetition, till in a very brief spacethe first bucket was empty, and then, with a disdainful swing of thetrunk, the vessel was sent flying, and the emptying of the secondcommenced, to be ended by the satiated beast picking it up to hold it onhigh as if to drain out the last drops, and then begin to swing it toand fro as if to hurl it at its master. 

"Hah-h-h-h-ah!" cried Singh, and the great creature ceased swinging thebucket to and fro, and dropped it on the hay. 

"Come, Singh, we have had enough of this, " cried Glyn impatiently. "Let's get back, or we shall be having the Doctor sending to see whathas become of us. "

"Don't you be afraid about that, young gentlemen, " cried Ramball. "I'llspeak up for you both. "

"Thank you, " said Glyn drily; "but you've done with us now. "

"Done with you, young gentlemen! I only wish you'd stop and join mytroupe. I'll make it right and pleasant for you, and be glad too. Payyou better, too, than any one else would when you leave school. Why, bless your heart, you--the dark one I'm talking to--if you like to comeI'll spend any amount up to a hundred pounds for getting you a thoroughIndian corstume all muslin and gold, and a turban with jewels in it--imitations, of course, it wouldn't run to real, but the best as is to behad--with a plume of feathers too, ready for you to ride in processionsame as you did to-day. What do you say?"

"Yes, Singh, " cried Glyn laughing, as he sat close behind his companion, and catching him by the shoulders he began to shake him to and fro. "There's an offer for you. What do you say?"

"I am going to get down, " said Singh with a haughty curve to his lip. "Well, I won't tell him I'm not an English boy. " Then sharply resuminghis native tongue, he uttered an order which made the great beast kneeldown in the hay with its trunk stretched straight out before it, andraising its ears a little, ready for its two riders to climb downforwards and spring off. 

"Ha!" cried Singh, as he approached close to the elephant and plantedhis right foot upon the upper portion of its trunk. "I should ratherlike to have you, " he said, speaking softly, so that his words onlyreached his companion's ear. "You are the first in England to show methat you know what I am. "

"But you can't have him, Singh, " said Glyn laughing. "No more elephantstill we get back to Dour, and that won't be for years to come. "

"No, " said the boy sadly; "that will not be for years to come. --Huh!" hecried to the elephant, as he removed his foot and drew back. "You're afine old beast after all. "

The monster rose at his command, and stood blinking at him and swinginghis trunk to and fro. 

"Mind, sir!" shouted Ramball, who had been looking on anxiously. "Don'tyou trust him. He's brewing mischief. He always is when he looks quietlike that; and the way he can knock you over with that trunk--my word!"

"Oh, he's not going to knock me over with his trunk, " said Singh, smiling; and, uttering a few words in Hindustani, he stood close up tothe elephant and reached one hand up to its great ear and laid the otherupon its trunk. 

"Salaam, Maharajah!" he cried, and the animal threw up its head, curledup its trunk, and trumpeted loudly, before going down upon its kneesbefore the lad. 

"Good! Up again!" cried Singh in Hindustani, and added a few morewords, the result of which was that the monster stood calmly by itsgreat picket-peg, making its chain jingle as it began slowly swaying itshead from side to side again. 

"Well done, sir!" cried Ramball. "Thank you, sir. You'll shake handswith me, won't you?"

"Oh yes, " said Singh quietly; "I'll shake hands, " and he extended hisown. 

"You are a gentleman and no mistake, " cried the man. "I say, think thatoffer of mine over. I'll make it worth your while. I will, honourbright!"

Singh shook his head gravely, and there was a mocking smile upon hislip. 

"No, no, thank you, " he said. "I am going back to school, and some dayback to India; but I should like to come and see you and the elephantagain. "

"Of course you would, sir, and come you shall, " cried Ramball. "Perpetual passes! You don't want no pass. Just you show your facehere, both of you, whenever you like, and bring as many of yourschoolmates with you too, and you will be as welcome as the flowers ofMay. Look here, young gentlemen, I am going to keep the show open herefor three days, and then we go off to my farm three miles out of thetown to lay up for a bit of rest and do repairs, and get the animalsinto condition, before we take the road again. You come and see methere, and pick out what you'd like to have, monkeys or parrots, as Isaid. I don't offer you anything big, because I don't suppose you couldkeep it at school; but I have got some of the amusingest little monkeysyou ever see, and a parrot as can talk--when he likes, mind you, "continued the man, laying a fat finger against his nose, "and that ain'talways. But when he is in the temper for it he can say anything, andyou wouldn't know but what it was a human being. --Going, gentlemen?"

"Yes, we are going now, " said Singh. 

"Yes, it's time we were off, " said Glyn; "but I say, Mr Ramball, whatabout that rifle?"

"Rifle? Oh, you mean my gun?"

"Yes, " said Glyn. "You don't mean to shoot that grand beast?"

"Shoot him, sir? Not me. It put me in such a temper and made me saythat. But, young gentlemen, do think over what I said. Why, if youjoined my troupe, I'm blessed if I wouldn't buy another as big as him, and then you'd have a elephant apiece. "

CHAPTER EIGHT. 

DOCTOR BEWLEY CHANGES SIDES. 

As the two lads reached the main street, chatting over their adventure, something occurred which made Glyn turn his head sharply, and as he didso a small boy shouted, "Hooray!"

It was the little spark applied to the touch-hole of a cannon, and aloud roar followed. 

"Here, let's go back, " cried Singh. "The Rajah's broken loose again. "

"No, no, " cried Glyn. "They are shouting at us. "

"What for? What have we done?"

"I suppose it's because we rode the elephant. Here, come along; let'sturn down here and get round by the fields. "

The young Indian generally gave way to his English friend; and, obeyingdirectly, they hurried down the first turning, but in vain. A crowd ofmen and boys were after them, cheering loudly, and this crowd wassnowball-like in the way in which the farther it rolled the more itgrew. So that in spite of all their efforts they were literally huntedright up to the Doctor's gates, where they arrived hot and breathless tofind a larger crowd than before which had gathered to satisfy themselveswith the rather empty view of the damaged hedge, the big footmarks, anda wheelwright and some of Ramball's men getting the great bottomlesselephant-van into condition for dragging to the show-field. 

As soon as the two boys came in sight there was a rush made for them, and amidst deafening cheering and vain efforts to hoist themshoulder-high and carry them into the playground, they managed to reachthis resort at last, and join their schoolfellows in keeping out theexcited mob, some of whom, the youngest of course, began to decorate thebrick wall with their persons like so many living statues. And then tothe two lads' disgust, the whole school, with the exception of Slegge, and half-a-dozen of his party who wanted to join in the ovation but didnot dare in the presence of their tyrant, began to cheer them as loudlyas the boys without. Several of the younger juniors began to idolisethem in a very juvenile way by hanging on to them, slapping their backs, and shaking hands. 

Altogether it was a strange mingling of the pleasant and unpleasant, theformer predominating with Singh, who for the first time since he hadjoined the school found himself thoroughly liked. 

Slegge and his following stood aloof, the latter listening to theformer's sneering remarks, some of which reached Glyn and made him feelhot; while just in the midst of the loudest cheering, Wrench theman-servant made his appearance, followed by a big tom-cat which passedmost of its time in the pantry rubbing its head against Wrench's legswhile he was cleaning the plate or washing tea-cups, probably ingratitude for past favours. When it was a kitten some young Plymboroughroughs had hurled it into the little river, and were making of it whatthey termed a "cockshy, " pelting it with stones, fortunatelyineffectually, and trying to beat it under water, when the Doctor'sfootman, who was crossing the bridge, saw what was going on and made anunexpected charge upon the young ruffians, effectually scattering them. One tripped and fell headlong into the river, out of which he crawled asthoroughly wet as the unhappy little kitten, which Wrench received as itswam ashore, rolled up in his handkerchief and took home to his pantry, where it grew rapidly, waxed fat, and was never so happy as when itcould find a chance to rub its head against its master. 

Hard on Wrench's heels came also one Sam Grigg, page-boy, who onparticular occasions wore a livery jacket with three rows of platedpill-like buttons, but who was now in the fatigue-dress of rolled-upshirt sleeves and a very dirty apron, while his left-hand was occupiedby a boot, the right by a blacking-brush, which seemed to have beenapplied several times to an itching nose, his chin, and one side of hisface, rather accounting for the plural nickname given him by the boys of"Day & Martin. "

These had come out to join in the ovation, Wrench adding several proudencomiums, one of which was, "My eyes, gentlemen! You did do it fine!"

The Doctor's footman had hardly uttered these words when there was theloud ringing of a bell. 

"The Doctor!" he ejaculated, and he hurried into the house, his exitfrom the playground being followed by a fresh burst of cheering and apeculiar triumphant dance on the part of the page, accompanied by thewaving of boot and blacking-brush, till, in his disgust, Slegge made arush at him from behind, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, and ranhim rapidly to the boot-house, sent him flying in with a savage kick, and banged the door after him. 

"A blackguard!" he cried haughtily. "That's why our boots are not halfcleaned. How dare he! The dirty, contemptible scrub! The Doctor oughtto be told of this. "

Slegge stood sniffing and snorting and glaring round fiercely at theworshippers of the two heroes of the hour, who stood flushed andworried, ready to beat a retreat to the dormitory. 

But an end was put to their reception in a very unexpected way, forWrench suddenly made his appearance, looking very solemn as he hurriedoff to the two lads with, "The Doctor wants to see you both, sirs, directly, in the study. "

Slegge's face lit up with a malicious grin. 

"Haw, haw!" he laughed. "Three cheers, boys! The Doctor wants to seethem both in his study. Impositions! Hooray! Cheer, you littlebeggars! Why don't you cheer?"

The adjuration fell flat, for not a boy uttered a sound, save one whoexclaimed, "Oh, what a shame!" and then went off to the cricket-field, trying hard, poor little fellow! to suppress the natural desire to cryout and sob, for Slegge had "fetched him, " as he termed it, a soundingslap upon the cheek, which echoed in the silence and cut the boy's lipsagainst a sharp white tooth. 

"What's the Doctor want?" whispered Singh, as they followed the footmaninto the house. 

"A wigging, I'm afraid, gentlemen, " said the man who heard his words. "But don't you mind. You write out your lines and do your impositionlike men. It was fine! What you did this morning has made every onethink no end of you, and it will never be forgotten so long as this'ere's a school. "

A tap of the knuckles, which sounded hollow and strange, for they hadreached the study-door. 

"Come in!" in the Doctor's deepest and most severe tones, and the nextmoment the two boys were standing separated from their preceptor by thelarge study-table, while he sat back in his revolving chair with hisfinger-tips joined, frowning at them severely from beneath his up-pushedgold-rimmed spectacles. 

There was silence for quite a minute, and it was not the Doctor whospoke first, but Glyn, who, under the impression that the Doctor wasdeep in thought and had forgotten their presence, ventured to say, "Ibeg your pardon, sir; you sent for us, " and put an end to the mentaldebate as to the form in which the subject should be approached. 

"Yes, sir, " said the Doctor sternly. "I have sent for you both, as itis better that any lapse from the strict rules of my establishmentshould be dealt with immediately; not that I wish to be too severe, foryou are both new pupils and strange to the regulations of a high-classschool in England. You gather, of course, that I am alluding to yourvery undignified conduct in the sight of all your fellow-pupils. "

"Yes, sir, " said Glyn; "about our riding the elephant?"

"Of course. It was disgraceful. You, to whom I should have looked forthe conduct and demeanour of a gentleman, being the son of an eminentofficer in the army, behaving like some little common street-boy, andleading your fellow-pupil, in whom from his ignorance of English customsand etiquette such a lapse might be excused. It was only the other daythat your father the Colonel, sir, told me that you would set an exampleto the young Prince, and here I find you directly snatching at theopportunity to behave as you have done. "

"I beg your pardon, sir, " cried Glyn, in a voice full of protest, "itwas--"

"Silence, sir!--Yes, what is it?" cried the Doctor angrily, for therewas a quick tap at the door, and the footman appeared. "Have I not toldyou, sir, that when I am engaged like this I am not to be interrupted?--Eh? Who?"

"That showman, sir, wants to see you, sir. "

"That showman?" cried the Doctor angrily. "What showman? What about?"

"Come about the damages, sir; the broken fences. He said he wouldn'tkeep you a moment, sir, if you would see him. "

"Oh, " said the Doctor, cooling down. "Yes, the damages, the torn-uphedge and the broken fence. A most annoying affair. You can sit down, gentlemen, while I dismiss this man. --Where is he, Wrench?"

"In the hall, sir; on the mat. "

"Ho!" said the Doctor, rising; and he marched slowly out, leaving theboys looking at one another and then at the busts of the great scholarsof Greece and Rome ranged at intervals upon the cornices of thebookcases that covered the study-walls. 

Neither felt disposed to speak, for an inner door stood ajar, and fromthe other side came the faintly heard scratching noise of a pen. 

And so in silence some ten minutes or so passed before the Doctor camein, looking very different of aspect and ready to sign to the boys tosit down again as they rose at his entrance. 

"A most unpleasant business, young gentlemen, " he began, as he seatedhimself; and sinking back he removed his spectacles, folded them, andused them to tap his knee; "but in justice to you I must hasten to saythat this man's coming has given a very different complexion to theaffair. A very strange, uncultured personage, but most straightforwardand honest. I like the way in which he has offered to bear all theexpense of repairing the fences. He speaks most highly of yourgallantry--er--er--er--pluck, he called it--most objectionable phrase!--in dealing with this savage beast. H'm, yes, what did he say--tacklingit. But I was not aware that you had engaged in roping or harnessingthe animal. He, however, talked of your both managing the monsterwonderfully, and--er--it had never occurred to me before that you hadboth had some experience of elephants in India. "

"Oh yes, sir, " cried Glyn eagerly. "Singh has elephants of his own, andwe often used to go out together through the forest upon one as big asthat. "

"Ha! Very interesting, " cried the Doctor. "I was under the impressionthat your proceedings this morning were--that is--in fact, that you bothdid it just for the sake of a ride. "

"Oh no, sir, " cried Glyn. "The men were all afraid of the elephant, andSingh spoke to it in Hindustani, and--"

"Yes, yes, exactly, " said the Doctor, smiling. "It was very brave, and--really, I cannot conceal the fact that I felt alarmed myself whenthe great furious beast came charging across the grounds. Yes, hespeaks highly in praise of your conduct, and really, young gentlemen, I--I must apologise for having spoken to you as I did while sufferingfrom a misunderstanding. Er--hum!" continued the Doctor didactically, and he rose slowly to stand waving the gold spectacles through the air, "it is the duty of every gentleman when he finds that he is in the wrongto acknowledge the fact with dignity and good grace. My dear youngpupils, I hope I have properly expressed myself towards you both; andlet me add that this will be a lesson to us, to me, against speaking inundue haste, and to you both as--er--

"Well, gentlemen, " he continued with a smile, "I don't think I needdetain you longer from your studies--I mean--er--from your pleasurablepursuits, as this is a holiday, and we will consider the incident asclosed. "

Smiling benignantly, the Doctor marched slowly round the end of thetable again, shook hands warmly with both his pupils, and then showedthem to the door. 

"Stop! By the way, a little idea has occurred to me. This is a day ofrelaxation. Mr Singh--er--it is an understood thing, as you know, thatyour title is to be in abeyance while you are my pupil; for, as Iexplained to your guardian, Colonel Severn, it would be better thatthere should be no invidious distinctions during your scholasticcareer--I should be glad if you and your friend the Colonel's son woulddine with me this evening. No dinner-party, but just to meet your threepreceptors and a Mr--dear me, what was his name? Really, gentlemen, Iam so deeply immersed in my studies that names escape me in a mostprovoking manner. A gentleman resident in the town here--a Sanskritscholar, and friend of Mr Morris. Dear me! What was his name? Therewas something familiar about it, and I made a mental note, _memoriatechnica_, to be sure, yes--what was it? I remember the word perfectlynow. `Beer. ' Dear me, how strange! And it doesn't help me a bit. Really, gentlemen, I am afraid this _memoria technica_ is a mistake. How, by any possibility could the name of the ordinary beverage of theworking classes have anything to do with the professor's name?Professor Beer--Professor Ale--Professor Porter--Stout? Dear me, howstrange! Ah, of course--the great brewers, Barclay--Professor Barclay!At half-past six. "

"Thank you, sir. We will come, " said Singh, smiling. 

"Precisely, " said the Doctor, and he stood smiling in the doorway as theboys passed out. 

They were at the end of the hall passage when the door closed, andWrench shot out from somewhere like a Jack from its box. 

"Aren't caught it very bad, gentlemen, have you?" he cried eagerly. 

"Oh no, Wrench, " said Glyn, smiling. 

"Thought not, sir, for the Doctor had got a twinkle in his eye when he'ddone with the wild-beast man. It would have been hard if you'd caughtit after what you did. Pst! There's the study-bell. " And the manhurried away, leaving the culprits to stroll out together into theplayground, where they found fully half the boys waiting to hear theresult of their interview with the Doctor, Slegge and his courtiershurrying up first. 

"Well, beast-tamers, " he cried sneeringly, "how many lines of Latin haveyou got to do?" And he grinned offensively at them both. 

"When?" said Glyn coolly. 

"When? Why, now, at once. "

"We haven't got any lines of Latin to do, " said Singh quietly. "To-dayis a holiday. "

"For us, " cried Slegge; "but I know the Doctor. You have both got apretty stiff dose to do, my fine fellows, and I wish you joy. "

"Thank you, " said Glyn; "but you are all in the wrong. "

"Wrong? Then what did the Doctor say to you?"

"Oh, " said Glyn, in a most imperturbable manner, fighting hard thewhile, though, to keep his countenance as he realised the strength ofthe shot he was about to send at his malicious persecutor, "he askedSingh and me to come and meet the masters and dine with him to-night. "

CHAPTER NINE. 

THE NEW PROFESSOR. 

"Let 'em go, " snarled Slegge to his courtiers. "It's only another wayof getting a hard lesson. I know what the Doctor's dinner-parties are. Let the stuck-up young brutes go. But if I wasn't about to leave theblessed old school I would jolly soon let the Doctor know that this sortof thing won't do. The old humbug told me once that fairplay was ajewel. I don't call it fairplay to be currying favour with a new boybecause he's an Indian prince. Indian prince, indeed! Indian bear--cub; that's what I call him, with his leader, currying favour like that!Ha, ha! Ho, ho! Haw, haw!"

This was a melodramatic laugh of the most sarcastic description, prefatory to the letting off of a very ponderous joke. "Currying!Indian curry! That's what he was brought up on. Curry and rice insteadof pap. Look at the colour of his skin. But only wait a bit, "continued Slegge darkly. "Just wait till the right time comes, and I'lllet you all see. "

But the Doctor's dinner-party was not quite so ponderous and learned asusual, for the incidents of the day formed the main topic ofconversation. The Doctor was in high good-humour, and naturally feltrather proud of his pupils. They had distinguished themselves, and inso doing had distinguished him and his school, and the consequence wasthat the masters readily took up the subject and were most warm andfriendly to the two lads, the other guest in particular, ProfessorBarclay, as Morris took care that he should be called, much to theannoyance of the classical master, who looked at the new-comer, Morris'sfriend, rather suspiciously, regarding him as one likely to poach uponhis preserves. 

During the dinner, the Professor had much to say about Sanskrit, military colleges, and India, and was very attentive to Singh and Glyn, but found the boys quiet and retiring in the extreme. 

All, however, seemed to be enjoying themselves but Mr Rampson, who grewmore uneasy and suspicious over the coffee, pricking up his ears as hebent over his cup and kept on stirring it, but without drinking, whilethe Doctor and the Professor were talking together as if discussing somesubject in a low tone. 

The fact must be recorded against the classical teacher that he waseavesdropping, ungentlemanly as it may sound; but the only thing thatreached his ears was the conclusion of the conversation, when the Doctorsaid, raising his voice slightly, "Certainly, Mr Barclay, I shall giveevery attention to your testimonials; but my staff of preceptors iscomplete, and I have always considered Greek and Latin sufficient for mypupils, of course with the modern languages thrown in. "

The Professor thanked the Doctor effusively, and in the course of theevening contrived to fix himself like a burr upon Singh, while MrRampson made an effort and secured Glyn to himself, jealously takingcare that the stranger guest and friend, it seemed, of Morris should notmonopolise both the boys. 

"It's all a plot, " said Rampson to himself--"all a scheme to oust me, and I'll never forgive Morris so long as I live. --I say, " he said aloud, "that Mr Barclay seems to have a deal to say to your friend the Prince. Do you know what they are talking about?"

"India, and Sanskrit, and catching elephants, " replied Glyn. "Has hebeen out in India?"

"Oh, don't ask me, " said Rampson with asperity; then correcting himselfquickly, and with a rather ghastly smile, "I say, you two diddistinguish yourselves to-day. "

"Oh, did we, sir?" said Glyn, who looked rather tired and bored. "Please don't say more about it. "

"Oh no, of course not, if you don't want to hear it. But your frienddoesn't seem to mind. Why, the Professor's taking him out into thegarden, and the Prince is talking to him as hard as ever he can. Yes, he doesn't seem to mind. "

"No, " replied Glyn, as he saw Singh, in obedience to a gesture from hisnew acquaintance, sit down upon one of the garden-seats, and for thenext quarter of an hour the boy was talking in quite an animated way, and evidently answering questions put to him by the Professor. 

The evening soon glided away, and the boys gladly thanked their host andretired to their own room, utterly wearied out by the events of the day. 

As a rule, they lay for some time carrying on conversation anddiscussing the next day's work; but that night very little was said, andthe only thing worth recording was a few sentences that were spoken andresponded to by Singh in the midst of yawns. 

"Talking about India and Sanskrit?" said Glyn. 

"Oh yes; he asked me all sorts of questions about Dour, and he asked meif I had ever seen Sanskrit letters. "

"Well?"

"And I told him I had, and he shook his head and asked me where I hadseen them. "

"Well, what did you say?"

"That I had got some precious stones in my box with some Sanskritletters cut in. "

"Why, you never were so stupid as to tell him about that belt?"

"I don't know that there's anything stupid in it, " replied Singhsleepily. "I didn't want him to think I was so ignorant as not to knowabout a language that your father can read as easily as English, and hastalked to us about scores of times. Why, of course, I did. "

"Well, of all the old _Dummkopfs_ I ever knew, you are the stupidest. Didn't I tell you that--" _Snore_. 

"Why, if he isn't asleep!"

Almost the next moment Glyn was in the same state. 

CHAPTER TEN. 

"ENGLISH GENTLEMEN DON'T FIGHT LIKE THAT. "

The next morning the men sent by Ramball, the proprietor of theworld-famed menagerie, were busy at work first thing repairing hedge andfence; and everything was so well done, and such prompt payment made forthe estimated damages to the neighbouring orchard, that when apetition-like appeal for patronage was made by Ramball, the owner of theorchard attended with wife, family, and friends; and the Doctor gavepermission to the whole school to be present, being moved also, as hetold the lads in a brief address, to go himself with the masters andsupport a very worthy enterprise for the diffusion of natural historythroughout the country. The visits were paid to the great yellow-walledprison, and Ramball, in his best blue coat, the one with the basket-worktreble-gilt buttons, attended on the Doctor himself to explain thepeculiarities of the beasts and give their history in his own fashion. 

This was peculiar, and did not in any way resemble a zoological lecture. Still, it was an improvement upon the wild-beast showman of theold-fashioned fairs, and he did not inform his listeners that the tigerwas eight feet six inches long from the tip of his nose to the end ofhis tail, and exactly eight feet four inches long from the tip of histail to the end of his nose. Neither did he impart knowledge, likeanother of his craft, and tell people that the boa-constrictor wasso-called because he constructed such pleasing images with hisserpentine form. But he did inform them that the monstrous reptile hepossessed--one which, by the way, was only nine feet long--was alwaysfurnished in the cold weather with sawdust into which he could burrow, on account of the peculiarity always practised by creatures of its kindof swallowing its own blankets; and he did deliver an eulogy on his bigblack bear, and encourage the young gentlemen to furnish it with buns;but he did not confess to the fact that it was his most profitableanimal, from the circumstance of his letting it out on hire for so manymonths in the year to a hairdresser in Bloomsbury, who used, accordingto his advertisements, to kill it regularly once a week and exhibit itin butcherly fashion hung up and spread open outside his shop, so thatpassers-by might see its tremendous state of fatness: "Another fat bearkilled this morning. "

It was in the days when the British public were intense believers inbear's grease as the producer of hair, and no one troubled himself orherself to investigate the precise configuration of the exhibited animaland compare it when hung up, decapitated, and shorn of its feet, withthe ordinary well-fatted domestic pig, albeit the illusion was kept upby its being possible to see through the gratings outside theshop-window Ramball's black bear still "all alive-o, " parading andsnuffling up and down in the area. 

Glyn and Singh were there, of course, and responded to Ramball's almostobsequious advances with good-humoured tolerance; but while he was withthe Doctor the boys took notes together, laughing with a good deal ofcontempt at the poor miserable specimens--the tiger and two leopards--compared with those they had seen in their native beauty and grace ofoutline in the forests of Dour. 

They met one friend there, though, chained by a leg to the massive ironpeg, as he stood swinging his great head from side to side, andstretching out his enormous trunk for the contributions supplied by theboys. 

They were welcomed most effusively by the great beast, which recognisedthem at once, and it was only by its attention being taken up by itskeeper, the man who had driven the bottomless van, that the boys gotaway without being followed by their new friend, which had manifested adisposition to drag the peg out of the ground and follow them like adog. 

It was while the Doctor was delivering an impromptu disquisition uponthe peculiarities of the one-horned rhinoceros and the slightresemblance given by the folds of its monstrous hide to the shell of aturtle, that Ramball followed the two boys and made signs to them tocome to the other end of the great van-walled booth, when he asked themif they had considered his proposition. 

"I never made such an offer before in my life, young gents. It's a good'un. Don't you let it slide. "

But the boys were saved the pain of telling the man that it was quiteout of the question by the coming up of the guest at the Doctor'sdinner, Professor Barclay, who was effusively civil to Glyn, andfastened himself upon Singh to talk of Indian matters and language tillthe visit came to an end. 

Just before leaving, Ramball came up to them again, but he had to speakin the presence of the Doctor. 

"I only wanted to ask the young gents, sir, " he said, "if they had madetheir choice of the two little somethings to keep in remembrance of whatthey did over the elephant. "

"Two little somethings?" said the Doctor loftily. "I am quite sure, sir, that my pupils do not wish to take any two little somethings as agift from you. "

"No, no, sir, not what you call gifts; but just a couple of littletrifles as I asked them to pick out. "

"Oh, no, no, " cried the Doctor. "It is not necessary, my man, and wehave no room for such things in my establishment. "

"Ah, excuse me, sir, " said the man eagerly; "you are thinking I meansomething big and awkward; but a nice little monkey, sir, or a bird?"

"Monkeys don't want monkeys, " said Slegge, in a whisper to Burney, justloud enough for Glyn to hear, and making him turn sharply upon thespeaker. 

"Have a baboon, Severn, " said Slegge maliciously, for he met the boy'sflashing eyes. 

"What for?" said Glyn coolly. 

"Oh, I don't know, " continued Slegge, after a glance at the boys around, who burst into a low series of titters. "I would if I were you. There's a nice brotherly look about that one in the cage, and he hasn'tgot a tail. "

"Mr Severn, " said the Doctor, "come here. I want you to tell MrRamball that you do not need any recompense for the services you haveperformed. Mr Singh has already spoken. "

"Yes, sir, I'll come, " replied the boy quickly, and he did as requested, fully conscious the while that Slegge was saying something disparagingto the nearest boys, and that the Professor had moved up behind Singhand was talking to him again. 

"Do you like this Professor Barclay?" said Glyn as they were walkingback towards the school side by side. 

"Oh, I don't know. He's very pleasant to talk to, of course, for heknows so much about Indian things. "

"Oh, " said Glyn thoughtfully, for his companion's words soundedreasonable. 

"But what was that fellow saying to you?" asked Singh. "He was grinningat you about something. Oh, I should like to do something to him. Thatnasty look of his always makes me feel hot. "

"He wants to get up a quarrel, " replied Glyn. 

"Well, let him, and the sooner the better. He's always insulting me. "

"Then let's insult him, " said Glyn. 

"Yes, " cried Singh eagerly. "What shall we do? Tell him we won'taccept a baboon because one's enough in the school?"

"No; treat him with contempt, " said Glyn coldly. "We are not going tobe dragged into a fight so as to give him a chance to play the bully andknock us about. "

"But let's knock him about, " cried Singh, "and show him that we canbully too. "

"Won't do, " said Glyn slowly. "He's too big and strong. "

"Yes, he's big and strong; but we shall be two to one. "

"Ah, you have a lot to learn, Singhy. English gentlemen don't fightlike that. "

CHAPTER ELEVEN. 

THE CUTTING OF THE COCK'S COMB. 

There was a smart brush at the school a few days later, which resultedin the cutting of Slegge's comb. The Doctor was seated at hisstudy-table, with the open French window letting in the fresh morningbreeze and giving him a view, when he raised his eyes from his book, right across the cricket-field to the clump of elms, when there was atap at the door, responded to by the customary "Come in!" and MrRampson entered. 

"Ah, good-morning, Mr Rampson, " said the Doctor suavely. 

"Good-morning, sir. Could you give me a few minutes?"

"Certainly, Mr Rampson, " replied the Doctor, sitting back. "Have yousomething to report?"

"Well, no, sir, not exactly, but--er, but er--I er--thought I shouldlike to ask you if I had given you satisfaction in connection with mypupils. "

"Yes, Mr Rampson, " said the Doctor, raising his eyebrows; "but why--oh, I see, you want to speak to me and tell me that you have had a morelucrative offer. "

"Oh no, sir; I am quite satisfied here, where I have been so long, but--"

"Well, Mr Rampson, what is it? You wish me to increase your stipend?"

"No, sir, I do not; but I don't want to suddenly find myself supplantedby another master through the machinations of a brother-teacher. "

"Don't speak angrily, Mr Rampson. Pray, who has been trying tosupplant you?"

"Well, sir, I am a blunt man, and I have come to speak out. I am afraidthat Morris--why, I know not--has been introducing this ProfessorBarclay to you to try to get him in my post. "

"Indeed, Mr Rampson!" said the Doctor, with a smile. "Well, then, letme set you at your ease at once. Morris did not introduce thisgentleman, for he came to me with an introduction from one of theprofessors at Addiscombe, a gentleman I do not know from Adam. I findthat he has been for a few months a resident in the town here, where heis carrying on some study. Morris seems to know him a little, and tellsme that he has visited him two or three times at his apartments. Iquestioned him as to who the man was, and his antecedents, which seemedto be satisfactory. I did so after his presenting his letter ofintroduction and some testimonials. I thought that it would be onlycivil to ask him to dinner and explain to him that it was perfectlyhopeless for him to expect anything from me; and, in short, one feels alittle sympathetic towards a cultivated gentleman who is seeking toobtain an appointment in a none-too-well-paid profession. So now yousee, my dear Mr Rampson, that you have not the slightest cause foruneasiness. "

"Dr Bewley, " cried Rampson excitedly, "you don't know how you haverelieved my mind!"

"I am very glad, Rampson; and let me take this opportunity of tellingyou that--Bless my heart! what is the meaning of this?"

"Of what, sir?" cried Rampson, startled by the speaker's earnestness. 

"Look over yonder beyond the elms. Scandalous! Disgraceful! And afterall that I have said! I will not have it, Rampson. "

"But, sir, I--"

"Don't you see that there's a fight going on? Just as if it were acommon school. Come with me at once. "

The Doctor set aside his stately march and hurried out through the openwindow, bare-headed, and closely followed by his assistant. 

There, through the elms and close up to the grey park-fence beyond, thewhole school seemed to have assembled, and plainly enough at intervalsthere was the quick movement of two contending figures, while theclustering boys around heaved and swayed as they watched the encounter, quite forgetful in their excitement of the possibility of their beingseen from the house. 

Dr Bewley did not run, but went nearer to it than he had been since hewrote DD at the end of his name and gave up cricket; while before theywere half-way across the cricket-field Mr Rampson was emitting puffssuggesting that the motive-power by which he moved was connected with amodern utilisation of steam. 

So intent was the little scholastic crowd beyond the row of tree-trunkswhich with the park-palings beyond formed the arena, that not a head wasturned to see the approach of the masters and give the alarm. Theconsequence was that the latter were getting close up and able to makeout that a fierce fight was going on between Slegge and Glyn Severn, theformer seconded by Burney, the latter by the young Prince. 

There was no shouting, no sound of egging on by the juvenile spectators, only an intense silence, punctuated by a hoarse panting sound, thetrampling of feet, and the _pat, pat_, of blows. 

The last of these was a heavy one, delivered right from the shoulderwith all his remaining force--for the boy was pretty well exhausted--byGlyn Severn; and it was just as the Doctor was filling his capaciouschest with the breath necessary after his hurried advance to deliver astern command to cease fighting. But before he uttered a word hisbiggest pupil came staggering back towards the ring of boys on theDoctor's side, and as they hurriedly gave way down came Slegge flat uponhis back at the fresh-comer's feet. 

After delivering his final blow, Glyn Severn nearly followed hisimpulse, and had hard work to check himself from falling flat upon hisadversary. As it was, he dropped only upon one knee, rose againpainfully, and stood with bruised and bleeding face gazing blankly athis stern preceptor, who now thundered out in his deepest tones, "Whatis the meaning of this?"

At the sight of the Doctor a thrill ran through the little throng; and, moved as by one impulse, there was the suggestion of a rush for safety. But the thunderous tones of the Doctor's voice seemed to freeze everyyoung abettor in his steps. 

"Do you hear me, sirs?" cried the Doctor again. "What is the meaning ofthis?"

It was the smallest boy of the school who replied, in a shrill voicefull of excitement, conveying the very plain truth:

"Fight, sir. Tom Slegge and one of the new boys. "

"Silence!" thundered the Doctor. "You know my rules, and that I haveforbidden fighting. Here, somebody, one of the high form boys--you, Burney, let me hear what you have to say. Speak out, sir. Ah, you havebeen seconder, I suppose?"

"Yes, sir, " faltered the lad, whose hands showed unpleasant traces ofwhat he had been doing. 

"Ah, " continued the Doctor. --"Mr Rampson, see that not a boy dares tomove. --Now, Burney, let me hear the whole truth of this from beginningto end. No suppression, sir, from favour or fear. I want thestraightforward truth. Who began this disgraceful business?--Stop! MrRampson, here. Is that boy Slegge much hurt?"

"A bit stunned, sir, and stupid with his injuries, but he's all right, sir; he's coming round, " and in proof thereof Slegge, with theassistance of the master's hands, struggled to his feet, and stoodshaking his head as if he felt a wasp in his ear, and then promptly satdown again. 

"Now, Burney, " cried the Doctor, "speak out. Who began this?"

The boy addressed glanced at the Doctor and then at Slegge, while hislips parted; but he uttered no sound. 

"Do you hear me, sir?" roared the Doctor. 

"Big Tom Slegge, sir, " came from the shrill little fellow who had beforespoken. 

The Doctor frowningly held up one big white finger at the littlespeaker, who shrank back amongst his fellows. 

"I saw that look of yours, Burney, " said the Doctor sternly, "and I readits meaning, sir. It seemed to appeal to your older schoolfellow, oneof the principals in this disgraceful encounter, asking him if you mightspeak out. I'll answer for him. Yes, sir; and beware lest you, as agentleman's son, lower your position in my eyes by making anysuppression. What was the cause of the quarrel?"

Burney's face was working, for after the excitement of the fight and itssudden ending he felt hysterically emotional, and in a broken voice thetruth came pouring forth. 

"I can't help it, sir, and if he bullies me afterwards for speaking Imust tell all. Slegge's been jealous of both the new boys ever sincethey came. He's been as disagreeable and spiteful as could be, andforced us all to take his side. "

"Yes, yes; go on, " cried the Doctor, for the boy stopped with a gasp;but he spoke more calmly afterwards. "He's been working it up, sir, fora fight for days, out of jealousy because he thought more was made ofSingh and Severn than of him. "

"Indeed!" said the Doctor, nodding his head. 

"And when it came, sir, to them having such a fuss made over them abouttheir riding the elephant, and you asking them afterwards to dinner, itwas bound to come. "

The boy stopped, and the Doctor turned to the classical master. 

"Do you hear this, Mr Rampson?" he said, in his most sarcastic manner, the one he adopted towards the most stupidly ignorant boys. "I presumethen that I ought to ask Mr Thomas Slegge's permission before askingthe two new pupils to my board. "

"Yes, sir, " burst out Burney, who had gathered breath and had now gotinto the swing of speaking. "It was bound to come, sir. Slegge said heshould do it, and I can't help it if I do seem like a sneak for tellingall. "

"Go on, Burney, " said the Doctor. "I'll be the judge of that. "

"Well, sir, he told all us seniors to be ready for the first chancethere was. He said--"

"Who said?" interrupted the Doctor. "Let us be perfectly correct. "

"Slegge, sir. He said we were to be ready, for he was going to begin bygiving the nigger fits. "

"By giving the nigger fits?" said the Doctor slowly. "And, pray, whatdid he mean by that?"

"Licking Singh, sir; the new boy from India, sir. "

"Oh, " said the Doctor sarcastically. "But he has not been giving thenigger fits. "

"No, sir; next day he changed his mind, and said he'd let Severn have itfirst. "

"Have it first?" said the Doctor slowly. "Your language is not verycorrect, Burney. But go on. "

"Yes, sir. He sent word round this morning to all the boys except thosetwo that we were to meet down here by the elms; and when we did come, just as he thought, Severn and Singh fancied there was some new game on, and came to see. Then, sir, Slegge began at Severn, insulting him, sir--yes, that he did. I'm not going to say everything he called him;but he told him to stand up like a man and take his punishment. "

"Yes; and what did Severn say?"

"He said, sir, he was not going to degrade himself by fighting like astreet blackguard; and then Slegge jeered and mocked at him and set usall at him to call him coward and cur; and he ended, sir, by walkingstraight up to him, and he asked him three times if he'd fight, andSevern, sir, said he wouldn't, and then Slegge gave him a coward'sblow--one in the nose, sir, and made it bleed. "

"Ah!" said the Doctor. "And what did Severn do?"

"Took out his pocket-handkerchief, sir, and wiped it. "

"Exactly, " said the Doctor, with grim seriousness, "and a very correctthing too; that is, " he continued hastily, as if he had some slight ideaof the suggestiveness of his remark, "I mean, that Severn behaved verywell in refusing to fight. But he turned upon Slegge, of course, aftersuch an incitement as that. "

"No, sir, he didn't; he only stood there looking very red and with hislips quivering, and looking quite wild and reproachful at Singh. "

"Oh!" said the Doctor. "Then Singh has been in it too?"

"Yes, sir; Singh came at him like a lion, and said he was a coward and acur, and that they'd never be friends again. But Severn did not speak aword, and before we knew what was going to happen next, Slegge took holdof Singh's ear and asked him what it had to do with him, and he calledhim a nigger and an impudent foreign brat; and almost before we knewwhere we were, Singh hit Slegge quick as lightning, one-two right in theface, and then stepped back and began to take off his jacket; but beforehe could pull it off, Slegge got at him; and the boys hissed, sir, forwhile Singh's hands were all in a tangle like in the sleeves, Slegge hithim three or four times in the face; but it only made him fierce, andgetting rid of his jacket, he went at big Slegge. "

"Ah!" ejaculated the Doctor. "Go on, Mr Burney. "

"Slegge made a dash at him, sir; but Singh was too quick, and stepped onone side; and when Slegge turned upon him again Severn sprang in betweenthem, snatched off his jacket, and crammed it into Singh's hands. Andthen all the boys began to hooray. "

"What for?" said the Doctor. 

"Because Severn said, sir, out loud, `Not such a coward as you think, Singhy. I must fight now. '"

"Bad--very bad, " said the Doctor; "cowardly too--two boys to one. "

"Oh no, sir; Singh didn't do any more. He only laughed, threw down thejacket, and began slapping Severn on the back; and he seconded him, sir, quite fair and square all through, just as if he knew all aboutfighting, though he is a nig--Indian, sir. And there was a tremendousfight, till, after being a good deal knocked about, Severn was gettingit all his own way, and finished off Slegge just as you came up, sir. And that's the whole truth. --Isn't it, boys?"

There was a chorus of the word "Yes, " and the Doctor drew a deep breathas it came to an end. Then he uttered the interjection "Hah!" lookedvery searchingly at Slegge, scanning the injuries he had received, andafterwards made the same keen examination of Severn. 

"Disgraceful!" he said at last, shaking his head and frowning. "Younggentlemen, you will resume your studies at once. --Mr Rampson, will yousee that these two injured lads go to their dormitory directly. MrsHamton will attend to their injuries and report to me whether it isnecessary for the surgeon to be called in. --You hear me, boys?" shoutedthe Doctor. "Disperse at once. There will be a lecture in the theatrein ten minutes' time. --Mr Rampson, there is to be no communicationbetween these two principals and the rest. --You, Burney, and you, Singh, go on to my library. "

The next minute the trampled arena was in silence, and the Doctor, withhis hands clasped behind him, was marching back alone towards his study, going so slowly that every one who had formed a portion of the littlegathering had disappeared by the time he was half-way to the open Frenchwindow. 

There was something peculiar about Dr Bewley's countenance as he slowlymarched back. For one minute it was placid, the next stern, anddirectly after a slight quivering of the facial nerves developed into amirthful look, which was emphasised by a low, pleasant, chuckling laugh. For the fact was that the tall, stern, portly Doctor's thoughts hadgone far back to his old schooldays and a victory he had once achievedover the brutal bully of the school at which he had been placed. Andwhether he was alluding to the tyrant of his days or to the one who hadlorded it for long enough in the establishment of which he was the headmust remain a mystery; but certain it was that the Doctor mutteredpresently to himself, "An overbearing young ruffian! A thoroughly goodthrashing; and serve him right!"

The next moment the utterer of these words, which had fallen upon hisown ears only, was looking guiltily round as if in dread lest he mighthave been heard. But there was no one visible but Sam Grigg, who wasbrushing hard at boots by the entrance to his own particular outdoorden; and he was too far away to hear; while, when the Doctor entered hisstudy, he was met at the door by Wrench, who announced that a lady waswaiting in the drawing-room, and he handed a card. 

"Ha, yes, Wrench, " said the Doctor. "About a new pupil. I will see herdirectly. --Oh, Singh--Burney, you here? I will speak to you bothanother time. One moment--this is private, boys. You both know--atleast, you do now, Burney, and you from henceforth must remember thesame, Singh--I allow no brutal fighting in my establishment; but I amnot very angry with you, my lads, for on the whole there was a displayof manliness in your conduct that I cannot find it in my heart tocondemn. There, you, Singh, can go and see your friend Severn. --Andyou, Burney, h'm--humph--well, yes, go and see Slegge. You must notforsake your companion now he is down. "

CHAPTER TWELVE. 

"WITH FACES LIKE THIS. "

Singh's encounter with Slegge had been very short, and when the Doctorsent him in the tokens of the affray were very slight; but a few hoursafterwards certain discolorations were so manifest that the Doctorfrowned and told him he had better join his companion in the dormitoryfor a few days and consider himself in Mrs Hamton's charge. Singhhailed the order with delight, and went straight to his bedroom, wherethe plump, pleasant, elderly housekeeper had just entered before him, carrying a small basin half-full of some particular liniment-likepreparation of her own, a sponge, and a soft towel. 

When Singh appeared at the door Glyn sat up so suddenly that he nearlyknocked over the basin that Mrs Hamton had given him to hold, afterspreading the soft towel in his lap, when she began sponging his facewith the preparation. 

"Oh, my dear child, " she cried, "pray, be careful!"

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the boy merrily. --"Oh, do look at him, MrsHamton. What a guy!"

"Guy!" cried Singh sharply. "What do you mean?"

He dashed to the dressing-table and took his first look at his face inthe glass since he had dressed that morning. 

"Oh, I say, " he cried, "I never thought of this. Why, it's just like myface was that day after the sergeant had shown us how to use theboxing-gloves. "

"Yes, " cried Glyn merrily; "but what sort of a phiz would you have hadif you had fought it out?"

"One something like yours, " cried Singh. "Oh, I say, you ought to talk!What eyes! and your lip all cut. Why, your face is all on one side. "

"Yes, isn't it shocking, my dear, " said the old housekeeper. "I do hopethat it will be a lesson to you both. I never could understand whyyoung gentlemen were so fond of fighting. "

"Oh, it's because it's so nice, Mrs Hamton, " said Glyn, who spoke as ifhe were in the height of glee. 

"I don't believe you mean that, my dear; but there, lie back in thechair again, and let me go on dabbing all your poor cuts and bruiseswith this lotion and water. It's so cooling and healing, and it willtake all the inflammation out. --And don't you go, my dear, " shecontinued, turning to Singh, "till I have done your face over too. "

"I am not going, " said Singh quietly. "The Doctor sent me up here tostop. "

"Has he?" cried Glyn. "Oh, hurrah! Here, Mrs Hamton, another patientfor you to make decent. --I say, Singhy, she's just come from old Slegge. I'm afraid I've made his face in a horrible mess. "

"You have indeed, my dear, " said the housekeeper reproachfully. "Butoh, what a pity it is that young gentlemen will so far forgetthemselves! It grieves me; it does indeed. "

"But I don't forget myself, " protested Glyn. "I was obliged to fight. You wouldn't have had me lie down and let him knock both of us about fornothing, would you, nurse--I mean Mrs Hamton?"

"Oh, don't ask me, my dear; it's not for me to say; and you needn't mindcalling me nurse, for it always sounds nice and pleasant to me. There, now, doesn't that feel cool and comforting?"

"Lovely, " cried Glyn softly, and as he looked up in the pleasant face, with its grey curls on either side, his eyes for the moment, what couldbe seen of them, seemed to be sparkling with mischief and mirth, forthere was a feeling of pride and triumph at his success swelling in hisbreast, and a few moments later, so great was the comfort he experiencedunder the delicate manipulation of his motherly attendant's hands, thathe looked up at her and began to smile--only began, for he uttered anejaculation of pain. 

"Oh, my dear, did I hurt you?" cried the housekeeper. 

"No, " said the boy, in rather a piteous tone; "it was my face. It's allstiff and queer. "

"Yes, I told you that it was one-sided, " said Singh merrily. 

"Well, never mind, my dear; it will soon be better, " said thehousekeeper soothingly. "But you must do exactly what I tell you, andbe very patient and still. "

"But, I say, look here, Mrs Hamton, " cried Glyn, catching the handwhich was bearing the sponge and holding it to his cheek, to the oldlady's intense satisfaction, though somehow there came an unwonted lookof moisture in her eyes. 

"What were you going to say, my dear? But, dear, dear, what a pity itis that you should go and disfigure yourselves like this! What wouldyour poor father say if he knew?"

"Oh, I say, don't talk about it, " cried Glyn. --"Fancy, Singhy, if hecould see us now!"

Glyn tried to whistle, but his puffed-up lips refused to give forth asound; and, seeing this, Singh whistled for him, and then in spite ofthe pain and stiffness of their faces the two boys laughed till thesuffering became intense. 

"Oh, don't, don't, don't, Singhy!" cried Glyn. "I can't bear it. "

"Well, I never did see two such young gentlemen as you are, " said theold housekeeper, smiling in turn. 

"You ought both to be lying back looking as melancholy as black, andhere you are making fun of your troubles. Ah, it's a fine thing, mydears, to be boys and quite young; but I do hope that you will neverfight any more, and that you will both soon go and shake hands with MrSlegge, and tell him you are very sorry you hit him. I am sure that hemust feel very sorry that he ever hit you, he being so much bigger andhaving so long had the advantage of being taught by the Doctor, who isthe best man that ever lived, while you two are so new, and you, MrSingh, so much younger than Mr Slegge that I do wonder he ever so farforgot himself as to hit you. Now, you will make friends afterwards, won't you?"

"No!" cried Singh sharply. "I hate the coward. "

"Oh, my dear!" cried the old lady. 

"He doesn't mean it, nursey, " cried Glyn, getting hold of her handagain. "He only said it because he feels so sore. He's got a sore faceand a sore temper; but it will be all right when he gets well. "

"I hope so, my dear; and you will shake hands with him, won't you?"

"Yes, " said Glyn merrily, "as soon as he holds out his. I can affordto. --Can't I, Singhy?"

"Oh yes, of course. "

"There, " said the old lady, "now that's spoken nicely, and I don't thinkI'll bathe your face any more. --Now, my dear, " she continued to Singh, "it's your turn. "

"Oh, mine doesn't want doing, does it?" said the boy carelessly. 

"Yes, my dear, and very badly too. If it isn't bathed with my lotion itwill go on swelling, and be more discoloured still. "

"Oh!" cried the boy eagerly. --"Here, you, Glyn, get up out of thatchair. It's my turn now, as Mrs Hamton says, " and he took anotherglimpse at the glass. "There, I'm ready. Oh, I say, I do look awretch!"

Under the care of the good-natured old housekeeper during the next twodays a great deal of the swelling went down; but after the old lady'sreport, and visits from the Doctor himself, they were both still treatedas infirmary patients, and relieved from lessons till such time as theyshould be presentable amongst their fellows. 

But on the third day the confinement was growing irksome in the extreme;and the Doctor, after his daily visit, gave Singh permission to comedown into the grounds if he liked. But the boy did not like. A glanceat his companion in adversity revealed a disappointed look, and as soonas the Doctor was gone he picked up one of the books with which theywere well supplied. 

"Well, " said Glyn gloomily, "why don't you go down?"

"Because I don't want to, " was the reply; and no more was said. 

But that afternoon soon after dinner, which was brought up to them bythe housekeeper on a folding-tray, and just when the irksomeness oftheir position was pressing hardest upon their brains, there was a quickstep on the stairs, a sharp tap at the door, the handle was turnedwithout any waiting for permission, and Wrench's head was thrust in. 

"I say, young gents, " he cried, "here's a go!"

"What's the matter?" asked Glyn anxiously. "Don't say Slegge's worse. "

"I wasn't going to, sir. It's something worse than that. "

"What?"

"There's a gentleman along with the Doctor. "

"A gentleman!" cried the boys together. 

"Yes; a tall, military-looking gentleman, with long white starchers, andsuch a voice. He seemed as if he wanted to look me through. Fierce asfierce he was when he gave me his card to take in. "

"What was on the card?" cried Glyn excitedly. 

"Can't you guess, sir?" said the man, grinning. 

"Colonel Severn!" shouted Singh. 

"My father!" gasped Glyn. "Oh, Singhy! And us with faces like this!"

CHAPTER THIRTEEN. 

BEFORE THE "STARCHERS. "

Singh ran across to the glass on the dressing-table. 

"Why, Glyn, we can't see him. I'm bad enough, but you are far worse. What's to be done?"

"I dunno, " cried Glyn. "Who in the world would have thought he wascoming down here to-day!"

"We are supposed to be in the infirmary, aren't we?" said Singh. "Isay, couldn't we undress and go to bed?"

"No, " said Glyn promptly. "What difference would that make?"

"Why, he'd think we were too ill to be seen. "

"Nonsense, " cried Glyn. "Wouldn't he come up and see us all the same?"

"Oh dear!" groaned Singh. "What a mess we are in! This comes of yourfighting. "

"Well, who made me fight? Who began it?"

"Well, I suppose it was I, " said Singh; "but I couldn't stand still andlet him knock us both about. Oh dear, what a lot of bother it all is!"

"Here, I say, Wrench, " cried Glyn excitedly, "were you sent up to tellus that my father was here?"

"No, sir, " said the man, grinning; "but I thought you'd like to know. Imust go now, in case my bell rings. "

The footman went off hurriedly, and the two boys, after a fresh visit tothe looking-glass, tried to make the best of their appearance. 

Glyn combed his hair down in a streak over one side of his bruisedforehead, while Singh poured out some cold water and dabbed and spongedhis right eye; but he could not wash away the discoloration thatsurrounded it, and after applying the towel he plumped himself down in achair and sat staring at his companion. 

"It's no use, " he said; "I daren't face guardian, and I won't. "

"You tell him so, " said Glyn, laughing, "and see what he will say. "

"How am I going to tell him so when I shan't see him?"

"Why, you'll be obliged to. "

"I tell you I won't!" cried Singh passionately. 

"There's a sneak! And you will let me go down alone and face it all. "

"Oh, I say, don't talk like that, " cried Singh. "Can't we get out of itsomehow, old chap? Let's run away till the Colonel's gone. "

"Yes, of course, " cried Glyn sarcastically. "How much money have yougot?"

"Oh, I don't know; half-a-crown and some shillings. "

"Oh, I have got more than that. I have got half-a-sovereign. Shall wego to Plymouth, and sail for somewhere abroad?"

"Yes, anywhere, so that we don't have to meet your father. "

"Ah, " said Glyn, who was trying very hard to make the lock of hair hehad combed over a bruise stop in its place, but it kept jumping up againand curling back to the customary position in spite of applications ofcold water and pomatum. 

"Well, what do you mean by `Ah'?" grumbled Singh. 

"Mean by `Ah'?" replied Glyn slowly. "Why, it means what a stupid oldchucklehead you are. Run away! Likely, isn't it?"

"Oh, too late! too late!" cried Singh, for there was another sharp tapat the door, and Wrench entered smartly, closely followed by his cat. 

"Doctor's compliments, gentlemen, and you are to come down into thedrawing-room directly. --And just you go back to the pantry at once, " heshouted at his cat. "How many more times am I to tell you that you arenot to follow me up into the young gentlemen's rooms?"

"Bah!" shouted Glyn, and he threw the hairbrush he held smartly at thefootman, who caught it cleverly, as if he were fielding a ball atmid-wicket, and deposited it upon the dressing-table. 

"Well caught, sir!" cried the man, eulogising his own activity. "There, never mind, gentlemen; go down and get it over. There ain't anything tobe ashamed of. If I was you, Mr Severn, I should feel proud at havinglicked that great big disagreeable chap. I shall be glad to see hisback. He's quite big enough to leave school. "

"Ah!" said Glyn with a sigh. "Come on, Singhy; Wrench is right. Let'sget it over; only I want to bathe my face again. It smells of oldMother Hamton's embro--what did she call it? You may as well go onfirst. I won't be long. "

"What!" cried Singh, looking aghast at the speaker. "Go down and seehim alone? I won't! He's not my father; he's yours. You may go first, and I won't come unless I'm obliged. "

"Won't you?" said Glyn, laughing softly, and he caught hold of hiscompanion's wrist and drew it under his arm. "Open the door, Wrenchy, and make way for the hospital--two wounded men going down. --I say, Singhy, look as bad as you can. Here, I know: Wrenchy and I will carryyou down in a chair. "

Singh opened his mouth quickly and shut it sharply, making his whiteteeth close together with a snap. Then knitting his brows and drawing adeep breath, he held on tightly to his companion, and walked with him insilence downstairs into the hall. Here the pair stopped short by thedrawing-room door, where Wrench slipped before them and raised his handto show them in; but Glyn caught him by the arm. 

"Wait a moment, " he said, and the three stood there by the mat, forminga group, listening to the slow, heavy murmur of the Doctor's voice andthe replies given in a loud, sonorous, emphatic tone. 

"Now, " said Glyn at last. 

The door was thrown open, and they entered, to face the Doctor, who wasseated back in an easy-chair with his hands before him and finger-tipsjoined; while right in the centre of the hearthrug, his back to thefireplace and legs striding as if he were across his charger, stood thetall grey Colonel, swarthy with sunburn and marked by the scar of atulwar-cut which had divided his eyebrow and passed diagonally from browto cheek. 

He was gazing at the Doctor and listening politely to something he wassaying in his soft, smooth voice, but turned his head sharply as thedoor was opened, and his ultra-long, heavy grey moustache seemed towrithe as he fixed the boys with his keen grey eyes in turn. 

"Right, Doctor!" he cried, as if he were giving an order to a squadronto advance. "Disgraceful!--Well, you do look a pretty pair!"

"I'll leave you together, " said the Doctor, rising slowly, and thenglancing at the boys. "Yes, " he said softly, "dreadfully marked; butyou should have seen them, Colonel, directly after their encounter. "

"Ha, yes; wounded on the field, " said the Colonel drily. "Thank you. Yes, sir, I think I should like to have a few words with them alone. "

For the first time since they had known him the feeling was strong uponthe boys that they would have liked their preceptor to stay. 

But the Doctor gave each of them a grave nod as he moved towards thedoor, and they both stood as if chained to the carpet till the Colonelmade a stride forward, when Glyn recollected himself, ran to the door, and opened it for the Doctor to pass out. 

The Colonel grunted, and then as the door was closed, he marched slowlyacross to his son; and as the boy faced him caught him by the shoulderwith his right hand, walked him back to where Singh stood alone, grabbedhim with his left, and forced them both towards the wide bay windowfully into the light. 

"Stand there!" he said, in commanding tones. 

Then stooping stiffly to seize the Doctor's easy-chair by the back, hemade the castors squeak as he swung it round and threw himself into itwith his back to the window, when he crossed one leg over the other, andsat staring at them fiercely and scanning for some moments every traceof the late encounter. 

Glyn drew a long, deep breath loudly enough to be heard, while Singhstood with hanging hands, opening and closing his fingers, and passinghis tongue quickly over his dry lips. But the Colonel still went onstaring at them and frowning heavily the while. 

At last Singh could bear it no longer. 

"Oh, say something, sir!" he cried passionately. "Scold us, bully us, punish us if you like; but I can't bear to be looked at like that. "

It was the Colonel's turn now to draw a deep breath, as he raisedhimself in the chair a little, thrust one hand behind him, fumbled forhis pocket, and then drew out a large soft bandana handkerchief and blewhis nose with a blast like a trumpeted order to charge. 

Then, as he sank back in his chair, "Ha, ha, ha! haw, haw, haw!" heliterally roared. "Well, you do look a pretty pair of beauties!" hecried. "But this won't do. Here, you, Glyn, what do you mean by this, sir? Didn't I warn you against fighting, and tell you to protect andset an example to young Singh here?"

"Yes, father. "

"Look at yourself in the glass. You look a pretty pattern, don't you?"

"Yes, father. "

"I told you to look at yourself in the glass. Why don't you?"

"Because I know every scratch and bruise thoroughly by heart, father. "

"But--" began the Colonel. 

Here Singh interposed. 

"It wasn't his fault, sir, " cried the boy. "It was mine. He didn'twant to fight, and said he wouldn't. "

"Ho!" said the Colonel. "Said he wouldn't fight, did he. "

"Yes, sir, and he actually let the big bully hit him. "

"Ha!" said the Colonel. "And then knocked him down for it?"

"No, he didn't, sir, " cried Singh, with his eyes twinkling. "Hewouldn't fight even then. "

"Humph!" grunted the Colonel. "And what then?"

"Well, it put me in such a rage, sir, that I couldn't bear it, and Iwent and hit the big fellow right in the face, and he hit me again. "

"Ah, you needn't tell me that, " replied the Colonel; "that's plainenough. Well, what after?"

"Well, that made Glyn take my part, and he swung me behind him; and oh, sir, he did give the big fellow such an awful thrashing!"

"Ha!" said the Colonel, taking his great grey moustache by both handsand drawing it out horizontally. "A thorough thrashing, eh?"

"Yes, sir. "

"And what were you doing?"

"Oh, I was seconding him, sir. "

"Oh, that was right. You were not both on him at once?"

"Oh no, sir; it was all fair. "

"Then Glyn thoroughly whipped him, eh?"

"Yes, sir, thoroughly. "

The Colonel turned to his son, and looked him over again; and then, after another two-handed tug at his moustache, he said slowly:

"I say, Glyn, old chap, you got it rather warmly. But tut, tut, tut, tut! This won't do. What did that old chap say: `Let dogs delight tobark and bite'? Here, I have been talking to the Doctor, and the Doctorhas been talking to me. Look here, you, Singh, military fighting, afterproper discipline, and done by fighting men, is one thing; schoolboyfighting is quite another, not for gentlemen. It's low andblackguardly. --Do you hear, Glyn?" he cried turning on his son. "Blackguardly, sir--blackguardly. Look at your faces, sir, and see howyou have got yourselves marked. But er--er--"

He picked his pocket-handkerchief up from where he had spread it overhis knees and blew another blast. "This er--this er--big fellow thatyou thrashed--big disagreeable fellow--bit of a bully, eh?"

"Regular tyrant, father. We hadn't been here a month, before not a daypassed without his insulting Singh or making us uncomfortable. "

"Ha! insulted Singh, did he?"

"Yes, sir, " cried that individual through his set teeth. "He was alwayscalling me nigger, and mocking at me in some way. "

"Humph! Brute! And so, after putting up with a good deal, and obeyingmy orders till he couldn't stand it any longer, Glyn took your part andthrashed the fellow, eh?"

"Yes, sir, bravely, " cried Singh, with his eyes flashing. "I wish you'dbeen there to see. "

"I wish--"

The Colonel stopped short. "No, no. Tut, tut! Nonsense! I did notwant to see. Here, hold out your hands, Glyn. No, no, not like that. Double your fists. Hold them out straight. I want to look at yourknuckles. Dreadful! Nice state for a gentleman's hands. Fighting'sbad. --Do you hear, Singh? Very bad. But I must confess that I didn'tget through school without a turn-up or two myself. Glyn took yourpart, then, and thrashed the fellow. Well, he won't bully either of youagain. Yes, I got into my scrapes when I was a boy; but you know timeswere different then. Everything was rougher. This sort of thing won'tdo. You must be more of gentlemen now--more polished. Fighting's bad. "

"But you let the sergeant, father, teach us how to use the gloves afteryou had got them over from England. "

"Eh? What, sir--what sir?" cried the Colonel sharply. "Well, yes, Idid. It was a bit of a lapse, though, and every man makes mistakes. But that, you see, was part of my old education, and through being inIndia so many years and away from modern civilisation, and er--Ofcourse, I remember; it was after your poor father had been talking tome, Singh, and telling me that he looked to me to make you a thoroughEnglish gentleman, one fit to occupy his throne some day, and rule wellover his people--firmly, justly, and strongly, as an Englishman would. And, of course, I thought it would be right for you both to know how touse your fists if you were unarmed and attacked by ruffians. And--er, well, well, you see I was not quite wrong. Mind, you know, I detestfighting, and only this morning I have been quite agreeing with theDoctor--fine old gentlemanly fellow, by the way, and a great scholar--agreeing with him, I say, that this fighting is rather a disgrace. Atthe same time, my boys, as I was about to say, I was not quite wrongabout those gloves. You see, it enabled Glyn here to bring skill tobear against a bigger and a stronger man, and er--um--you see, there areother kinds of fighting that a man will have to go through in life; andthen when such things do happen, mind this--I mean it metaphorically, you know--when you do have to fight with your fists, or with yourtongue, thrash your adversary if you can; but if he from superior skillor strength thrashes you, why then, take it like a man, shake hands, andbear no malice against the one who wins. "

The Colonel blew his nose again. 

"That's not quite what I wanted to say, my boys; but I shall think thisaffair over a bit, and perhaps I shall have a few more words to sayby-and-by. "

"Oh, I say, dad--" cried Glyn. 

"What do you mean by that, sir?" said the Colonel sharply. 

"Finish it all now, and don't bring it up again. "

"Glyn!" cried the Colonel sternly. 

"Yes, father. "

"Don't you dictate to me, sir. I promised the Doctor that I would talkto you both severely about this--this--well, piece of blackguardism, ungentlemanly conduct, and I must keep my word. But I will reserve therest till after dinner. "

"After dinner, father?" cried Glyn eagerly. 

"Yes. I have come down to stay at Plymborough for a few days at thehotel, and I have told them there that I should have two gentlemen todine with me to-night, of course, if the Doctor gives his consent. "

"Oh, but look at us, sir!" cried Singh. "We are in the infirmary, andnot fit to come. "

"Infirmary!" said the Colonel scornfully. "Ha, ha! You look infirmboth of you!"

"Oh, we don't feel much the matter, father, " said Glyn; "but look atus. "

"Look at you, sir? How can I help looking at you? Yes, you do looknice objects. "

"But we can't help it now, sir, " said Singh, "and we should like tocome. "

"Humph! Yes, of course you'd like to come, my boy, and I want to haveyou both to finish my lecture after I have thought it out a little more. Well, look here, my lads; you are both bruised and--er--a bitdiscoloured; but the world isn't obliged to know that it was done withfists. You might have been thrown off your horses or been upset in acarriage accident. Oh yes, it's no business of anybody else's. I shallask the Doctor to let you come. "

"Oh, thank you, father!" cried Glyn eagerly. "But I say, dad, youdidn't shake hands with Singh when we came in. "

"Well, no, boy; but--there, there, that's all right now. You see I hadto listen to what the Doctor said. Why, he tells me that you fellowsshowed them all down here how to deal with a rowdy elephant. "

"Singh did, father. "

"Well done, boy! You see, that's one great advantage in learning. Nearly everything comes useful some time or other, and--There, let mesee, " he continued, referring to his watch. "I must be off. Visit toolong as it is. Ring the bell, one of you. I want to see the Doctoragain before I go. "

"And you will get us leave, sir?" cried Singh, as he returned frompulling at the bell. 

"Oh yes, I'll manage that. Seven o'clock, boys, military time; and nowyou both be off; but mind this, I am going to finish my lecture afterdinner, for I am not satisfied with what I said. There, right aboutface! March!"

As the boys reached the door the handle was turned and the Doctorentered the room. 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN. 

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PAST. 

"Well, boys, glad to see you! Did Dr Justinian say anything to youabout coming away to-night?"

"No, father; but--Dr Justinian--who do you mean?"

"Why, your law-maker and instructor. He spoke very seriously to meabout breaking his laws and rules. Well, here you are. Come along. The dining-room is this way. --I have been very busy since I saw you, Singh. I have seen the cook and given him a good talking to, and he haspromised us a regular Indian dinner, with curry. "

The Colonel laid his hand on Singh's shoulder, and they passed out intothe hall of the hotel. 

As they were crossing, Morris entered from the other side, nodded andsmiled to the boys, raised his hat to the Colonel, who stared at him, and then passing on, went up to the office to speak to the manager. 

"Friend of yours, boys?" said the Colonel. "Yes, father; one of ourmasters. "

"Oh! What brings him here?"

"I don't know, father. Perhaps he thought you might ask him to dinner. "

"Ho!" said the Colonel, with a snort. "Then he thought wrong. Ah--butone moment! Would you like me to ask him, my boy?"

"Oh no, " cried Glyn, with a look of dismay. "We want you all toourselves, father. "

"But you, Singh; would you like him to join us?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. 

"No, " he said; "I think like Glyn does, " and Singh clung in a boyish, affectionate manner to the stalwart Colonel's arm, greatly to thatgentleman's satisfaction. 

"Then we will have our snug little dinner all to ourselves, boys, and agood long talk about old times and the last news I have had from Dour. --Yes, all right, waiter; serve the dinner at once, and mind everything isvery hot. --There you are: snug little table for three. I'll sit thisside with my back to the light, and you two can sit facing it, so that Ican look at you both. "

"Oh, but that isn't fair, father, " cried Glyn. "We ought to be with ourbacks to the light. "

"Not at all, sir, " said the Colonel, laughing. "A soldier should neverbe ashamed of his scars. "

The seats were taken, the dinner began, and had not proceeded far beforeGlyn noticed that the waiter was staring very hard at his bruised face, getting so fierce a look in return that the man nearly dropped the platehe was handing, and refrained from looking at him again. 

"Better bring candles, waiter, " said the Colonel. --"One likes to seewhat one is eating, boys;" and as a few minutes later the waiter placeda tall branch with its four wax candles in the centre of the table, theColonel nodded to Singh. "There, " he said, "now we can all play fair, and you can see my scars. "

"Yes, " said Singh, looking at the Colonel fixedly. "There's the big onequite plain that father used to tell me about. "

"Indeed!" said the Colonel sharply. "Why, what did he tell you aboutit, and when?"

"Oh, it was when I was quite a little fellow, " replied Singh. "He saidit was in a great fight when three of the rajahs had joined against himto attack him and kill him, and take all his land. He said that therewas a dreadful fight, and there were so many of his enemies that he wasbeing beaten. "

"Oh--ah--yes, " said the Colonel. "Your father and I had a great manyfights with his enemies when the Company sent me to help him with abattery of horse artillery, and to drill his men. "

"Was that, father, when you drilled and formed your regiment ofcavalry?"

"Yes, boy, yes. But never mind the fighting now. That was in the olddays. Go on with your dinner. "

But Singh did not seem to heed his words, for he was sitting gazingstraight before him at the scar on his host's forehead; and laying downhis knife and fork he continued, in a rapt, dreamy way, "And he said hethought his last hour had come, for he and the few men who wereretreating with him had placed their backs against a steep piece ofcliff, and they were fighting for their lives, surrounded by hundreds ofthe enemy. "

"My dear boy, you are letting your dinner get cold, " said the Colonel, in a petulant way. 

"Yes, " continued Singh, "and it was all just like a story out of a book. I used to ask father to tell it to me, and when I did he used to smileand make me kneel down before him with my hands on his knees. "

"But, my dear Singh, " interposed the Colonel, who looked so annoyed andworried that Glyn kicked his schoolfellow softly under the table, andthen coloured up. 

"Don't!" cried Singh sharply; and then in his old dreamy tone, "When hetold me I used to seem to see it all, with his fierce enemies in theirsteel caps with the turbans round them, and the chain rings hangingabout their necks and their swords flashing in the air as they made cutsat my father's brave friends; and first one fell bleeding, and thenanother, till there were only about a dozen left, and my father theMaharajah was telling his men that the time had come when they must makeone bold dash at their enemies, and die fighting as brave warriorsshould. "

"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" cried the Colonel querulously. "But that curry isgetting cold, my boy, and it won't be worth eating if it isn't hot. "

"Yes, I'll go on directly, " continued Singh in the same imperturbablemanner, and he leaned his elbows now upon the table, placed his chinupon his hands, and fixed his eyes upon the Colonel's scar. 

"I can see it all now so plainly, " he said; and with a quick gesture hishost dropped his knife sharply in his plate and clapped his hand acrosshis forehead, while Glyn gave his schoolfellow another thrust--a softone this time--with his foot. 

But Singh paid not the slightest heed to his companion's hint. He onlyleaned a little more forward to look now in the Colonel's eyes; andlaughing softly he continued:

"That doesn't make any difference. I can see it all just the same, andI seem to hear the roar like thunder father spoke about. He said it wasthe trampling of horses and the shouting of men, and it was you tearingover the plain from out of the valley, with all the men that you haddrilled and made into his brave regiment. They swept over the groundwith a rush, charging into the midst of the enemy and cutting right andleft till they reached my father and his friends, when a terribleslaughter went on for a few minutes before the enemy turned and fled, pursued by your brave soldiers, who had left their leader wounded on theground. Father said he had just strength enough to catch you in hisarms as you fell from your horse with that terrible gash across yourforehead. That was how he said you saved his life and always became hisgreatest friend. "

The Colonel's lips had parted to check the narration again and again;but he seemed fascinated by the strange look in the boy's eyes, and forthe time being it was as if the whole scene of many years before wasbeing enacted once again; while, to Glyn's astonishment, the boy slowlyrose from his seat, went round to the Colonel's side of the table, tostand behind his chair till the waiter left the room, and then layingone hand on the old warrior's shoulder, with the other he drew away thatwhich covered the big scar, and bending over him he said softly:

"Father told me I was to try and grow up like you, who saved his life, and that I was always to think of you as my second father when he wasgone. "

As Singh ended he bent down gently, and softly and reverently kissed thescar, while the Colonel closed his eyes and Glyn noticed that his lipswere quivering beneath the great moustache, which seemed to movestrangely as if it had been touched. 

For a few moments then there was a deep silence, during which Singhglided back to his seat, took up his knife and fork, and said, in quitea changed tone of voice:

"It always makes me think of that when I sit and look at you. And itcomes back, sir, just like a dream. My father the Maharajah told me Iwas never to forget that story; and I never shall. "

Just at that moment the door was opened, and the waiter entered bearinganother dish, while through the opening there came a burst of music asif some band were playing a march. 

"Hah!" cried the Colonel, speaking with quite a start, but with hisvoice sounding husky and strange, and the words seeming forced as hegave Singh a long and earnest look. "Why, surely that is not a militaryband?"

"No, sir, " said the waiter, as he proceeded to change the plates, two ofthem having their contents hardly touched. "There's a wild-beast showin the town, sir, in the field at the back, " and as he spoke the manlooked sharply at the boys. 

"Oh, " said the Colonel with a forced laugh. "Why, boys, is that whereyour elephant came from?"

And then the dinner went on, with the Colonel forcing himself intoquestioning the boys about their adventure, and from that he brought upthe elephants in Dour, and chatted about tiger-shooting and the dangersof the man-eaters in the jungle. But all the time Glyn kept noting thathis father spoke as if he had been strangely moved, and that when heturned his eyes upon Singh his face softened and his voice sounded moregentle. 

As they sat over the dessert, Singh asked him to tell them about one ofthe other old fights that his father and the Colonel had been in. 

"Don't ask me, my boy, " said the Colonel gently. "You can't understandit perhaps. When you grow as old as I am perhaps you will. But I don'tknow. You like Glyn after a fashion, I suppose?"

"Like him?" cried Singh half-fiercely. "Why, of course I do!"

"Ha!" said the Colonel. "And Glyn likes you, I know; and no wonder--brought up together as you were like brothers. Well, my boy, I went outto India not very much older than you two fellows are, as a cadet in theCompany's service, and somehow or other, being a reckless sort of afellow, I was sent into several of the engagements with some of thechiefs, and was picked out at last, when I pretty well understood mywork, to go to your father's court as you said, my boy, withhalf-a-dozen six-pounders and teams of the most dashing Arab horses inthe service. Then, somehow, your father got to like me, and I likedhim, and then we did a lot of fighting together until he was fixedsecurely upon his throne, and he never would hear of my leaving himagain. But there, you know all about it. He left you to me, Singh, tomake a man of you with Glyn here, and I hope to live to go back with youboth to Dour and see you safe in your rightful position and fight foryou if the need should ever come. And some day I hope that you two boyswill have grown into two strong, true-hearted men, with the samebrotherly love between you as held your fathers fast. And then--Oh, hang that music! The fellows can't play a bit. Here, what do you say?Shall we walk into the field and listen to them and see the show? Yourelephant too?"

"No, " said Singh softly. "Let's stop here and talk about Dour and myfather. We don't often see you now, sir, and I should like that best. "

"To be sure, then, my dear boys, we will stop here. I want you to dowhat you like best. --But you, Glyn: what do you say?"

"I like to hear you talk, father, and to be with you as much as we can. "

"That's good, my boy. Then, to begin with, " cried the Colonel with achuckle, "I'll just finish my lecture. I was very nearly letting itslip. "

"Oh, but, father, " cried Glyn, "I thought you had looked over all that. "

"I have, my boy; but you know I am not good at talking. The Doctorwould have given you a splendid lecture on fighting. "

"He did, " said Glyn drily, and the Colonel laughed. 

"I suppose he would, my boys; but since I saw you this morning somethingoccurred to me that I might have mentioned to you. How much do you boysknow about Shakespeare?"

"Not much, father--neither of us, I am afraid. "

"Ah, well, I dare say it will come to you by-and-by; but there are somewords that Shakespeare put into the mouth of an old court official in_Hamlet_, when he was bidding his son good-bye before he went abroad. There, don't yawn, either of you. I am only trying to quote it to youbecause to my mind they were very good words, and just suitable for you, because they were about fighting: `Beware of entrance to a quarrel; butbeing in, bear't that the opposer may beware of thee; and--' Humph! Ah, dear me, let me see; there was something else about borrowing andlending. But never mind that. It was about the fighting that I wantedto speak, and the long and short of it was, don't fight, boys, if youcan possibly help it; but if you do fight, show the other fellow thatyou know how. There, that's enough about that. Now then, what shall wetalk about next?--Yes, waiter, what is it?"

"Beg pardon, sir, but there's a person, sir, in the hall wants to knowif he can see the young gentlemen. "

"Eh? Who is it?" said the Colonel sharply. "Not one of the masters?"

"No, sir. It's the proprietor, sir, of the big wild-beast show, sir, inthe field--Mr Ramball, sir. "

"Oh, pooh! pooh!" cried the Colonel. "Tell him the young gentlemen areengaged, and don't care to visit his show to-night. "

"Yes, sir. But beg pardon, sir, I don't think it's about that. He's ingreat trouble about something, sir. He's well-known here, sir; has alarge farm two or three miles away where he keeps his wild things whenhe's not taking them round the country. "

"Well, but--" began the Colonel. 

"Said it was very particular business, sir, and he must see the younggentlemen. "

"Why, it must be something about his elephant, father, " cried Glyneagerly. 

"Well, but, my dear boys, you can't be at the beck and call of this manbecause he owns animals that he can't manage. But there, there, I don'twant you two to withhold help when you can give it. We'll hear what hehas to say. --We'll come out and speak to him. --I'll come, boys, becauseyou may want to refer to me. "

The little party followed the waiter out into the hall, where Ramballwas standing, hat in one hand, yellow handkerchief in the other, dabbinghis bald head and looking very much excited. 

"Hah!" he cried. "There you are, gentlemen!" And he put hishandkerchief on the top of his head and made a movement as if to thrusthis hat into his pocket, but recollected himself and put thehandkerchief into the hat instead. "I have been up to the school, gentlemen--Your servant, sir. I beg pardon for interrupting you; but Ihave been up to the school to ask for the young gentlemen there, and Isaw Mr Wrench the Doctor's man, and he said that you had come on hereto dinner. --Pray, pray, gentlemen, come and help me, or I am a ruinedman. "

"Why, what's the matter?" cried Singh and Glyn in a breath. 

"Didn't you hear, gentlemen? He's got away again--pulled the ironpicket out of the ground, and gone off with the chain and allchinkupping from his leg. I have got men out all over scouring thecountry, and as soon as they have found out where he is I'd take itkindly, gentlemen, if you'd come and bring him home. "

"Come, come, my man, " said the Colonel good-humouredly, "isn't thisrather cool?"

"Cool, sir! It's too hot to be borne. That great beast will be thedeath of me before he's done. Do say a kind word for me, sir, to theyoung gents. They have got a power over that beast as beats miracles. I wouldn't ask, sir, but I'm about done. I should have shot him theother day if these 'ere young gents hadn't stopped me and showed me, aman of fifty, as has handled poisonous snakes and gone after lionsbefore now when they'd got out--showed me, I say, that I didn'tunderstand my work. "

"Oh, well, " said the Colonel, "I--I--"

At that moment the elephant's keeper and another man, a driver of one ofthe caravans, hurried excitedly into the hotel hall, dragging betweenthem a miserable-looking object, drenched with mud and water, andtrembling in every limb. 

"Mr Ramball, sir!" cried the keeper. 

"What, have you found him?" cried the proprietor. 

"No, sir; but we've come across this chap, as has got a cock-and-bullstory about something, and I think it means that he's seen him. "

"Yes--what? Where? How?" cried Ramball, catching hold of the man bythe shoulders and letting go again directly, to dive into his hat forhis handkerchief. "Why, you are all wet and muddy!" he cried, wipinghis hands. "Where did you see him?"

"The giant, sir?" said the poor fellow, shivering. 

"Giant?" cried Ramball. "Well, yes, giant if you like. Where did yousee him?"

"It was about a mile down the road, sir, and we was coming down the CutLane with a load of clover, my mate and me, which we had been to fetchfor the governor's horses in the yard here. My mate was driving, and Iwas sitting on a heap of the clover, stacked up on the hind ladder ofthe cart. We'd stopped a while after loading up, being a bit tired, togive the horses a drink, and it had got dark, while as we was cominghome, me sitting behind as I telled you, and my mate driving in front, all of a suddent, and just as I was half-asleep and smoking my pipe, agreat big giant loomed up on t'other side of the hedge, and before Iknew where I was he reaches down, slips his arm round me, and lifts meright out of the cart. "

The man wiped his face with his muddy hand and uttered a low groan. 

"Well, go on, " cried Ramball. "What next?"

"Don't hurry me, master, please, " said the man piteously. "I'm shookall to pieces, and feel that freckened that I could sit down and cry. Iwas too much staggered to call out for help, and when I tried to lookround, my mate and the cart was gone, and this 'ere great thing wascarrying me away right across Snow's field, and all I could think of wasthat he was hungry and had made me his prey. "

"Humph! An ogre, I suppose, " said the Colonel to the boys. 

"No, sir, " said the man; "it was one of them there great giants as youread of in books; and no matter how I tried to get away, he only huggedme the tighter. "

"Well, well, " said the Colonel; "but you did escape. "

"No, sir; I didn't, sir. He carried me right across the field anddropped me into the big horse-pond in the corner. I was half-drowned, Iwas; and when I struggled to the side my legs stuck in the mud right upto my knees. And then I found that I had come out, half-blind with mudand water, just where he was standing with his back to me, and then Idaren't move. But he took no more notice of me, and walked right off, so that I saved my life. Next thing was I come upon your two men, MrRamball, sir, and they got asking me questions; but I was too skeart tounderstand what they meant, and so they brought me here. --You don'tknow, I suppose, " he continued, speaking to one of the waiters who hadcome into the hall, "whether my mate came home safely with the clovercart?"

"Bah!" cried Ramball. "With your giant indeed! Which way did he go?"

"I dunno, sir; it was too dark. But it were a giant. I could swear tohim if I saw him again. I should know him by his trowges. "

"Know him by what?" cried the Colonel, laughing heartily. 

"By his trowges, sir. I was down in the mud close behind him, and Icould see right up his great legs to his waist. I couldn't see anyfarther, he was so big. Awful giant, he was. You may take my word, sir, for that. "

"Bah!" roared the proprietor. "Here, my lads, he's frightened this poorlad nearly into fits, and we are wasting time. Off with you, and followhis track from the spot where you found the man. Run him down, and thendon't do anything more to scare him or make him turn nasty; but one ofyou stop and watch, and t'other come back here and tell me where he is. "

The two keepers obeyed promptly, and hurried away, while one of thewaiters sent the scared carter out into the kitchen. 

"That's 'im, sir, " said Ramball; "and if the young gents would just giveme a hand to make things easy--"

"Yes, yes, " said the Colonel; "but from what I know of elephants, thatgreat brute may go wandering about through the country for half thenight. You'd better go after your men and track him. He'll be mostlikely in some turnip-field having a gorge, and if you can't get himquietly back come to me again and I'll see what I can do. "

"Beg pardon, sir, " said Ramball quietly, "I am ready for anything now, cunning as I used to think myself. But does your honour understandelephants?"

"Does he understand elephants, Glyn!" cried Singh. --"Why, Mr Ramball, my friend's father has trapped scores out in the Terai. "

"Of course he has, sir, " said Ramball. --"Thank you kindly, then, sir. I'll have my pony put to and go after him at once. "

Ramball hurried out of the hall, and the Colonel with his young guestswas about to return to the dining-room when they found that Morris andProfessor Barclay were standing close behind them. 

"Quite a succession of adventures, Mr Singh, " said Morris. 

"Yes, " said the Professor, "and most interesting your knowledge of thehabits of those great beasts. "

"Yes, exactly, " said the Colonel drily. "They are rather difficult todeal with. --Come boys, " and he led the way into the dining-room. "There, sit down for a bit, " he said, resuming his old seat. "Are boththose your masters, Glyn, my boy?"

"No, father; only one. The other's a friend of his, I think. "

"What, that rather shady-looking individual?"

"No, father, the Professor--Professor Barclay. He dined at the Doctor'sthe other night. "

"Oh, " said the Colonel. "Well, I don't wish to be too exclusive; butsomehow I never care for strangers who are so very eager to makefriends. "

"But oughtn't we to have gone to help find the elephant, father?" saidGlyn. 

"No, my boy, I think not. You are my guests to-night, and we don'toften meet. If they find him, and there is any real necessity, perhapswe will go; but we shall see. "

They did not see; for a quiet chat was enjoyed for another half-hour, and then the Colonel walked with them to the Doctor's gates and saidgoodnight. 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN. 

THE RAJAH'S MORNING CALL. 

"Singh!"

There was no answer. "Singh! Oh, what a sleepy old mongoose it is!Singhy! What's that row out in the playground?"

It was early dawn. The first faint rays of day were peering in on bothsides of the drawn blind, the speaker was Glyn, and the words wereuttered in consequence of a peculiar clanking noise heard out in theplay-yard. 

Now, the most common-sense way of finding out the meaning of the noisewhich had awakened the boy from a deep sleep would have been to jump outof bed, draw up the blind, and throw up the window, letting in thefresh, cool morning air, as the head was thrust out and eyes brought tobear upon the dimly seen shadowy space below. But Glyn felt verydrowsy, exceedingly comfortable, and not in the slightest degreedisposed to stir. Consequently he called across the little room to theother bed, and, as before said, there was no reply. 

"Oh, you are a sleepy one!" muttered the boy, and reaching up his handshe turned them into a catapult, seizing the pillow by both ends, anddrawing it upwards from beneath his head, when without rising he hurledit across at Singh, striking him with a pretty good whop. 

"Great cowardly bully; that's what you are, " muttered the boy. "Oh, Iwish I was ten times as strong! Take that, and that, and that!"

The commands were accompanied by a heavy panting, and the sound ofblows. 

"Why, what's he doing?" said Glyn to himself, growing more wakeful, andbeginning to chuckle as he grasped the situation. "Oh, what a game!" hesaid softly. "He's lying on his back, and got the nightmare, only it'sa morning mare; and he's dreaming he's fighting with old Slegge again, and punching my pillow, thinking it's his head. I only wish it had beenas soft, and then I shouldn't have had so much skin off my knuckles. --There! There it goes again! It must be the workpeople come to open adrain or something. They must be cross at having to get up so early, orelse they wouldn't be banging their tools down like that! Hi! Singhy!"

"Cowardly brute!"

"Singhy!"

"Eh? What's the matter? Time to get up? I haven't heard the bell. "

"There it goes again, " cried Glyn, as the jangling rattle rose to hisears once more. 

"Glyn, what's that?"

"Oh, what an old stupid it is! Here have I been shouting ever so longto make you get up and see. Go and open the window and look out. "

"Heigh-ho-hum!" yawned Singh. "I was dreaming that old Slegge hit me inthe face again. "

"Yes, I know you were. "

"Why, you couldn't know I dreamt it. "

"But I tell you I did know. "

"How could you know, when I was dreaming and you weren't?"

"Why, you were shouting it at me, and pitching into my pillow, thinkingit was old Slegge's head. "

"Get out! I wasn't. I--Here, how is it I have got two pillows here?Why, you wretch, you must have thrown one at me to wake me!"

There was a sharp rustling, an expiration of breath, and the softhead-rest was hurled back again, just as the jangling noise was repeatedmore loudly. 

"There! Hear that?" cried Glyn. 

"I am not deaf, stupid. "

"Then jump up and go and see what it is. "

"Shan't! It's quite dark yet, and I am as tired as can be. "

"Well, only get up and see what that noise is, and then you can go tosleep again. "

"Shan't, I tell you. I am not your coolie. What lazy people youEnglish are!"

There was a fresh jangling from below, exciting Glyn's curiosity almostto the highest pitch. 

"Look here, Singhy, if you don't get up directly and see what that noiseis, I'll come and make you. "

"You do if you dare!"

Glyn threw the clothes back, sprang out of bed, and the next moment thecoverings of his companion were stripped off on to the floor. 

"Oh, you--" snapped Singh. "I'll pay you out for all this!"

"Come on, then. "

Glyn did not wait to see whether his companion did come on, but steppedto the window, pulled up the blind, and raised up the window to lookout. 

"Here, Singh!" he cried, turning to look back. "Come here, quick!"

"Shan't! And if you don't bring those clothes back I'll--I'll--Oh, Isay, Glyn, don't be an old stupid. Throw my things over me again andshut that window. Ugh! It is cold!"

"Will you come here and look? Here's the old elephant again. "

"Gammon!" cried Singh, whose many years' association with Glyn had madehim almost as English in his expressions. "Think you are going to cheatme out of my morning's snooze by such a cock-and-bull story as that?"

Oddly enough at that moment there rang out from one of the neighbouringpremises the shrill clarion of a bantam-cock. 

"Ha, ha!" laughed Glyn merrily. "It's a cock and elephant!"

"Don't believe you. "

But as the rattling noise was continued, Singh sat up in bed. 

"I say, " he continued, "what's the good of talking such stuff?"

"Stuff, eh? You come and see. Here's that great elephant right in themiddle of the playground. "

"Tell you I don't believe you, and I shan't get up. "

"Ugh! What an old heretic you are! Didn't he get away last night andgo no one knows where? Well, he's here. "

"I say, though, is he really?"

_Clinkitty, clank! clinkitty, clank_!

"Hear that?" cried Glyn. "Now you will believe. He's got in heresomehow, and he's dragging that chain and the big iron peg all about theplayground. Here, I know, Singhy, " continued Glyn in a high state ofexcitement, "he's come after you. "

"Rubbish!" shouted Singh; and, springing out of bed, he rushed to thewindow, where in the gradually broadening dawn, half-across theplayground, looking grey and transparent in the morning mist, the hugebulk of the elephant loomed up and looked double its natural size. 

"There, then, " cried Glyn, "will you believe me now?"

Singh uttered an exclamation aloud in Hindustani, and in an instantthere was a shrill snort and a repetition of the clinking of the greatchain, as the huge beast shuffled slowly across till it stood close upto the hedge which divided the garden from the playground; and there, muttering softly as if to itself, it began to sway its head from side toside, lifting up first one pillar-like leg and foot and then the other, to plant them back again in the same spot from which they had beenraised. 

"Well, this is a pretty game, " continued Glyn. "Here, you had bettersay something to him, or shall I?"

"What shall I say?" answered Singh. 

"Tell him to kneel down, or lie down and go to sleep before he comesthrough that hedge and begins walking all over the Doctor'sflower-beds. "

Seeing the necessity for immediate action, Singh uttered a sharp, shortorder, and the elephant knelt at once. 

"Ah, that's better, " cried Glyn. 

"What shall I do now?" asked Singh, rather excitedly. 

"Do? Why, you had better dress as quickly as you can, and go down tohim. "

"But it's so early, " said Singh. "I haven't finished my sleep. "

"And you won't either; and you had better look sharp before he rams thatgreat head of his against the door and comes upstairs to fetch you. "

"Bother the elephant!" cried Singh irritably, for this early waking froma comfortable sleep had soured his temper. 

"All right; bother him, then, " replied Glyn, who was wonderfully wakefulnow; "but it seems to me that he's going to bother us. I say, Singhy, the Doctor said he wouldn't let Slegge keep that fox-terrier dog hebought a month ago. "

"Well, I know; but what's that got to do with the elephant coming here?"

"Oh, I only meant that the Doctor won't let you keep him as a pet, " saidGlyn with a chuckle. 

"Such rubbish!" snapped out Singh in a rage, as he stood on one leg, thrust one foot through his trousers, and then raising the other he losthis balance somehow, got himself tangled up, and went down with a bang. 

"Oh, bother the old trousers!" he cried angrily, as he scrambled up. "Here, I don't know what we are going to do. "

"Don't you? Well, I do. It's plain enough that the great brute hasbeen wandering about till he found his way here. "

"But how did he get in?" cried Singh jumpily and with a good deal ofcatching of the breath, for in his haste he kept on getting intodifficulties with his buttons and the holes through which they ought tohave passed. 

"Well, I don't know, " said Glyn; "but I should say he tramped alongyonder under the wall till he came to where the hedge had been mendedup, and then walked through. "

"Well, suppose he did, " said Singh angrily. "What difference does thatmake? You see what a mess we are in. You are always pretending to giveme good advice; now one is in regular trouble you don't say a word. "

"Yes, I did, " cried Glyn, who was also hastily dressing. "Not give youadvice! Why, didn't I just now tell you I was quite sure the Doctorwould not let you keep him for a pet?"

"Look here, " snarled Singh, "you'll make me angry directly, " and heglanced viciously at his water-jug. 

"Can't, " cried Glyn. "You're so cross now I couldn't make you anyworse. But, I say, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know, " replied Singh. "Take it home, I suppose. I came hereto England to be educated and made into an English gentleman, not to beturned into a low-caste mahout. "

"Oh, what's the good of being so waxy? Look at the fun of the thing!Here, I know; let's finish dressing, and then send old Wrench to tellMr Ramball that we have found his elephant, or that he has found us. "

"But he won't be up till it's time to ring the six o'clock bell. Whattime is it now?"

"I don't know. About half-past one, I should think, " cried Glyn, laughing merrily. 

"There you go again! You know it must be much later than that. Yet youwill keep on saying things to make me wild. Are you going to help meget out of this dreadful scrape?"

"It isn't your scrape. It's only an accident. You talked to the beastin the old language, and it came after you again, just like a dog afterits own master. "

"Look here, " said Singh, "do you know where Wrench sleeps?"

"Yes. "

"Where?" cried Singh eagerly. 

"In his bed. "

"Oh!" roared Singh passionately; and hearing his loud voice the elephantgrunted and began to rise slowly. 

"There, I knew you would do it, " cried Glyn, who was bubbling over withfun. "He's coming upstairs. "

"Oh!" cried Singh again, with an ejaculation of dismay, as he hurried tothe window, thrust out his head, and shouted something that sounded like"Gangarroo rubble dubble. "

But whatever it meant, it stopped the elephant from crashing through apiece of palisading, and made it kneel again with its head over aflowerbed, and begin picking all the blossoms within its reach. 

"Oh dear, just look at him!" cried Singh piteously. "And here you arelaughing as if it were the best fun you have ever seen!"

"Well, so it is, " cried Glyn--"a regular game!"

"Game! Why, I feel as if I could run away to guardian at the hotel, andnever show my face here again. "

"Here, don't be such a jolly old stupid, making _Kunchinjingas_ out ofpimples. Here, I know what I'll do. Of course we couldn't get to oldWrench's place. He sleeps in a turn-up bed in his pantry, I believe. I'd soon turn him down, if I could, " cried Glyn, as he poured thecontents of his jug into the basin. 

"But you had an idea, " said Singh. 

_Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble_, came from the basin as the boy thrustin his face. 

Singh uttered a sound like a snarl. 

"Wait till I get my towel, " gasped Glyn as he raised his face for amoment, and directly after--sounding half-smothered in huckaback, andcoming in spasmodic jerks--the boy panted out, "I guess it's about fouro'clock now. I'll--I'll go down and make--believe it's six, and ringthe big bell. That'll make old Wrench come tumbling out in a fright. "

"Ah, to be sure; now you are talking sense. Capital! Make haste. "

"Well, I am making haste. "

"Oh, Glyn, old chap, " cried Singh piteously, "don't, pray don't, beginmaking fun of it all again. I feel just as if I am to blame for all themischief that great beast has done and is going to do. He'll obey me, and as soon as I am dressed I am going down to talk to him and try andkeep him quiet while you rouse up Wrench. "

"Rouse up Wrench!" said Glyn laughing. "Why, it'll rouse up the wholeschool. Only that I know that the fellows won't be in any hurry to getup, I should be afraid that they would come scrambling out into theplayground, and we should have the great monster picking the little onesup one at a time and taking them like pills. "

"Oh, there you go again, " cried Singh piteously. 

"Oh, all right, old chap. That was a slip. But I say, I suppose I'dbetter not stop to take my hair out of the curl-papers. "

"Glyn!"

"There, all right. Dry now. Must put a comb through my hair. I lookso fierce the elephant would take me for an enemy. There we are, " hecontinued, talking away as he busied himself. "Is the parting straight?There, come along. Well, you are a fellow! I am ready first. "

They hurried down the stairs and made for the door, to find to theirgreat dismay that it was locked, bolted, and chained, and so dark at theend of the passage that it was hard work to find the fastenings; andwhile Glyn was fumbling about in utter ignorance of how the chain wassecured there came, faintly heard, from outside a shrill trumpetingsound. 

"Oh, " gasped Singh, "he has missed us, and thinks we are gone. "

"Run up to the window again and order him to lie down, " cried Glyn, speaking earnestly now. "I'll get the door open somehow, or a window, and go out to him and make-believe to mount, till you come down. That'll keep him quiet. "

"Yes, yes, " panted Singh; "only do make haste. "

The boy hurried back along the passage, and in the darkness kickedagainst a mat and went down with a bang. 

"Don't stop to pick up the pieces, " cried Glyn, and there was a soundcame out of the darkness as if Singh had snapped his teeth together. 

Then for nearly five minutes Glyn went on fumbling over the fastenings, and succeeded at last in throwing open the door, to see a few goldenfleck-like clouds softly bright high overhead, and away to his right thegreat animal that had roused him from his peaceful sleep. 

He went straight to it without hesitation, and as he got close up, thehuge beast began to mutter and grumble, and raised its trunk, while theboy felt it creep round his waist like a serpent and hold him tightly. 

"What's he going to do next?" thought Glyn. "He must know I'm notSingh. Why doesn't he come? Hasn't hurt himself, has he?"

Just then Singh appeared at their bedroom window, and called to theintruder softly, with the result that the trunk was uncurled, raised inthe air, and used like a trumpet, while a shuffling movement suggestedthat the animal was about to rise. 

"Kneel!" cried Singh, and the animal crouched once more. 

"Now you get on his neck, and sit there till I come down. "

"It's all very well, " grumbled Glyn; "but I don't much like the jobwhile you are away. "

All the same, the boy did not hesitate, but took hold of the crouchingbeast's ear, planted the edge of his shoe in one of the wrinkles of thetrunk, and climbed into the mahout's place, his steed raising andlowering its ears and muttering and grumbling impatiently as if waitingto be told to rise. 

Meanwhile Singh had disappeared from the window, and after what seemed avery long time made his appearance through the door. 

"Oh, what a while you have been!" cried Glyn. "Now then, you had bettercome here and sit on him to hold him down while I go and ring the bell. Here, I say, though, it won't make him think breakfast's ready, will it, and send him scrambling off after buns?"

"No, no, no! Nonsense!" cried Singh. 

"Oh, well, if you don't mind, I don't, because I shall be over there. But, all the same, I shouldn't like to see him kick up behind and throwyou over his head. "

Singh uttered an impatient ejaculation, and began to climb on to theanimal's neck. 

"No, no, " cried Glyn. "I'm going to get off now. "

"No; you must wait till I am up there behind you, and then as you getdown I'll slide into your place. "

"But you will have to tell him to lift up his ears, for he's nipping mylegs hard, and they feel as if they were going to hold me down. "

"It will be all right, " said Singh impatiently, and throwing his rightleg over, he came down upon the elephant's neck; while before the boyscould grasp what was about to happen, the animal rose and began to turnround, slinging the massive iron peg over the palisade; and then, as hebegan to move off and the chain tightened, he drew with him eight or tenfeet of the ornamental woodwork. 

"Oh, what will the Doctor say?" cried Singh piteously. 

"That he'll stop your pocket-allowance to pay for it. Here, I say, oldchap, do, do something to steer him. "

"But I haven't got a--"

"Here, try a pin, " cried Glyn, making-believe to pull one out of thebottom corner of his waistcoat. 

"But that won't go through his skin. "

"No, I suppose not. He'll think you are tickling him. Here, shall Itry my knife?"

"No, no, no! It will make him mad. "

"But we must do something, " cried Glyn, who couldn't sit still forlaughing. "Can't you turn his head? We are mowing and harrowing allthese flower-beds with this wood-stack he's dragging at his heels. Ah, that's better!" continued Glyn, as, finding the impediment ratherunpleasant, the animal turned off at right angles and reached out withits trunk to remove the obstacles attached to its leg. 

"Why, we are anchored! Oh, now he's off again. Why, where's he going?"

"I think he's going to make for the hedge where he came through first, in the cricket-field. "

"But we couldn't get through there with all this garden-fence. It wouldcatch in the hedge, and we should be dragging that too all through thetown. "

"Oh, I don't know, " cried Singh. 

"Let's scramble down and try to stop him. If you take hold of one legI'll hang on by his tail if I can reach it. --Ah, that's better!"

For the elephant suddenly came to a standstill about a third of the wayacross the playground. 

"Here, he's stopping for something. I wish we were near a baker'sshop. "

But the elephant had not stopped for nothing but only to balance itselfupon three legs while it kicked out with the fourth, making a loudcrashing and jangling noise, which was repeated till the length ofwooden palisade was broken into splinters. But the chain and picket-pegwere as firmly attached as ever, and were dragged steadily across theremaining portion of the playground right for the hedge, which now stoodbefore the boys, displaying not only the demolished reparations, but agood-sized gap as well. 

It seemed as if their steed meant to pass straight through, and he didso. The great iron peg got across a couple of tough old stumps of thehawthorn bushes and drew him up short, but only for a few moments; thehuge beast putting forth its strength and dragging them out by theroots, after which it turned off to the left, to go on straight throughthe still sleeping town, making its way in the calmest manner for theshow-field at the back of the principal hotel. Here it stopped at lastclose to the loosened earth from which it had originally wrenched thepicket; and then, raising its trunk, blew such a blast that it produceda chaotic burst of sounds from the quadrangle of cages and dens, eachcreature after its kind joining in the chorus, and rousing and bringingevery keeper and labourer attached to the menagerie upon the scene, thelast to arrive, eager and smiling, but before anything was done, beingthe proprietor himself, who came up cheering and waving hat andhandkerchief in the air. 

"Think of that now!" he cried. "I say, young gentlemen, it all pointsto it, you see, and you needn't tell me; the old Rajah saw what wasright. He only went to fetch you, and you've come to stay. "

CHAPTER SIXTEEN. 

"HALT! RIGHT FACE!"

The yellow silk handkerchief was brought a great deal into use by MrRamball to dab his head; and once Glyn nudged his schoolfellow's elbowand suggested that the proprietor was going to cry with disappointmentfrom being told that he was labouring under a very grave mistake. 

Soon after the two boys slipped away so as to make for the school andexcuse themselves for being out of bounds and going out unseen so earlyin the morning. 

They "slipped away" at Ramball's request. "Just walk up and down withme a few times, " he said, "till we get on the other side of thecaravans. No, not yet, " he said. "I have sent one of the men for a bigbasket of carrots. They are nice and sweet, and his highness likesthem. Once get him busy on them and he won't notice you going. "

A big two-handled basket made its appearance a few minutes later, piledup with the orange-red vegetables, and carried by a couple of Ramball'smen. 

"Just give him two or three yourselves, gentlemen, " said the proprietor, "and start him on them. Then get behind him and walk right awaystraight from his tail. You may do anything of that sort, as I dare sayyou know, without his seeing. Elephants are very stupid beasts aboutwhat goes on behind their backs. "

The two boys did as requested, and as soon as the elephant was busy theystrolled off with its owner, who was very eager to shake hands with themagain and beg of them to come to his place. 

"Here, I have had enough of this, " cried Glyn as soon as they were outof the great field, "and I never thought of it before. What time isit?"

"I don't know, " said Singh. "I have left my watch on thedressing-table. "

Just then the striking of the church clock fell upon their ears, andSingh began to count aloud, while Glyn expressed his belief that it mustbe seven. 

"Why, all the chaps will be out when we get back, " he said. 

"Eight!" said Singh loudly. 

"Nonsense! You have muddled it, " cried Glyn. 

"Nine!" cried Singh. 

"Rubbish!"

"It is. Look at the shops all open, and the people about. "

"Well; but the time couldn't have gone like that, " cried Glyn. "Here, what are we going to say? If you are right--why, breakfast's over everso long ago, and the fellows are all going in to class. But you can'tbe right. "

"Well, there's the clock, " said Singh contemptuously. "Look foryourself. "

The hands and Roman numerals of the great church clock had only latelybeen re-gilded, and they seemed to twinkle and blink and pointderisively in the bright morning sunshine. 

"Oh, I say, " cried Glyn, "who could have thought it! Bother old Ramballand his beasts! Feeding his elephant! I wish somebody would feed me!Why, we shall get no breakfast. "

"Oh yes, we shall, " cried Singh confidently. "Why, you forget we are inthe infirmary still, and Mrs Hamton won't let us go without ourbreakfast. But come along; let's trot back round by the shortest way. "

They started the military double directly, and were about half-way backto the school when, as they turned a corner to get into the main road, asharp military voice shouted:

"Halt! Right face!"

"Father!" cried Glyn. 

"Morning, " cried the Colonel, as he shook hands warmly with both. "Youtwo invalids having your constitutional? Well, you ought to be takenoff the sick-list now. I have just been having my walk beforebreakfast. I came past the Doctor's, but could not see anything ofeither of you. "

"Going in to breakfast, father?" said Glyn. 

"Yes, my boy. You had yours at eight o'clock, I suppose. What timewere you up? Seven o'clock, I suppose. "

"No, father, " said Glyn, laughing. "It must have been about four. "

"Four o'clock! What made you get up so soon as that?" cried theColonel, as he looked from one to the other. 

"We were called, father, and obliged to get up. " And between them theboys narrated their early morning adventure. 

"Tut, tut, tut, tut!" ejaculated the Colonel. "Then you have had nobreakfast at all?"

Singh shook his head. 

"Come along with me, then, " cried the Colonel. "I'll soon put thatright. "

"Can't, father. We haven't got leave. We shall be punished forbreaking out of school. "

"Nonsense!" cried his father. "You didn't break out of school. Youwere carried off. Here, I'll put that right with the Doctor; but theremust be no more of this. You lads don't want elephants till you go backto Dour, and that won't be for years to come. "

Very shortly afterwards the boys were once more seated at the Colonel'stable, to partake of a leisurely breakfast, before he, as he termed it, marched them back like a couple of deserters to the Doctor'sestablishment. 

Wrench looked at them at first wonderingly, and then shook his head ashe announced that the boys were all in their classes, and that theDoctor was going round the grounds with the gardener to see what damagewas done by the second visit of the elephant; when the Colonel proposedthat they should follow and give the boys' version of their adventure. 

They came upon him they sought almost directly after, for he hadinspected the damaged hedge, and was gazing very ruefully at thebroken-down palisade and the torn and trampled flower-beds. 

He was busy pointing out the mischief to his companion, for Morris waswith him, looking very sympathetic, as he borrowed the Doctor'swalking-cane and carried his mathematical studies into daily life andutility by bending down and taking the dimensions of the elephant'sgreat circular foot-prints. 

The Doctor frowned as he turned and saw who were approaching; butexplanations followed as he rather ponderously led the way into hisstudy, where everything connected with the discipline of his school wasalways discussed. 

"Oh, of course, Colonel Severn, " he said, as his visitor took leave. "Ihold your ward and son perfectly blameless, and have nothing to sayabout their absence from my establishment this morning. --But I hope, young gentlemen, that this is the last of these adventures; and I amglad, Colonel, that you met them and made them your guests. "

"Unintentionally, my dear sir--unintentionally, " said the Colonelstiffly. "I did mean to ask your permission for them to dine with meonce more; but after this morning's meeting I shall not do so. Wemustn't interfere with the discipline of the school boys, " he said. "To-morrow morning I return to town, and probably I shall not see youagain for a couple of months. Good-morning, Doctor; good-morning. --Youwill see me to the door, boys?"

The Doctor smiled and bowed, and the two lads walked past Wrench andthen down with the Colonel to the Doctor's gate, where he stood for afew minutes talking. 

"That fellow civil and attentive?" he said, giving his Malacca cane awave in the direction of Wrench. 

"Yes, father; very nice and obliging. "

"Give him that, " said the Colonel, slipping a crown-piece into his son'shand; "and, let's see; you get your month's allowance regularly. Notoverrunning the constable, I hope--not getting into debt?"

The boys shook their heads, and after a few words more the Colonelmarched off, erect and soldierly, while the boys rather slowly andunwillingly returned to their room to give a finishing touch or two totheir rather hasty morning toilet. 

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. 

THE PROFESSOR MAKES A REQUEST. 

Morris, being off duty, as he termed it, walked down the road to clearhis head a little of mathematical calculations, as well as to devise anexamination paper intended for the improvement of his pupils; not thathe looked upon it in that light, for as soon as he had mentally got itinto shape, ready for committing to paper, he laughed to himself andrubbed his white hands over and over again in his intense satisfaction. 

"That will puzzle their brains, " he said maliciously. "That will givesome of them a headache;" and as he spoke, on his way back, he suddenlyawakened to the fact that he was just coming to the damaged hedge, wherea couple of men were for the second time, by Ramball's orders, restaking, half-cutting through, and bending down for interlacingpurposes sturdy old growths of hawthorn. 

The next moment he was conscious of the fact that Professor Barclay, wholooked particularly neat, refined, and clean, was coming up to him witha most friendly smile and with extended hand. 

The Professor was clean-shaven, wore his hair cut very short, and fromhis hat to his boots he was spotless; but somehow or other there was asuggestion that the profession of Sanskrit did not result in thepossession of wealth, for the Professor's hat was not so new as it hadbeen once, one of his well-polished boots had a smile in its upperleather just where the little toe pressed outwards, there was asuggestion about his very stiff shirt-collar of the growth of saw-liketeeth that might be very unpleasant if they came in contact with hisears, while his tightly buttoned-up frock-coat, which looked very nicein front, had grown extremely shiny in two places at the back where thewearer's blade-bones were prominent. 

Morris took the extended hand and shook it, but not half soaffectionately as the Professor shook his, while agreeing very simplythat the day was remarkably fine; and then, oddly enough, Morris, thoughthe Professor gave him no reason for his thoughts in words, beganthinking of a quiet little place in the town where modest dinners wereprovided, one of which Morris did not require in the least, inasmuch asa repast would be provided for him gratuitously in the Doctor'sestablishment. Item, he began thinking, too, of half-crowns. But histhoughts were turned in another direction by the Professor. 

"So this is the spot, " he said, "where the elephant broke through?"

"Yes, " said Morris eagerly; "great mischievous beast! It will be a goodthing when it's out of the town. "

"Exactly, " said the Professor, "unless the proprietor had some one tomanage it who understood its ways. Is it true, as I have heard, thatthe young Prince and his friend and fellow-pupil controlled the hugebeast by giving it orders in Hindustani?"

"Oh yes, " said Morris, smiling now, as he ridded himself of thoughts ofcheap dinners and half-crowns. 

"Well, I am not surprised, " continued the Professor; "but it was a pityI was not there. "

"Pity you were not there?" said Morris, making a suggestion with hishand preparatory to saying "good-bye--can't stop, " and then tellingsomething very much like a fib; for it was in his mind to say, "So gladto have met you. "

"Yes, " said the Professor nonchalantly, "you see, I know Hindustanithoroughly; and though I suppose my pronunciation would be faulty in theears of a native, I could very well make myself understood. "

"Ah, yes, " said Morris hastily; "so I should suppose; but--er--you willexcuse me?" And he glanced at his watch. "I am afraid I must be backat the college. It is close upon dinner-time. "

The Professor sighed and inadvertently sniffed as poor boys sniff whoare passing cookshops. 

"In a moment, my dear friend. I will not detain you; but I will walkwith you as far as the college. It will be in my way. You see, justwhen one wants them most, important letters--important pecuniaryletters--have such a bad habit of being delayed. "

Morris coughed. 

"Now, nothing could have happened better for me than that I should havemet you, a brother-student; though we follow divergent lines, you forthe attainment of mathematical precision, I for the diffusion of Easternlore, you of all men seem to have extended towards me a kindlyinterest. "

"Oh, well, that was perfectly natural, " said Morris feebly, as, inadvertently he thrust his right hand into his pocket, started, coloured, and withdrew it quickly. 

"Now, " continued the Professor, "I want you to give me your advice aboutseeing the Doctor again. "

Morris shook his head. 

"Ah, I see what you are thinking; but that was for a permanent post. Now, don't you think he might accept my services, say, for anon-resident and three days a week?"

"No, " said Morris, "I am sure he wouldn't. Your coming made Rampsondreadfully jealous, and he told me afterwards that the Doctor assuredhim that he should make no change. "

"Well, say one day a week. "

Morris shook his head again and looked down the road, as if hoping thatsome one would come and rescue him from his position. 

"Don't speak in haste, " said the Professor, taking him with finger andthumb by the plaited guard of silk, as if he had intentions upon thewatch--not to know the time. 

"I am obliged to speak in haste, " replied Morris. "You see, it is sonear--"

"Exactly--dinner-time. But for Sanskrit, a lesson a week--"

"The Doctor declared he should not introduce Sanskrit in the curriculumof study. "

"Dear, dear! And with that young Eastern Prince in the establishment, and his companion the son of that magnificent old Colonel with thewondrous moustache!" And as he spoke the Professor passed his hand overhis closely shaven upper lip. "Well, well, the Doctor knows his ownbusiness best; but I must confess that I am disappointed, my dearfriend. "

"I am very, very sorry, " said Morris, drawing back a little; and as theguard tightened, and the watch began to rise out of his pocket, he gaveway again and the watch sank down. 

So did its owner's spirits, for the Professor continued:

"Don't you think I might go back with you to the college and call uponthe Doctor once more?"

"No, that I don't, " said Morris hastily; "for almost directly he will begoing into the dining-hall. "

"Well, what would that matter? Country hospitality and--you understand. But there, if you think the time adverse, I certainly would notpresume. But, by the way, would you believe it, that letter has notcome this morning?"

"Yes, " said Morris faintly. "You said so just now. "

"And it puts me to the greatest inconvenience. I am almost ashamed toask you. "

"Would that you were quite!" thought Morris. 

"But would you mind--say a couple of half-crowns--a mere trifle, and themoment the letter comes--really, I think it must be stuck in thepost-office somewhere from wrong direction. Is there anotherPlymborough in England?"

"Oh no; this is the only one. "

"Yes, two half-crowns, and the moment the letter arrives I shall hurryto you to repay you with many thanks, your kindly interest in mywelfare. "

"And the other two?"

"Oh, of course, " said the Professor. "The-ank you. Some day, my dearMorris, I hope and believe--But, by the way, that young Prince: I couldnot help taking the greatest interest in what he told me. It camenaturally as the result of questions and in conversation upon the beautyof Eastern costume. I remember saying to him, `Why are not you, a youngEastern potentate, robed in the resplendent garments of your country, wearing a picturesque helmet, plumed, and decked with gorgeous jewels?I remember, ' I said, `a visit paid by the Nawab of Puttyputty when I wasone of the masters at the college at Longbourne. He was magnificentlydressed, a most picturesque figure amongst the gentlemen, who in theirsombre black looked like so many waiters. I remember he wore aresplendent belt, the clasps of which were formed of gigantic emeraldsengraved with Eastern characters--Sanskrit, I believe, though I neverhad them in my hand. ' And the boy proudly told me that he possessedjust such a one, though he never wore it, because it would not besuitable with modern English costume. All a boy's romance, I suppose--recollections of the _Arabian Nights_. "

"Oh no, " said Morris; "it is quite true. "

"Dear me, " said the Professor, "what an opportunity! Why, I would giveworlds to see it, " he added with a laugh. "It has been one of theregrets of my life that I did not ask the Nawab's permission to inspectthose clasps. To my thinking, the inscriptions must have been of thatso-called talismanic kind in which these weak heathen believe. Now, doyou think it possible that you could prevail upon your young friend--"

"Oh no, I am sure I couldn't, " said Morris, trying hard to read thedistant church clock. 

"But say you convey to him my invitation, and ask him to bring the beltto my rooms one afternoon. "

"Oh, really I--"

"Oh, such a simple thing--educational, and--I beg your pardon, you mustgo? Of course. I am afraid I have been prolix; but my dear Morris, bear that in mind. A little discussion upon those inscriptions would bebeneficial to the boy--I could tell him things he would be proud toknow--and it would enable me to send a profitable description to thenewspapers. --Yes, good-bye till we meet again. "

They separated, and the Professor walked slowly away, with his attentionequally balanced between recollections of the Nawab's clasps and thelast little dinner he had eaten at the country refreshment-house atMorris's expense, what time he played a pleasant little game of raisingone half-crown from where it lay upon its fellow at the bottom of hispocket and letting it fall again with an agreeable chink. 

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. 

"WHERE'S MY PRACTICE-BAT?"

The Doctor was quite facetious one morning, for, in addressing themasters, his words being meant for the whole school, he said jocularlythat if Severn and Singh had formed any intention of devoting theirpocket-allowance to ordering a castle from London they were too late. He looked very hard at Morris as he spoke, and waited for him to reply. 

"A castle, sir?" said the master. "I don't quite apprehend yourmeaning. "

"Oh, it was only this, Mr Morris. My mind does not serve me as to whatthese things are called in India; but I think, and I dare say MrRampson will set me right if I am wrong, that in the old classic days inthe Punic or Carthaginian wars what were termed castles were fitted onto the backs of elephants, from which archers, slingers, andjavelin-throwers dealt out destruction among their foes. "

"Yes, sir. Quite correct, sir, " said Rampson, "for Pliny states--"

"Oh, I don't think we will disturb Pliny to-day, Mr Rampson, " said theDoctor, smiling, "unless your pupils particularly wish it, " and heglanced round the school. 

"No, sir!"

"No, sir!"

"No, sir!" came in chorus. 

"Very well, gentlemen; then Pliny shall be left at rest. It occurred tome that if there was to be much more of the pursuit of elephant-ridingas displayed by Messrs. Severn and Singh, a castle, such, I presume, asis kept in record by a celebrated hostelry somewhere in the south ofLondon, where, upon one occasion, I stepped into one of those popularmodes of conveyance called omnibuses, would be much more suitable for amode of progression than the animal's neck. A very slight study of thehuman anatomy would satisfy the most exacting that nature never intendedyouths of fifteen or sixteen to strain their muscles after the fashionof acrobats, so as to enable them to bestride an elephant's spine. "

There was a low titter at this, and every eye was turned upon Glyn andSingh, the latter turning very red. 

"By the way, Mr Singh, " continued the Doctor, "you have a colloquialterm for the form of castle used in India, have you not?"

The word colloquial seemed to puzzle Singh, who remained silent, andGlyn spoke up. 

"Howdah, sir!" he shouted. 

"How dare you, sir!" cried the Doctor, with mock indignation; and thenhe looked smilingly round for appreciation of his pun, which was notseen till Morris expounded it. 

Then there was a roar. While he waited patiently enough, the Doctortook off his gold-rimmed spectacles, drew a neatly folded whitehandkerchief from his pocket, shook it out, breathed upon the glasses, and polished them, kept on holding them to the light to make sure thatthere was not the symptom of a blur, and as soon as the laughter haddied out he exclaimed, "Because--"

There was a dead silence, the boys large and small glancing at oneanother in a questioning way as if asking whether this was the beginningof another mild joke or a bit of facetiae that ought to be laughed at asit stood. 

"Because--" said the Doctor again, more loudly than before, and heseemed, as he glanced round, to direct his words at every boy in turn. 

"Because, gentlemen--" This time the Doctor looked hard at the masters, and then continued loudly, "it seems as if I am to be allowed to possessmy boarders in peace, the quickset hedge is not to be torn-up any more, the split oak palings on the farther side are to remain untouched. Tobe brief, I am informed upon the best authority that the visit ofRamball's menagerie is at an end. So now, Mr Singh, you may close upyour repertoire of Hindustani words, and condescend to plain Englishwith an occasional garnish from the classic writers of old. We will nowresume our studies. "

All traces of excitement seemed to give way now to the humdrum routineof school-life. This, however, was diversified with plenty of cricket, Slegge posing in every match as the chief batsman and captain of theeleven. 

But he had to work hard to keep up his position in his own particularspeciality, which was that of slogging batsman, for he was a bad bowler, too cowardly to keep a wicket, and too big, heavy, and lazy to field. 

At the same time he was too jealous and vain to let others step in andhelp themselves to some of his laurels, notably the two young Indians, as he called them, for none of the older lads, his fellow-pupils foryears past, ever dreamed of disputing his position. But both Glyn andSingh, untroubled by a thought of giving way to the older boy, provedthemselves a splendid addition to the eleven that was picked from timeto time to combat the town players or some other school. 

To Slegge's annoyance, he very soon found that if the prestige of theschool was to be kept up Glyn and Singh must be in the eleven, for theformer in a very short time was acknowledged to be the sharpest bowlerin the school, while, from long practice together, Singh was anadmirable wicket-keeper--one who laughed at gloves and pads, was utterlywithout fear, and had, as Wrench said--he being a great admirer of agame in which he never had a chance to play--"a nye like a nork. "

"But they can't beat me at batting, " Slegge said to himself grimly, andhe worked at his practice like a slave. But as a slave he made othersslave--to wit, all the small unfortunates who took his fancy. 

"You needn't grumble, you lazy little beggars, " he used to say. "Nasty, ungrateful little beasts! See what bowlers I'm making of you, and whatfielders!"

And in his manufacture of cricketers he would have out five or six at atime, with three or four cricket-balls, to keep on bowling to him whilehe went on slogging and hitting the balls in all directions, utterlyreckless of the poor little fellows' exhaustion and of the risks theyran, as he drove or cut the balls right at them or far away over thefield. 

The natural result was that in regular play Slegge's score alwaysmounted up when he was not opposed to Glyn and Singh, when there wasgenerally what the delighted younger boys denominated a "swodge ofrows;" while Slegge himself, always ready to pick a quarrel, never nowattempted to settle it with fists, but he fought pretty hard with histongue, and always declared that there was "a beastly conspiracy. "

Possibly there was; but it was only between the two friends, who strovetheir best to put him out, the one by a clean ball which sent stumps andbails flying, the other by laying his wicket low with a sharp movementwhen Slegge's long legs had, in his excitement carried him off hisground. 

One morning there was a little meeting held under the elms by twelve ofthe very junior juniors, for they had found out a malicious act on thepart of their tyrant, or rather he had openly boasted of it himself, andnot only showed the little fellows visually what he had done to hispractice-bat, as he called it, but also awakened them thoroughly to hisplay. 

"'Tisn't fair, " said one of them. "I vote we lay it all before Burneyand Severn and Hot Pickles. "

"No, " said another, "it isn't fair. He couldn't do it off Glyn Severn'sbowling; not that we chaps bowl badly. Severn calls some of us toppers, and last week and several times since he put me up to giving the balls atwist. You know; you saw--those long-pitched balls that drop in asquiet as a mouse, and look as if they are going wide, but curl in roundthe end of a fellow's bat, just tap a stump, and down go the bailsbefore he knows where he is. "

"Yes; but I don't see much good in that, " said another. "You didn'ttake much out of it yesterday when you put old Shanks's wicket down, andhe gave you a lick on the head for it. "

"I don't care if he'd given me a dozen, " said the little fellow with agrin. "I took old Bully Bounce's wicket. Oh, didn't it make him wild!"

"Yes; but it isn't fair, as I said before, " cried the first speaker. "He could do what he liked with our bowling before, but now we have gotto run nearly off our legs to fetch up fivers. I say it isn't fair. Hemust have got half-a-pound of lead let into the end of his bat. Took itdown to the carpenter's, he did, and made old Gluepot bore three holesin the bottom with a centre-bit, pour in a lot of melted lead, and thenplug the bottom up again with wood. "

"Here, I know, " said one; "let's watch for our chance, and get Wrench--he'll keep it a secret; he hates Longshanks--let's ask him to make afire under the wash-house copper, and one of us could do it I'llvolunteer. I'll smuggle out Slegge's bat, and it wouldn't take long. Just hold it on the fire where it's hottest, and the lead would all meltand run out. "

"And what about the end of the bat?" said another. 

"Well, it would be all light again, just the same as it was before. "

"Light?" cried the objector. "Why, it would be all black. The woodwould all burn away before the fire got to the lead. "

"Would it?" said the inventor of the scheme thoughtfully. "Well, Isuppose it would. But we must do something. "

This was agreed to _nem con_, and, after a long meeting for boys, theirfaces indicated a satisfactory termination of their debate. 

That something had been done was proved two days later, for theintervening day had been wet; and as usual, on the second day, when itwas time to turn out in the grounds, Slegge ordered up his little bandof slaves and marched them to the cricket-shed for the necessaryimplements. Half-a-dozen balls were got out of one locker, the stumpsand bails from another, and from his own particular lock-up, flap-toppedreceptacle, Slegge proceeded to take out the special bat with which hepractised hitting--two more, his club-bat and his match-bat, lying therein their cases of green flannel. 

Taking his key, one of a bunch, from his pocket, Slegge proceeded tounlock the flap-topped cupboard; but somehow the key would not go in, and he withdrew it, and under the impression that he had made a wrongselection he passed another along the ring and tried that. This wasworse, and he tried a third, before withdrawing it, blowing into thepipe, and making it whistle, and then tapping it and bringing forth afew grains of sand. 

"Here, what game's this?" shouted the big fellow in what his enemiescalled a bubble-and-squeak voice, due to the fact that in the changethat was taking place his tones were an awkward mingling of treble andbass; and as he spoke he seized the boy nearest to him by the ear. 

"Oh, please don't, sir! Please don't! Please don't! I haven't donenothing!"

"Done nothing, you little vermin!" shouted Slegge. "Who said you had?But you've done something. Now, don't deny it, for I'll half-skin you. You can't deceive me. You have been blowing this lock full of sand andgravel with a pea-shooter. "

"I haven't, sir; I haven't indeed!" cried the boy. 

"Then tell me who has?" cried Slegge; and, seizing the boy's fingers, heheld his hand, palm downwards, on the top of the locker, and then beganto torture him by sawing the knuckles of his own doubled fist across theback. 

The boy squealed and yelped, but bore the inquisition-like torturebravely enough. 

Nothing was got out of him, however; and, getting between the boys andthe door of the shed, Slegge tortured one after the other, but could notfind a traitor to impeach the rest. And at last, in a fit of rage, hestepped back and with a furious kick sent the lid of the locker flyingupwards; while, tearful though some of the eyes of the lookers-on were, they were full of a strange kind of exultation as they glanced at oneanother and waited for the _denouement_ that was to come. 

As Slegge saw the result of his kick to the heavy lid, he steppedquickly forward and thrust in his right hand to withdraw the bat; but heuttered a yell, for the great cover rebounded and came down with a bang, sending one of the little fellows skimming out of the shed to get roundto the back so that his laughter should not be seen. 

"That's one for you, Burton, when I get hold of you again, " criedSlegge. "I shan't forget it. And--here, what's the meaning of this?Where's my practice-bat?"

There was a dead silence in the shady, wooden room, and three or four ofthe boys stood looking as if they were going to have apoplectic fits, for their eyes started and their teeth were clenched together, and theyseemed as if they were trying to swallow something. 

But there was no danger. It was only bottled-up mirth that they werestriving hard to suppress. 

"Ugh-h-h-ugh!" snarled Slegge, making a rush at the boys, who scatteredat once, dashed out of the door before any of them were seized, and ranas if for their lives, to begin shrieking with laughter as soon as theywere out of reach. 

In his rage at what he looked upon as a theft, Slegge chased first oneand then another; but he was too big, heavy, and clumsy to catch thedelighted imps, who, as active as monkeys, dodged him at every turn, till at last he stood panting. 

"All right, " he said. "I am not going to make myself hot with runningafter you; but the Doctor's going to know that he has got thieves in theschool. I am not going to be robbed for nothing, and if my practice-batis not back in its place before night I shall go and tell Bewley thathe's got blackguards and fellows who use false keys in his school. Soyou'd better look sharp and bring that bat back. And here, mind this;the carpenter will charge six or seven shillings for putting on a newlock here, so you have got to find sixpence apiece before Saturday nightand hand it over to me. "

But in spite of threats the bat was not brought back nor its purloineror annexer betrayed. The bat was gone, and its owner's practice wasmodified, for he did not care to improve the driving power of hisfirst-class bats by having them bored and weighted with lead. 

CHAPTER NINETEEN. 

WRENCH IS CONFIDENTIAL. 

The Doctor was very fond of lecturing the boys on the beneficialqualities of water. 

"Gentlemen, " he said, "I pass no stern edicts or objections to the useof beer, and for those who like to drink it there is the ale of mytable, which is of a nature that will do harm to no one"--which wasperfectly true--"but I maintain that water--good, pure, clear, bright, sparkling spring water--is the natural drink of man. And being thenatural drink of man, ergo--or, as our great national poet Shakespeareputs the word in the mouth of one of his clowns, _argal_--it is thenatural drink of boys. "

As he spoke, the Doctor poured out from a ground-glass decanter-likebottle a tumblerful of clear cold water, which he treated as if it werebeer, making it bubble and foam for a moment before it subsided in theglass. 

The Doctor said good, pure, sparkling water, and the supply of theschool possessed these qualities, for it came from a deep draw-well thatwent right down, cased in brick, for about forty feet, while for sixtyfeet more it was cut through the solid stone. 

The Doctor was very particular about this well, which was furnished witha mechanical arrangement of winch and barrel, which sent down one big, heavy bucket as the winder worked and brought up another full; and itwas Wrench's special task to draw the drinking-water from this well forthe whole of the school, that used for domestic purposes coming from twodifferent sources--one an ordinary well, and the other a giganticsoft-water tank. 

One morning early, after Singh and Glyn descended from their dormitory, and were strolling down towards the Doctor's neatly-kept garden by a waywhich led them past the well-house, they stopped to listen to a clearmusical pipe that was accompanied by the creaking of a wheel and thesplash of water. 

The pipe proved to be only Wrench the footman's whistle, and its effectwas that of a well-played piccolo flute, as it kept on giving the boysthe benefit of a popular air with variations, which stopped suddenly asthe big full bucket reached the surface and was drawn sideways on to aledge by the man, while a hollow musical dripping and tinkling went onas a portion of the superfluous water fell splashing back into thedepths. 

As Wrench uttered a grunt and proceeded to fill the water-can he hadbrought and a couple of jugs, he turned slightly and saw that the shadowcast into the cool, moist-smelling interior was that of the two boys. 

"Morning, gentlemen, " he said. "What do you think of this for weather?"

"Lovely, " cried Glyn. "Why, Wrench, you beat the blackbirds. "

"Oh, nonsense, sir! I have often tried; but I can't get their nicesoft, sweet notes. "

"No; but your whistle is of a different kind. --It's beautiful; isn't it, Singh?"

"Yes; it's just like those minas that we have got at home. --Give me aglass of water. "

"Haven't got a glass, sir, only a mug. Here, I'll run and fetch youone. "

"No, no, " cried Singh, and taking up the mug he held it to be filled andthen drank heartily, Glyn following his example. 

"Beautiful clear water, young gentlemen, isn't it?" said the man. "TheDoctor says it will make you strong, and there's iron enough in it to doany man good. I should like to have a well like that in my place when Istart for myself. I should put out bills about it and call it mineralwater, same as the Doctor says this is. "

"How deep is the well really?"

"Just a hundred foot, sir. "

"How do you know? You haven't measured it. "

"Well, I measured the rope, sir. When the Doctor bought a new one forit, just a year ago, he let me fit it on instead of getting theworkpeople in. That cost nothing, and the men would have made a regularjob of it. "

"But I meant the water. How deep is the water itself?"

"Oh, the water, sir. That gets to be about twenty or thirty feet in thewinter-time; but in the summer it gets very low--in the dry time, youknow. I don't suppose there's above six or eight feet in now. "

"But I say, " cried Glyn, "set up for yourself? Why, you're not going tostart a school?"

"School, sir?" said the man, laughing. "'Tain't likely! No, sir; meand somebody--never you mind who--is going to be married one of thesedays, when we have saved up enough, and we are going to take a house atthe seaside and let lodgings to visitors who come down for their health. Why, a well of water like that would be the making of us. "

"Oh!" cried Glyn, with his eyes twinkling. "You with your somebody andyour never mind who! Why, I have found you out, Wrenchy. I know whothe lady is. "

"Lady she is, sir, " said the man sharply, "and right you are, thoughshe's only poor and belongs to my station of life. But, begging yourpardon, with all your Latin and Greek and study, you haven't found thatout. "

"That I have, " cried Glyn. "It's the cook. "

The man turned scarlet and stood gazing at the boy with his mouth alittle way open. 

"Why, who telled you, sir?" he stammered at last. 

"She did, " said Glyn quietly. 

"What! My Emily told you that?" cried the man. "In them same words?"

"No; she never spoke to me in my life, " replied Glyn. "Singh and I weregoing down the garden one day, down one path, and she'd been to get someparsley, while you were carrying in one of the garden chairs, and shelooked at you. That was enough, and we two laughed about it afterwards. So you see we know. "

"Well, I always did say as you was two sharp uns, sir, " said the man. And then confidentially, "Yes, sir, that's right. We have been thinkingabout it for the last five years, and we'd like it to come off at anytime. For, you see, it's just the same with us, sir, as it is with richpeople--I mean, well-to-do people. It don't do to get married until yousee your way. "

"Till you can see your way?" said Singh, frowning. "What does he meanby that?"

"Oh, I'll soon tell you, sir. Money enough to make a fair start. There's plenty of hard work to do here with the Doctor and such a largefamily of you young gentlemen as he's got; but he's a very good master, kind-hearted and just, and if any of us is unwell there's everything hecould want, and plenty of rest. And one don't like to give up acomfortable home and start one that's worse. It's money that's in theway, sir. We have both been saving ever since we were engaged; but ittakes a long time to make your saving much when you can only put away afew pounds apiece every year. "

"Oh, well, look here, " cried Glyn; "if you'll promise not to get marriedwhile we are here at the school, I'll give you--let's see, what shall Isay?--five pounds. I dare say father will give it to me. --Now, Singh, what will you do?"

"Just the same, " replied Singh. 

"Thank you, gentlemen, " cried Wrench. "Come, I call that handsome; butyou know, " he added laughingly, "I shouldn't like to make any promises, for I don't know what a certain lady would say. Thank you all the same, both of you. You've both been very pleasant gentlemen and very niceever since you have been here. You neither of you ever called me a lazybeast and shied your boots at me because they wasn't black enough, orcalled me a fool for not making your water hotter so as you couldshave. "

"Why, who did then?" cried Glyn. 

"Oh, I am not going to tell tales, gentlemen. Some young gents are bornwith tempers and some ain't, while there are some again that come hereas nice and amiable as can be, after a year or two get old and sour andready to quarrel with everything. I don't know; but I think sometimesit's them Greek classics, as they call them. You see, it's suchunchristian-like looking stuff. I have looked at them sometimes in theDoctor's study. Such heathen-looking letters; not a bit like a decentalphabet. But there, I must be off, gentlemen. I have all my workwaiting, and I am going away--only think of it!--ten pounds richer thanwhen I first began to turn that there handle this morning, if--if I stophere--I mean, if we stop here till you young gents have done schooling. "

Wrench finished filling his cans of water and stooped to pick them up, but set them down again, to look at them both thoughtfully. 

"My word, gentlemen, you would both begin to wonder at the times andtimes I have laid awake of a night trying to hit a bright--I mean, thinkof some idea by which I could make a lot of money all at once: find someburied in a garden, or bring up a bag of gold in the bottom of one ofthose two water-buckets, or have somebody leave me a lot, or pick it upin the street and find afterwards it belonged to nobody. I wouldn'tcare how I got it. "

"So long as it was honest, Wrenchy?" said Glyn, laughing. 

"Oh, of course, sir--of course. You see, a man's got a character tolose, and when a man loses his character I suppose it's very hard tofind it again; so I have been told. But I never lost mine. But I dowant to get hold of a nice handy lump of money somehow, and when I do, and if I do--"

"Well, what would you do then?" cried Singh. 

"Well, sir, I shouldn't stop here till you two gents had doneschooling. "

Then, picking up his two water-cans once more, the Doctor's footmantrudged off towards the house. 

"That must have been old Slegge who threw his boots at him, " said Singhthoughtfully. "What a disagreeable fellow he is!"

"Yes, " said Glyn. "I wish I had been there to stop it. He's beenknocking some of the little fellows about shamefully because he saysthat they have hidden his bat. "

"You wish you had been there?" said Singh. "Why, I thought you saidthat you wouldn't fight any more. "

"To be sure; so I did. Well, then, I don't wish I had been there. ButI say, " continued Glyn, laughing merrily, "what a lot of Greek he mustknow!"

"But he doesn't, " cried Singh. "He doesn't know much more than I do, for he came to me to help him with something the other day. "

"Well, then, as Wrenchy says, how what he does know must have disagreedwith him!"

"Yes, " said Singh thoughtfully, as he laid his hand on his companion'sshoulder and they strolled down the garden together, waiting for thebreakfast-bell to ring. "Poor old fellow! Poor old fellow! Poor oldfellow!"

"Well, you are a queer chap, Singh! You say you want to be thoroughlyEnglish, and you talk like that. "

"Well, I do want to be English, " cried Singh, "and I try very hard to doas you do, because I know what guardian says is right. "

"Well, you never heard me pity Slegge and call him poor old fellow. "

"I didn't. I meant poor Wrenchy, who wants money so badly. It must bevery queer to want money very badly and not be able to get it. "

"I suppose so, " replied Glyn. "I seem to have always had enough, whileas for you, you're as rich as rich; quite a king you'll be some day, with servants and a little army, and everything you want. I say, whatdo you mean to do with all your money?"

"I don't know, " said Singh, laughing, and then knitting his brows, "butI should like to give Wrench some. He's such a good, hard-workingfellow, and always does everything you tell him with such a pleasantsmile. I wonder how he will get all he wants. Do you think he willfind it some day in a garden or in the street?"

"Or have a big lump of it tumble out of the moon, or find that it's beenraining gold all over the Doctor's lawn some morning when he gets up?No, I don't--not a bit; and there goes the breakfast-bell, so comealong. "

CHAPTER TWENTY. 

A SQUABBLE. 

"Anybody seen anything of Singh?" cried Glyn one day as he went out intothe cricket-field, where Slegge was batting to the bowling of some ofhis little slaves and several of the older boys were looking on. 

"Baa! Baa! Baa!" cried Slegge, imitating a sheep, and stopping to restupon his bat. "Hark at the great lamb calling after its black shepherd!Go on, some of you, and help me, " and in answer to his appeal a chorusof bleating arose, in which, in obedience to a gesture made with thebat, the little bowlers and fielders were forced to join. 

"Well, if I were a quarrelsome chap, " said Glyn to himself, "I shouldjust go up to Master Slegge and put my fist up against his nose. Great, stupid, malicious hobbledehoy! But it's very plain Singhy hasn't beenhere. Now, where can he be? Gone down the town perhaps to buysomething--cakes or fruit I suppose. How fond he is of something niceto eat? But there, he always gives a lot away to the little fellows. Well, so do I, if you come to that; but I don't think it's because Igive them buns and suckers that they all like me as they do. Well, Isuppose that's where Singh's gone; but he might have told me and askedme to go with him. "

The boy strolled back with the intention of going into the class-room, now empty, to sit down and have a good long read; but as he drew nearthe house he came upon the page, who, wonderful to relate, displayed aface without a vestige of blacking. 

"Hi, Sam!" cried Glyn. "Seen anything of Mr Singh?"

"Yes, sir; I see him down the town--saw him down the town, sir, I mean, "said the boy hastily, recalling the fact that he had been correctedseveral times about his use of the verb "To see. "

"Saw him down the town, " he muttered to himself. "See, saw; see, saw. Wish I could recollect all that. "

"Which way was he going?" said Glyn. 

"Straight down, sir, towards the church, along of Mr Morris, sir. "

"Humph! Gone for a walk, I suppose, " said Glyn thoughtfully. 

"Yes, sir, they were walking, sir. Shall I tell him you want him, sir, when he comes back?"

"Oh no, I don't think you need. I dare say he'll come to me, " repliedGlyn, and he strolled into the big class-room, unlocked his desk, gotout a book of travels, opened it at one particular spot which he hadreached a day or two before, and then began to read, growing sointerested that a couple of hours glided away like half of one. 

Then, closing the book with a sigh, as the dial on the wall insistedupon the fact that time was passing, he replaced the work and went up tohis room to prepare for the evening meal. 

"What a pity it is, " he said, "that half-holidays will go so quickly. Classic afternoons always seem three times as long, and so do MrMorris's lessons. I wish I were not so stupid over mathematics. "

On reaching the door of his room he thrust it open quietly, and foundSingh kneeling down before his Indian bullock-trunk, lifting out some ofits contents ready to make place for something else. 

"Why, hallo! There you are, then!" Singh started as sharply as if hehad received a slap on the shoulder, scrambled up something long tied upin brown paper that lay by his side, thrust it into the trunk, and beganto cover it quickly with some of the articles that had been taken out. 

"Ha, ha! Caught you!" cried Glyn. "What have you got there? Cakes ora box of sweets?"

"Neither, " said Singh rather slowly. 

"Oh, all right, I don't want to know, " cried Glyn good-humouredly. "ButI know: you mean a surprise--a tuck-out to-night when we come to bed. Who are you going to ask?"

"No one, " said Singh shortly. 

"Oh, I would. Ask Burney and Miller. They're good chaps, only Sleggekeeps them under his thumb so. They'd give anything to break away, Iknow. "

Singh was silent. 

"Here, I say, " cried Glyn, "I tell you what would be a rare good bit offun, and if the Doctor knew he wouldn't notice it. Let's get about adozen of the little chaps some night, Burton and Robson, the smalljuniors, and give them a regular good feed quite late. They would enjoyit. What do you say?"

"Yes, " said Singh; "to be sure we will. "

"I say, " said Glyn, "I'd have come with you if you had asked me thisafternoon. What a close old chap you are! Where have you been? Here, I'm going to see what you have got there. "

"No, no!" cried Singh excitedly, as Glyn stepped forward, only meaningit as a feint; and the boy threw himself across the open box, to beginscrambling the dislodged things over the something that was looselycovered with brown paper, and in his hurry and excitement, instead ofhiding it thoroughly, exposing one small corner. But it was quite bigenough to let Glyn see what it was; and, laughing aloud, he cried:

"Why, what a coward you are! I was only pretending. "

Singh hurriedly closed the lid of the trunk. 

"Where have you been?"

Singh was silent for a moment, for a struggle was going on in his mind. 

"I have been out for a walk with Mr Morris, " he said. 

"Well, there's no harm in that, " said Glyn. "Where did you go? Acrossthe park, or down by the river?"

Singh was silent for a moment or two once more, and then in a hurriedway he seemed to master his reserve, and said:

"We didn't go regularly for a walk. We went to see Professor Barclay. "

"Mr Morris took you to see Professor Barclay?" said Glyn. 

"Yes, yes; but I wish you wouldn't keep on questioning me so. "

"Well, I want to know, " said Glyn quietly. "You don't speak out andtell me, so I am obliged to ask. "

"Well, " said Singh gloomily, "I want to be open and tell you; but youare such a queer fellow. "

"Yes, I am, " said Glyn, looking hard at his companion. 

"Well, so you are, " said Singh half-angrily; "and you are so fond offinding fault with me and not liking what I do. "

"I don't know that I should have minded your going to see ProfessorBarclay, " said Glyn slowly, "especially if you went with Mr Morris. "

"No, you oughtn't to, " cried Singh hastily. "Mr Morris said that itwould be a kindness to go and see the poor gentleman, for he is agentleman and a great scholar. "

"So I suppose, " said Glyn, "in Sanskrit. "

"Yes; and he's very poor, and can't get an engagement, clever as he is;and it seems very shocking for a gentleman to be so poor that he can'tpay his way, and we are so rich. "

"Oh, I'm not, " said Glyn, laughing. 

"Yes, you are, while that poor fellow can hardly pay the rent of hisroom, and he confessed to me--I didn't ask him--but he was so anxious totell me why he had not paid me that money back that--"

"Why, you haven't been lending him money, have you?" cried Glyn. 

"Well--yes, a trifle. He called it lending; but when I heard from MrMorris how badly the poor fellow was off, of course I meant it as agift; but I couldn't tell a gentleman that it was to be so. "

"Then you have been there before?"

"Yes, two or three times. Mr Morris said that it would be a kindness, for the Professor sent me messages, begging me to go and see him, as hehas led such a lonely life among strangers, and he wanted to communicateto me some very interesting discoveries he had made in the Hindustanilanguage. "

"Oh, " said Glyn slowly; "and did he ask you to lend him money each timeyou went?"

"Well, not quite. He somehow let it out how poor he was, and I feltquite hot and red to think of him being in such a condition; and MrMorris, too, gave me a sort of hint that a trifle would be acceptable tohim. And there, that's all. Why do you want to keep on bothering aboutit?"

"Mr Morris took you there, and talked to you like that?"

"Yes, yes, yes, " cried Singh petulantly. "I told you so. "

"And did he say something to you about Hindustani and Sanskrit?"

"Yes. But there, let's talk about something else. "

"Directly, " said Glyn. "And did he read the letters on the emeralds?"

Singh looked up at him sharply. "What made you ask that?" he said. 

"I asked you, " said Glyn, "because I see you took the belt with you thisafternoon. "

"How did you know that?" snapped out the boy. 

"Why, a baby would have known it. It was plain enough when you were insuch a hurry to scramble it out of sight, and were so clumsy that youshowed me what it was. "

"Oh!" ejaculated the boy sharply; and he stood biting his lip. "I--I--"

"There, don't stammer about it, " said Glyn. 

"But I felt that you would find fault with me and object. "

"That's quite right, " said Glyn, frowning. "I should have done so, foryou promised me not to begin showing that thing about to anybody. Whywill you be so weak and proud of what, after all, is only a toy?"

"It isn't a toy, " cried the boy indignantly. "It is something verygreat and noble to possess such a--such a--"

"Showy thing, " said Glyn grimly. 

"You can't see it correctly, " said Singh; "and I only took it that MrBarclay, who is a great student, might read--decipher, he called it--thewords engraved on the stones; and he was very grateful because I let himread them, and thanked me very much. "

"But you might have remembered what I said to you about it. "

"I did remember, Glynny, " cried the boy warmly. "I thought of you allthe time, and I even offended him at last by not doing what he wished. "

"What did he wish? To get you to lend him more money?"

"No, " cried Singh. "He wanted me to leave the belt with him, so that hemight sit up all night and copy the inscription. "

"He did?"

"Yes; and I wouldn't, because I thought you wouldn't like it, and thatit wouldn't be right. But you don't know how hard it was to do. MrMorris said, though, that I was quite right, and he told me so twiceafter we came away. "

"But why was it hard?" asked Glyn. 

"Because Mr Barclay said it would be nothing to me, and it meant somuch to him. But it worried me very much, because it seemed as if I, who am so rich, would not help one who was so poor. "

"I don't care, " cried Glyn angrily. "You did quite right, and this MrBarclay can't be a gentleman. If he were, he would not have pressed youso hard. It isn't as if it were a book. If that were lost, you couldbuy another one. "

"But he said that he'd take the greatest care of it, and never let it goout of his hands till he had brought it back and delivered it to me. "

"I don't care, " cried Glyn. "He oughtn't to have asked you, for thatbelt belonged to your father, and now it belongs to you, and some day itwill have to go to your successors. "

"Then you think I have done quite right, Glynny?"

"Well, not quite; if you had you would have told me that you were goingto take it there for the Professor to see. "

"Oh, don't begin again about that, " replied Singh piteously. "I toldyou I didn't mention it because I thought you would find fault. "

"Yes, you did, " said Glyn rather importantly, "and that shows that youfelt you were not doing right. There, I am not going to say any moreabout it. I am only your companion. It isn't as if I were yourguardian and had authority over you; but I am very glad that Mr Morristhought you did quite right in not leaving the belt. I wish you hadn'tgot it, and the old thing was safe back with all the rest of yourtreasures. You'd no business to want to bring it. A schoolboy doesn'twant such things as that. "

"Don't say any more about it, please, " cried Singh piteously. 

"Lock it up then, quite at the bottom of your box, and never do such athing again. It would serve you jolly well right if you lost it. "

"Oh, I say!" cried Singh. 

"And promise me that if that man asks you to let him have it again youwill come and tell me and go with me to the Doctor. I am sure hewouldn't like this gentleman--I suppose he is a gentleman--"

"Oh yes, " said Singh thoughtfully; "he's a professional gentleman. "

"Well, whatever he is, " said Glyn, "I am sure the Doctor wouldn't likeit. "

"Look here, " cried Singh eagerly, "I'll promise you, if you like, for Iam getting to hate the old thing. I am tired of it, and I shall beashamed to wear it now after all you have said, and feel as if I weredressed up for a show. You take it now, and lock it up in your drawers. You'd take more care of it than I could; add then you wouldn't bully meany more. "

The boy made for his bullock-trunk; but Glyn caught him by the arm andstopped him. 

"That'll do, " he said. 

"What do you mean?" cried Singh. "You will take care of it for me?"

"That I won't, " cried Glyn, "and you ought to be ashamed to ask me to. "

"Ashamed?" cried Singh, flushing. "Ashamed to put full trust in you?"

"No; but you ought to be ashamed not to be able to trust yourself. It'slike saying to me, `I am such a weak-minded noodle that I've noconfidence in myself. '"

"Oh, " cried Singh passionately, "there never was such a disagreeablefellow as you are. You are always bullying me about something, and youmake me feel sometimes as if I quite hate you. "

"Don't believe you, " said Glyn, with a half-laugh. 

"Well, you may then, for it's true. " Then, changing his tone anddrawing himself up, Singh continued, "Why, it's like telling me that Iam a liar. How dare you, sir! Please have the goodness to remember whoI am!"

"Don't want any remembrance for that, " said Glyn coolly. "Why, who areyou? My schoolfellow in the same class. "

"I am the Maharajah of Dour, sir, " said the boy haughtily. 

"Not while you are here. You're only a schoolboy like myself, learningto be an English gentleman. "

"Do you want me to strike you?" cried Singh fiercely. 

"No, " said Glyn coolly. "I shouldn't like you to do that. "

"Then, you do remember who I am, " cried Singh, swelling upmetaphorically and beginning to pace the room. 

"I shouldn't remember it a bit, " said Glyn coolly. "But I should punchyour head the same as I should any other fellow's--the same as I oftenhave before. "

"Yes, in a most cowardly way, because you were stronger and had learnedmore how to use those nasty old boxing-gloves, you coward!"

"Ah, well, I can't help that, you know, " said Glyn coolly. "I havealways felt squirmy when I have had to fight some chap for bullying you. I felt so shrinky when I had that set-to with old Slegge, till he hurtme, and then I forgot all about it. Yes, I suppose I am a bit of acoward. "

Singh walked up and down the chamber with his eyes flashing and his lipstwitching every now and then, while his hands opened and shut. 

"Yes, " he cried passionately, "you forget yourself, and you are takingadvantage of me now I am over here in this nasty cold country, whereit's nearly always raining, and right away from my own people, insteadof being the friend that my guardian wished. But there's going to be anend of it, for I shall ask the Doctor to let me have a room to myself, and I'll go my way and you may go yours. Yes, and if it were notdegrading myself I should strike you the same as I did that great bullySlegge. "

"Well, do if you like. I won't go crying to the Doctor and saying, `Please, sir, Singh hit me. '"

"It would be lowering myself, or else I would. I, as a prince, can'tstoop to fight with one of my own servants. "

"Well, look here, " cried Glyn, "I don't want you to fight. Come on nowand punch my head. I promise you that I won't hit back. "

Singh advanced to him immediately with doubled fists, and Glyn stood uplaughing in his face and put his hands behind him. 

"No, " cried Singh. "Come down the cricket-field behind the trees, andwe will take two of the fellows with us and have it out, for I am sickof it, and I'll put up with no more. "

"All right, " said Glyn coolly. "But lock that belt up first at thebottom of your box or where it's safest. "

"Not I, " cried Singh loftily. "I can't stop to think of a fewrubbishing gems when my honour's at stake like this. "

"Well, " said Glyn, "if you won't, I must;" and, crossing to the trunk, he opened it, saw that the belt-case was right down in one corner belowsome clothes, banged down the lid, locked it up, and offered Singh thekeys. 

"Bah!" ejaculated the boy, and he turned away. 

"Let's see, " said Glyn, in the most imperturbable, good-humoured way;"we'll have Burney and one of the other big chaps. I'll have Burney. What do you say to Slegge?"

Singh made no reply, but stood scowling out of the window. 

"But I say, the first thing will be that they will ask what the row'sabout. What were we quarrelling for, Singhy?"

There was no reply. 

"Oh, I remember, " continued Glyn. "Because I bullied you about showingoff with that belt. Well, we can't say anything about that. What shallwe say? Look here, how would it be to go down the field together andfall out all at once, and you hit me, and I'll hit you back, and then wewill rush at one another, calling names, and the fellows will come up tosee what's the matter, and then we will fight. "

"Ur-r-r-r-r-ur!" growled Singh, rushing at him with clenched fists; butas he saw the good-humoured twinkle in his companion's eyes, the boystopped short, and his clenched fists dropped to his sides. "You arelaughing at me, " he said; "laughing in your nasty, cold-blooded Englishway. "

"Well, isn't it enough to make a fellow laugh? Here are you trying toget up a quarrel about nothing, and threatening to break with me, whenyou know you don't mean it all the time. "

"I do mean it!" raged out the boy. "For you have insulted me cruelly. "

"Ah, that's what you say now, Singhy; but before you go to bed to-nightyou will be as vexed with yourself as can be, and wish you had not saidwhat you have. You will feel then that I have only spoken to you justas the dad would if he had been here. And then what would you havedone? Looked at him for a minute like a tiger with its claws all spreadout, and the next minute you would have done what you always did do. "

"What was that?" cried the boy fiercely. 

"Held out your hand and said, `I am sorry. I was wrong. '"

Singh turned away and walked to the window, to stand looking out for afew minutes before turning back; and then he walked up to Glyn and said:"Come down into the cricket-field. "

"To have it out?" said Glyn quietly. 

"Oh, Glynny!" cried the boy, and he held out his hand. 

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. 

SINGH FINDS FLANNEL TOO HOT, AND--

There was a game going on in the cricket-field, a sort of French andEnglish affair, which necessitated a good deal of running, and proved tobe very hot work; and in an interval of rest, when the boys weregathered together under the elms, Singh threw himself down, panting andhalf-exhausted, crying: "Oh, I wish to goodness I had something else onbut this hot flannel! Here, I know. I'll go and change it for mysilk. "

He left the group of companions, walked slowly along under the row ofelms, and came suddenly upon Glyn, who was playing on the opposing side. 

"Hallo!" cried the latter anxiously. "What a face! Aren't you well?"

"Oh yes, quite; only what you call pumped out. "

"What, are you going in?"

"Yes; I shall be all right directly. I had no business to play in thishot jacket. I am only going in to change it. "

"You're sure you are not done up?" said Glyn anxiously. 

"Done up? Nonsense! I only want a bit of rest, and then I shall getback to my side and we can beat you. "

"Jacket?" said Glyn, still looking at him in doubt. "Here, let me fetchit for you. I haven't had so much running. "

"Do! There's a good chap, " cried Singh eagerly, and thrusting his handinto his pocket he brought out his keys. 

"In the bottom drawer, isn't it?" said Glyn. 

"Yes, I think so. If it isn't, it's in the bullock-trunk. "

"All right, " cried Glyn, catching the keys that were pitched to him; andhe trotted off, while Singh picked out a shady spot and threw himselfupon the turf. 

Just about the same time, book in hand, Morris, apparently deep instudy, after walking all round the field, came up to the group thatSingh had just left, and closed his book, retaining the place with histhumb. He glanced round amongst the resting little party. 

"Why, where is Singh?" he said quietly, addressing Burton. "I thoughthe was playing on your side. "

"Yes, sir; he is, sir, " cried the little fellow eagerly. "He's justgone up to his dormitory, sir, to get his thin cricketing-jacket. "

"Oh, " said the master softly. "Nice day for your sports, boys. Don'tlet the other side win. "

"No, sir!"

"No sir!" came in chorus. "We won't. "

But the book of Morris was open once more, and he seemed to be poringover a mathematical problem as he walked slowly away. 

Meanwhile Glyn had reached the door of the lecture-room, hurried in, mounted the stairs, entered the room he shared with Singh, and selectingthe key of the drawers, opened the one at the bottom, to find flanneltrousers, Eton suit, and a carelessly folded overcoat. 

"It is not here, " he said. "What an untidy chap he is with his togs, and how he gets them mixed! Don't want to brag; but I believe I couldget anything out of my drawers with my eyes shut. Well, I suppose itwas because of dad. He always used to say that a soldier's traps shouldbe neatly packed together in the smallest space. Perhaps it's in thenext drawer, " he continued, as he thrust in and locked the one at thebottom. "No; he said it would be in the trunk, " and changing the key, he went to the corner of the little room, knelt down, thrust the keyinto the lock, and threw open the lid. 

"Why, it isn't here at the top, " he said to himself. "Oh, I am notgoing to turn over all his things. "

An ejaculation behind him made him spring to his feet, to find himselfface to face with Morris, book in hand, the pair sharing theastonishment due to the sudden encounter. 

"You here, Severn!" cried Morris, flushing up with anger, Glyn felt, forit was out of hours for being in the dormitory. 

"Yes, sir. I was getting something from his box for Singh. "

"Oh, " said Morris, recovering himself. "Young Burton told me he washere in his room. "

"He was coming, sir; but I came for him, " cried Glyn, into whose brainnow flashed a memory of a late conversation and dispute with hiscompanion. 

"I suppose you know, " said Morris coldly, "that one of the Doctor'srules is that the pupils should only retire to their dormitories atcertain times. "

"Yes, sir, but--"

"That will do, " said Morris, turning to go; and his cold, stern mannerstung the boy, whose mind was now flooded with the recollection of allthat Singh had told him, and a feeling of resentment sprang up withinhis breast. 

"I shouldn't have come, sir, if Singh had not asked me. "

"That will do, sir, " said Morris, affecting the Doctor's sternestmanner. "You know you have no business to be here, and I shall feel itmy duty to report the matter to the Principal. "

Glyn was silent for a few moments, and then he started, for he saw thatMorris was evidently waiting for him to leave the room; so, going downon one knee quickly, he locked up the trunk, with a feeling ofresentment growing stronger within him, and as he rose and faced themaster again his mind was made up. His father had told him more thanonce that he looked to him to use his common-sense and do the best hecould in any emergency on behalf of Singh, and for the moment, as hestood facing Morris, he asked himself whether he ought not to write tohis father. The next moment he was speaking. "I beg your pardon, sir. "

"That will do, Mr Severn, " said Morris coldly. "I am not in the humourto hear any excuses. "

"I was not going to make excuses, sir, " said the lad, "but to say a wordor two about Singh, who is to me as a brother. "

"What do you mean, sir?" said Morris sternly. "I mean, sir, thatknowing how good and generous he is, and ready to do anythingcharitable, still I do not think that he ought to be imposed upon andinduced again and again to lend money to a stranger. "

Morris stared at him wildly. 

"And above all, sir, there is that belt of his, which it has always beenunderstood between us should be kept perfectly private on account of itsvalue. It ought not to have been taken to Professor Barclay'slodgings. "

"Mr Severn--" began Morris, and then he stopped, unable for a fewmoments to utter a word. Then, in quite an agitated tone, he exclaimed:"Singh has told you of all this?"

"Of course, sir. We never keep anything from each other, though Ididn't know he was going to take it till afterwards; and I feel quitesure that the Doctor will be very angry when he knows. "

"When he knows!" cried Morris. "Mr Severn, you are never going to tellhim this?"

"What do you think, sir? Singh is in my charge--by my father's orders. "

"But, Mr Severn, " cried Morris, "I--I am very sorry that I had occasionto speak so angrily to you; but I--I felt it my duty, and--yes, underthe circumstances, I must confess that it was a mistake on my part totake your schoolfellow there. And those emerald clasps--yes, I seeperfectly clearly now that it ought not to have been done. I shouldnever have dreamt of such a thing had not the Professor, who has been amost unfortunate man, felt so deeply interested in the inscription. "

"Yes, sir; I know all about that, " said Glyn coldly; "and Singh told methat this Professor Barclay wanted the belt left with him. "

"Yes, " cried Morris; "but it was not done, and I strongly commendedSingh for his firmness in refusing. "

"Yes, sir, I know that too, " said Glyn; "and Singh must not go to thisman's apartments again. "

"My dear young friend, " cried Morris, whose brow was damp withperspiration, "I quite agree with you there. It was rather thoughtlesson my part--a slip such as we are all liable to make. I was led away bythe literary part of the question, and I somehow thought that it wouldbe to the advantage of our young fellow--student if he learned from agood authority a little more about the inscription upon those stones. "

"Yes, sir; there was no harm in that, " said Glyn quietly. 

"No, Severn, not the slightest, and as soon as I found the Professormaking such a request--one that he certainly ought not to have made--Irepented very bitterly of that which I felt to be a gross error on mypart. There, " he continued, with a half-laugh, "you see I can speakfrankly when I have made a mistake. I hope you will always do the same. But, of course, you do not think it in the slightest degree necessarythat you should make any report about this to the Doctor?"

"What do you think, sir?" said Glyn coldly. 

Morris uttered a gasp, and, looking wildly in the young speaker's eyes, he felt behind him till one hand touched a chair-back, and then he sankdown speechless, to seek for his pocket-handkerchief and wipe his wetbrow. 

"What do I think?" he said, at last, with a groan. "I think it meansruin for me. Mr Severn, I have apologised for speaking so sharply toyou, and now I must humble myself to you. If you report this to theDoctor only one thing can follow. I shall have lost his confidence forever, and he will tell me at once to send in my resignation. MrSevern, you and your young companion don't know what it is to be poor. The loss of my post here under such circumstances, due to a weak desireto help a fellow-master in distress, would be quite sufficient to injureme dreadfully. If I have sinned I am bitterly punished for what I havedone. This is a humiliation, a cruel humiliation, such as you canhardly realise. "

"Please don't say any more, sir, " said Glyn quickly. "This hurts mealmost as much as it does you. What I have said was on behalf of Singh, and I shall certainly not say a word to the Doctor, for I know that nowyou will help me in watching over my father's ward. "

"Mr Severn, " began Morris, "I--I--Oh, I cannot speak. Try and realisewhat I feel. But tell me once more, so that I may go away at rest: thisis to be a private matter between us two?"

"Yes, sir, of course, " cried Glyn earnestly, and they separated. 

"Well, where is it?" said Singh, a few minutes later. 

"I couldn't find it, " was Glyn's reply. "Here you had better take yourkeys. "

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. 

THE PROFESSOR'S GRATITUDE. 

There was a great talk at the Doctor's establishment about the event ofthe season, an event that filled the boys' brains, seniors and juniors, for weeks before it took place, and brought forth a rebuke from theDoctor one morning at breakfast, for the masters were reporting that thepapers sent in by the boys were very much wanting in merit. There was areport, too, going about that Monsieur Brohanne had been seen walking upand down the class-room tearing his hair--a most serious matter in hiscase, for it was exceedingly short. 

Matters had come to such a pitch that the Doctor sternly gave quite alittle lecture upon the duty of every pupil to do his very best, whetherat work or play, saying that a boy who could not give his mind toworking could not devote it to playing well. And if in future, he said, his pupils did not work hard, he should be obliged to make them sufferthe contumely of sending in word that they would not be able to meetStrongley School in the annual cricket-match. 

"I regret it very much, young gentlemen, " said the Doctor; "but if youwill disgrace your _alma mater_ by idleness, I have no otheralternative. Duty and pleasure must go hand in hand. "

The boys groaned that morning, and broke up into little knots afterbreakfast to discuss the matter. Little jealousies were forgotten, andSlegge declared it was too bad of the Doctor, who seemed to be blamingthem, the seniors, for the failings of those lazy little beggars thejuniors, just when their picked eleven had arrived at such perfection, through his batting, Glyn's bowling, and the Nigger's wicket-keeping, that success was certain. 

There was gloom in every face save one, and that appertained to Morris, who watched his opportunity, button-holed Glyn and Singh, and led themoff into the solitude of the lecture-hall. 

"Good news!" he said. "Splendid news! Gentlemen, this is entirely aprivate matter between us three, and I know you will be ready torejoice. "

"What, have you got some fine appointment, Mr Morris?" cried Glyn, whohad grown to be on quite friendly terms with the master in a very shorttime of late, Morris making a point of treating him always with genuinerespect, and aiding him in every way possible--coaching him, in fact, with his mathematics, in which, truth to tell, Glyn did not shine. 

"No, " cried Morris, in answer to the lad's question; "it is better thanthat. Somebody else has. "

"You mean Professor Barclay?" said Singh. 

"Yes, sir; I mean Professor Barclay. I have had a letter from him thismorning telling me of his success, and that he leaves for Indiadirectly, to take up some post in connection with the Sanskrit college. "

"I am very glad, " said Singh, "for he must have been dreadfully poor. "

"Sadly so, " said Morris. 

"I am glad too, " said Glyn; "very. "

"You don't know what a relief it is to me, " continued Morrisconfidentially. 

"Is he coming down to see you before he goes?" said Glyn. 

"Oh no. He writes word that he is staying at apartments in London inthe neighbourhood of the East India Docks until the great Indiamansails, and desires his most respectful compliments to you both, andabove all he begs me to tell you, Mr Singh, that the feelings ofgratitude within his breast will never expire. While, as now he isentering upon a career of prosperity, many weeks will not elapse beforehe sends something, upon receipt of which he hopes you will return tohim certain little memoranda that you hold, signed by his name. "

"Ha, ha!" laughed Singh, "he'll wait a long time. Why, I burned themall directly after he gave them to me. Are you going to write to him, Mr Morris?"

"Yes; I must reply to his letter. "

"Then, please tell him from me that I wish him all success in mybeautiful country, and that he is never to trouble himself any moreabout the memoranda. "

"For you have burned them?" said Morris. 

"Yes, of course. "

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE. 

SOMEBODY IS UNTRUSTWORTHY. 

The boys did their best to worthily earn their cricket-match, and itcame off some weeks after in due time. 

The morning broke gloriously; four wagonettes came round to the doorafter a very early breakfast, and the masters followed in an opencarriage with the Doctor, Wrench closing the door of each vehicle, andconfiding to each party as it started that he wished it had been hisluck to go as well; but he was going to enjoy himself that day by havinga regular good polish at the Doctor's plate. 

Strongley was reached in good time, the wickets were pitched, and theenemy, as the boys called them, made such a poor score in their inningsthat they had to follow on to another failure, the result being that theDoctor's pupils beat them in one innings, and drove back to Plymboroughcheering madly. 

As it happened, during the return, Glyn and Singh were separated; Glynbeing in the first wagonette and reaching Plymborough a good half-hourbefore the last one, in which Singh rode. 

Hurrying up to his room for a good wash and change, to get it overbefore Singh returned, the first thing that caught the boy's eyes wasSingh's little bunch of keys hanging from the lock of the bullock-trunkin the corner. 

Glyn was in such high spirits that the sight of the bunch set himlaughing. 

"Well, of all the untrustworthy fellows I ever knew, " he said, "poor oldSingh's about the worst. "

Crossing to the trunk, he raised the lid, which yielded easily to hishand, banged it down again, turned the key, and put the bunch in thepocket of his flannel trousers ready to transfer to his ordinarygarments when he dressed. 

He had just finished when a burst of cheering and the rattle of wheelsannounced the coming of the last wagonette; and soon after, tired andhungry, Singh came up, to help fill the corridor with a chorus ofchattering, and then hurriedly went on for his change of dress. 

Then followed the supper the Doctor gave them, and, later on, the bellfor prayers and rest. 

"Hope you haven't lost your keys, " said Glyn, as they began to undress, utterly wearied out. 

"Lost my keys! Why should I lose my keys?" said Singh with a yawn. "Here they are! No, they are not! I left them in my flannels. "

"Nice fellow you are to take care of your things!" said Glyn, as hiscompanion limped across the room to where he had thrown his dusty andgreen-marked cricketing suit--anyhow--upon a chair. 

"Oh, murder!" he said. "I am so stiff. I can hardly move, and my righthand feels all bruised and strained; but I say, Glynny, I hardly misseda ball; and didn't I play old gooseberry with some of their stumps?"

"Yes, we must have rather astonished them, " cried Glyn. "They haven'thad such a licking as that for a long time. "

"Here, I say, " cried Singh, "you have been up to some games, " and hefumbled in vain in his flannels-pockets. "I say, you shouldn't do this, Glynny. The key of my India trunk is one of the bunch, and you know Idon't like any games played with that. "

"I haven't played any games, " said Glyn quietly. 

"Now, no nonsense, " cried Singh pettishly. "You have got my keys. "

"Oh yes, I have got them, " cried Glyn. "Here they are. Catch!"

The bunch went flying through the air, and with one quick snap of thehand Singh caught them and laid them down sharply on the dressing-tablewith a bang. 

"I don't like it, " he said angrily, for he was very tired. "Youshouldn't take my keys. "

"Yes, I should, " said Glyn quietly. 

"I tell you you shouldn't. "

"Then you oughtn't to leave them stuck in your box, as if to invite allthe servants to come and have a rummage, when you go out to acricket-match. "

"I say, I didn't do that, did I? I had them in my pocket just before Istarted. "

"If you did, how could I have them in mine when you came back?"

"Why, I--I am certain--" began Singh; and then, "Oh!"

"`Oh, ' indeed!" cried Glyn. "But how did it happen?"

"I was just getting in the wagonette, when I thought it would be goodfun to have one of those red Indian silk handkerchiefs to tie to a stumpand use as a flag. "

"Yes; as you did. "

"Well, there were six of them in my big box, and I ran up to get one. "

"And then left the keys in the box?"

"Well, I suppose I did, in the hurry and confusion. Oh, Glynny, what abeast I am! I wish I hadn't such a brute of a temper. It makes meflare up all at once and say such nasty things; and you are always ascool as a gourd, and get the best of me. "

"Well, you should be more careful, " said Glyn. "I wish, too, that youhadn't such a temper. You ought to master it. "

"I can't, " said the lad sadly. "It always masters me. It's throughbeing born in such a hot climate, I suppose. Oh, I do hate to have tobe always begging your pardon. "

"Then I suppose that's why you don't do it now?"

"Oh, you know, old chap! I do beg it heartily. You don't want me to godown on my knees like a coolie?"

"Not I; only, somehow or other, I seem to be always ruffling up yourcoat about something. "

"Well, go on; I do deserve it, " cried Singh. "I shall be such a goodboy some day, thanks to Professor Severn. No, no; don't lecture me anymore. "

"Not going to, only to say one word or two that the dad used to say tome when I had been flying out with some of the servants over yonder. "

"Let's have it then, and done with it, " said Singh with a sigh. 

"`A man who cannot govern himself, '" said Glyn slowly, "`is not fit togovern other people. '"

"Oh, but I shall be a splendid governor by the time you have finished meoff; and you will always be there to put me straight when I am goingcrooked; and I say, don't go and spoil a jolly day by a fuss over such alittle matter as a bunch of keys. "

"No, I won't, " said Glyn. "But, you know, somebody might--"

"Bother somebody! And if he, she, or it had, I should have said that itwas all your fault. "

"My fault? Why?"

"Because you wouldn't take charge of you know what. "

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. 

THE DOCTOR'S OPINIONS ON THE BELT. 

Time glided on, with the friendly feeling between Morris and the boysincreasing, for the mathematical master, with all his weakness andvanity, felt at heart somewhat touched by the respect and deference paidto him by Glyn. 

"A thorough gentleman at heart, " he said to himself. "Why, some boyswould have gloried in the feeling that they had got me under theirthumbs. And that Singh--what a splendid man he'll make!"

He was one of the first to display his genuine delight when theStrongley School lads came over to play a return match at Plymborough toavenge the beating, coming strengthened in their eleven by four oldpupils of their school, two of them almost men. 

But it was in vain, for Glyn's bowling played havoc with their wickets, and Singh stumped out all four of them in their two innings, three inthe first and one in the second; while, when the Plymborough lads wentto the wickets, Slegge playing his slogging game as soon as he got wellin, and then after Burney had had a very fair innings, Slegge was joinedby Glyn, and these two, amidst burst after burst of cheers, kept pilingup the score till, with one unlucky cut, Slegge sent the ball up like arocket, to travel far away, and then be cleverly caught out bylong-field-off. 

After that the game went on, with Glyn seeming to do what he liked withthe enemy's bowling, all the rest of his eleven playing a good steadygame, Singh getting the most modest score; for, much as he shone as awicket-keeper, he was not specially handy with his bat. Still, he addedhis modicum, till all had fallen. And Singh, who was standing withMorris, enthusiastically joined the master in the applause and cheersthat welcomed Glyn as he carried out his bat. 

"Splendid!" cried Morris. "Grand! The finest bit of batting I haveseen in schoolboy life. I am proud of you, my lad. Oh, if you wouldonly shine like this over your algebra!"

It was all genuine. 

So the result was that the Strongley boys went back after a second badbeating, in spite of the four old members of their eleven, one of whomhad actually begun to shave. 

And then the school-life went on, with its ups and downs, pleasures andpains, as school-life will, till one morning--the morning following apillow-chat in bed between the two boys who play the principal parts inthis story, when their discourse had been about the length of time thathad elapsed since the Colonel had visited Plymborough--Wrench came tothe class-room to announce that the Doctor desired the presence of MrSevern and Mr Singh. 

There was a whispered word or two as the pair rose from their seatswondering what it meant, and there were plenty of malicious grins, Slegge's containing the most venom, as he whispered to Burney loudenough for Singh to hear, "Cane!" while Burney's merry little face grewdistorted as he caught Glyn's glance, and then began to rub his knucklesin his eyes, as if suggesting what his big friend would be doing when hecame back from seeing the Doctor. 

"I say, is anything the matter?" said Singh nervously. 

"No. Nonsense!" replied Glyn. "I am sure we have both been doing ourbest. "

This was as they got outside the class-room and were following Wrenchinto the hall. 

"Hurrah! I know!" whispered Glyn. "I believe it's the dad come down atlast. "

"Oh!" cried Singh joyously. "Then he'll want us to come and dine withhim. How jolly!"

For it was long indeed since the Colonel had been down; and though hewrote pretty regularly, first to one and then to the other, excusinghimself on the ground that he had been very busy of late over Indianbusiness connected with the late Maharajah's affairs, letters did notmean a day's holiday ending with a pleasant dinner and a long talk aboutold days in Dour. 

So the boys fully expected to find the fierce-looking old Colonelchatting with the Doctor and waiting to greet them in his hearty manner. But they were disappointed, for as they entered the study the Doctorlaid down his pen, nodded gravely to both, and picked up a letter. 

"I have just heard from Colonel Severn inquiring after your welfare, though he says that one of you proves to be a very fair correspondent. "

The Doctor turned over the letter and read a scrap here and there, almost muttering, as if to himself, and then aloud:

"Ah, here it is, " he said: "I hope Singh is taking care of his belt, andthat he is not foolish enough to wear it at any time. "

The Doctor looked up from one to the other. 

"I must confess to feeling a little puzzled here, " he continued. "`Foolish enough to wear it at any time. ' Now, as a boy, I have a veryvivid recollection of regularly wearing a belt, especially whencricketing or running. We had a tradition amongst us that a belt was avery valuable support; and then we have antiquity on our side, the_cestus_, for instance, and allusions in the old writers regarding thegladiatorial sports, and the use of the belt by strong men. Does theColonel mean the reverse of what he says, and is this a hint that Ishould give you a word of warning, Mr Singh, not to neglect its use?"

The Doctor directed a glance at Glyn, and then said sternly: "Have Isaid anything, Mr Severn, to excite your risible muscles?" For he haddetected the exchange of a glance between the boys and a faint smileupon Glyn's lips. 

"No, sir. I beg your pardon, sir. It is only the remark about thebelt. "

"Well, sir, I was not aware that in my remark about the belt I had saidanything facetious. Perhaps, Mr Singh, you can explain ColonelSevern's allusion without turning my words into a subject forbuffoonery. "

Singh looked questioningly at Glyn. 

"I am speaking to you, Mr Singh, " continued the Doctor angrily. "Havethe goodness to reply yourself. You can do so without Mr Severn'said. "

"Yes, sir, " said Singh hastily; "but Glyn Severn gave me strict ordersnot to speak about the belt to anybody. "

"Dear me!" said the Doctor, looking from one to the other. "And by whatauthority?"

"My guardian's, I suppose, sir. "

"Dear me!" said the Doctor again. "The Colonel says he hopes that youare not so foolish as to wear the belt at any time. Your schoolfellowforbids you to speak about it to any one. Well, there, I do not wish toask impertinent questions. That will do, gentlemen. I merely sent toyou for enlightenment. You need say no more. "

"I beg your pardon, sir; I think I ought to, " said Glyn. "I did tellSingh not to talk about it, and to keep it safely locked up in his box, for it is very valuable, and I believe it is the one that his father theMaharajah used to wear. "

"Oh, " said the Doctor, "now I begin to understand. But a belt, yousay?"

"Yes, sir, " said Glyn, "an ornamental belt with a large clasp formed ofthree emeralds engraved with words in Sanskrit. "

"Then it is quite an article of ornamentation?" said the Doctor. 

"Yes, sir. "

"And valuable, I suppose?"

"I suppose so, sir, very valuable, besides being a family relic that hasbeen worn by the different chiefs for many years past. "

"A family heirloom, then, " said the Doctor in a tone which showed hisinterest. "Now I understand, " and he smiled pleasantly. "I hope that`he is not foolish enough to wear it at any time. '--Of course; hardly anarticle of ornament for a young scholar to wear, Mr Singh. "

"No, sir, " replied the boy. "That's what Glyn said. "

"And very properly, " continued the Doctor, giving the lad in question afriendly nod. 

"And that I was not to show it to anybody, sir. "

"Quite right, Mr Singh, and I am very glad to hear that yourschoolfellow displays a wisdom beyond his years. You see, the world isfar from perfection; and weak, wicked, foolish people might have theircupidity excited by the sight of such an object, with results that wouldbe extremely painful to every one here. May I ask, then--by the way--isthis belt attractive-looking?"

"Yes, sir, very handsome, " said Glyn. "It is meant to bear a jewelledsword. "

"Dear me!" cried the Doctor. "I hope that Mr Singh has no lethalweapon of that kind in his room. "

"Oh no, sir, " said Singh hastily. 

"I am glad to hear it, " said the Doctor, smiling; and he took up andraised his quill-pen, giving it a gentle nourish in the air. "Remember, my dear boy, what one of our writers has said: that the pen is mightierthan the sword. And where may this handsome belt be?"

"Locked up in the bottom of my trunk that I brought from India, sir. "

"In your room, then?" said the Doctor. 

"Yes, sir. "

"But securely locked up, you say?"

"Yes, sir, " replied Singh, colouring a little, as he directed a sharpglance at Glyn, who added to his confusion by making a grimace. 

"Ah, " said the Doctor thoughtfully, "that is quite right. Emeralds, " hecontinued thoughtfully, "engraved with Sanskrit letters. An ancientIndian relic, of course. And very curious, no doubt. It is quite anold custom that of engraving gems, Mr Severn. The Greeks and Romansreally excelled in the extremely difficult art, and I have seen inmuseums very beautifully engraved heads of Grecian monarchs and Romanemperors and empresses, and also signet-rings and other ornaments. Dearme, " he continued, with a smile from one to the other, "I am muchsurprised to find that such a specimen of the engraver's work has beenlying here in my establishment, and my curiosity is greatly excited. But really, from what you say, such a thing as this ought not to be keptin a schoolboy's box, but in an iron safe along with plate, or lying ata banker's. Mr Singh, really I should like to see this--er--articleof--er--er--this ornamental belt. Will you show it to me?"

"I can't, sir, " said the boy half-spitefully, and he flashed a look atGlyn. "Severn said, sir, that I was not to talk about it or show it toanybody. "

"As I have before said, " continued the Doctor, "I quite approve of yourfriend's anxiety respecting your position. It was very wise, and I willnot press to see it, feeling as I do that no parade should be made ofsuch an object as this. Why, every pupil in the establishment would bewanting to see it, and--There, it is much better not. "

"But I didn't mean, sir, " said Glyn, "that Singh should refuse to showit to you. It was only to guard against such a thing as you havesuggested. --Go and fetch it, Singh, at once. "

Singh hurried eagerly out of the room; and as soon as he was gone Glynsaid, "Singh is getting more and more English, sir, every day; but heused to be very fond of talking about being an Indian prince, and wasweak enough to be proud of that belt and ready to show it to any one whoasked. "

"Not to his fellow-pupils, I hope?" said the Doctor. 

"No, sir, " replied Glyn, who began to feel that he was treading upondangerous ground, and he hastened to add, "that's why I gave him suchstrict orders, sir. "

"Quite right, Mr Severn; quite right, " said the Doctor. "I highlyapprove of what you have done. But between ourselves--I say it becauseyou are a very sensible lad, and I trust that you will see that it issomething not to be repeated, for I speak with the best intentions--I ama little surprised that your father the Colonel, Mr Singh's guardian, should have placed at a mere boy's disposal what I presume to be a veryvaluable and unique portion of an Indian regalia. "

"Well, sir, it was like this, " said Glyn, flushing and speaking hastily. "Like a child who, longing for a toy, Singh was always bothering myfather to let him have it to wear. You see, sir, Indian princes dressup so very much, to look big before their people, and they have suchnumbers of jewels and ornaments that one more or less does not seem ofmuch consequence. Singh has got hundreds of things belonging to himthat he will have some day to do what he pleases with, and my father, Isuppose, thought that it didn't much matter about letting him have one. "

"No doubt, Mr Severn, the Colonel had perfectly correct views upon thesubject, living as he has done nearly all his life at an Indian court, and I am only looking at the matter with the eyes of an ordinaryEnglishman who never wears so much as a ring. Oh, here he comes. Letme see. I have a large magnifying-glass here in my table-drawer thatmay be useful to help to decipher the intaglio writing. Ah, we ought tohave had here that poor friend of Mr Morris's who applied to me for anengagement; but I hear that he has left the town. "

The Doctor was searching in his drawer so that he did not see the changein Glyn's countenance; and as he looked up it was not at his pupil, butat the door, which was suddenly thrown open, and Singh rushed in, looking wild and staring, as he literally shouted: "It's gone! It'sgone!"

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE. 

SINGH'S ANNOUNCEMENT. 

"Gone!" said the Doctor, letting the reading-glass fall upon hisblotting-pad. "What has gone?"

"My father's belt!" cried the boy passionately. "It has been stolen. It is not in the box. "

"Stop, stop, stop!" said the Doctor firmly. "You are speakingexcitedly. My dear boy, be calm. "

"But it's gone, sir!" cried Singh, with his eyes flashing now, as helooked from one to the other. "I tell you it's been stolen. --Oh, Glyn, what will your father say? What shall I do?"

"Be calm, " repeated the Doctor slowly. "My dear boy, recollect that Istand to you, as we say in Latin, _in loco parentis_; and in the placeof your guardian I must tell you that in your excitement you are makinga very rash and cruel charge. "

"But, sir--" began Singh, with an imperious stamp of the foot. 

"Stop!" cried the Doctor. "At my time of life I have learned a gooddeal of the weakness of human nature, and how prone we are to judgewrongfully, especially in a case like this. On several occasions I haveknown people to be suspected and charged with theft through the weaknessof the accuser. Nothing is easier or more common than for money or amissing jewel or a book to be hastily looked upon as stolen when the onehas been spent and forgotten, the others in the same way been placedelsewhere for security. "

"Yes, sir, " cried Glyn excitedly, "and I don't want to go against Singhhere; but I have known him do stupid things like that. --Look here, Singhy, " he continued hotly, "did you properly search the box?"

"Yes, " cried Singh. "When I found the case wasn't there where I put it, I turned it upside down, and the contents are lying all over the floor. "

"And what about your drawers? Did you look in them?"

"You know I never kept it in my drawers, " cried Singh. 

"Yes, but you might have put it in one of them. "

"Shouldn't I have remembered that I did?" snapped out the boy. 

"You might, " replied Glyn quietly; "but I have put away things sometimesand forgotten where, and when I found them afterwards I have wonderedhow they got there. "

"Ex--actly, Mr Severn, " said the Doctor; "and so have I, especially inthe case of books. "

"I am sure it's been stolen, " cried Singh passionately. 

"Well, I am sure you're wrong, " said Glyn, "for there's nobody here whocould do such a thing, though you always were very stupid about yourkeys. "

"What's that?" said the Doctor sharply. 

"Oh, I have found his keys left in his box or drawers, sir, more thanonce. "

"Well, " cried Singh, in the same excited tone, and he literally glaredat his companion, "suppose, when I was busy, sir, or in a hurry, I didleave them in the lock! Was I to think that some thief was waiting togo in and take that case away? Why, when my father was alive, if one ofhis people had done such a thing as steal anything he would have beengiven over to the guards, killed at once, and his body thrown into theriver. "

"Ah, yes, " said the Doctor quietly. "But that was in India, my youngfriend, and matters are different here. Now, if you please, " he went ongravely, as he replaced the reading-glass in the drawer, "you will begood enough to smooth your countenance and hold your tongue. Have youtold any one else of this?"

"No, sir, " cried the boy. "I ran down directly to come and tell you. "

"Here! What are you going to do?" said the Doctor, as Singh movedquickly towards the fireplace. 

"Ring for the police to be fetched, " cried Singh. 

"Stop!" said the Doctor sternly. "And please recollect that I am masterhere. "

"But--"

"Silence, sir! Now come with me and Mr Severn up into your dormitory;and, until I give you leave, neither you nor Mr Severn will say a wordto a soul. "

"But--"

"Did you hear me tell you, sir, to be silent?" cried the Doctor, in hisdeepest and most commanding tones. "If there has been a theftcommitted, which I greatly doubt, this jewel or jewels must berecovered. Such an ornament, if taken by a thief, could not easily bedisposed of, and we must first have a calm and quiet investigation ofwhat will in all probability prove to be a mistake. --What do you think, Mr Severn?"

"I think it is a mistake, sir. "

"Then come with me up into your room, and I desire that you both treatthe matter in a calm and thoughtful way. I cannot have a matter of thiskind made into a piece of gossiping scandal. --Mr Severn, will you bekind enough to open the door?"

Glyn sprang to the handle, and the Doctor walked slowly out, followed bythe boys, while Glyn gripped his companion by the wrist and saidhastily. "Come quietly, and if we meet anybody don't make them see thatsomething is wrong by wearing a face like that. "

Singh looked at him fiercely, and then followed in silence, passingnobody, as they made for the corridor and entered the door of theirdormitory, which Singh in his haste had left open. 

The Doctor stepped in and made way for the two boys to pass, himselfclosing the door after them, and then turning, raising his eyebrows alittle as he saw the state of the floor, where the carpet was scatteredwith different garments and odds and ends, while the bullock-trunk layupside down. 

The Doctor glanced at Glyn, who read his wish in his eyes. 

"Where are your keys, Singh?" he cried. 

"I don't know. What do you want with them?"

"Why, to search your drawers, of course. "

"I can do that myself, " said the boy haughtily. 

"I know that; but I am going to do it, " said Glyn firmly. And brushingby his companion, he went to the overturned trunk, turned it back intoposition, and drew the keys from the lock. 

Singh made no attempt to check him, but drew himself up and stood withfolded arms, scowling angrily as Glyn unlocked and carefully emptieddrawer after drawer in turn, replacing the contents as he went on. 

"Was the belt or girdle lying loose, Mr Singh?" said the Doctor calmly, as the search went on. 

"No, sir, " and the boy, more himself now, described the colour and shapeof the missing case. 

Then there was silence, which was only broken by the rustling noise thatGlyn was making as he went on with the search till he had finished, closed the last drawer, locked it, and taken out the key. Then, withsinking heart, he said quietly, "I am afraid he's right, sir. It'sgone. "

"Is there any other receptacle, " said the Doctor, "in which it couldhave been placed?"

"No, sir, " said Singh bitterly; "there is nowhere else. "

"I am thinking, " said the Doctor, "that it has not been stolen. If ithad been, the person who took it would have been content with rolling upthe girdle, as you say it was of soft leather, placing it in his pocket, reclosing the case, and leaving it behind--for two reasons: one, that itwould be noticeable if carried about; another, that it might lie shut upin your box for any length of time, with the change that had taken placeunsuspected. For, going to your box again and again and seeing the casethere, the chances are that you would not have opened it to note thatthe contents were safe. "

The Doctor was silent for a minute or two. Then--"So there is no otherreceptacle in the room where the belt could have been placed?"

"No, sir, " said Singh, with a scarcely perceptible sneer in his tones. "There is nowhere else, sir, unless Glyn has put it away in his owndrawers so as to keep it safe. "

"Oh!" cried Glyn, starting round angrily. 

"Be silent, my boy, " said the Doctor, laying his white hand upon theboy's shoulder. "Such a thing is quite possible, as I have previouslyexplained. I was about to ask you to open the drawers yonder. "

"But, oh, sir, " cried Glyn, "you don't think--"

"My dear boy, no, " replied the Doctor, with a look which made Glyneagerly take out his keys, rapidly unlock every drawer, and then turn toSingh with a keen, angry look upon his countenance, which was nowgrowing hard; and as he pointed towards the drawers he uttered hoarselythe one word, "Look. "

"No, " said the Doctor gravely. "Examine the drawers yourself, Severn. You feel now that it is impossible that you can have done this thing. Possibly, perhaps, after coming into the room alone and finding thatyour companion had left his own keys in his box--"

"I did find them like that, sir, twice. "

"Ah, " said the Doctor, "and changed the _locale_ of the missing belt. "

"No, sir, " said Glyn. "I only took the keys out after seeing that thetrunk was locked, and gave them to Singh. "

"Each time?" said the Doctor. "Tax your memory. Are you sure of that?"

"Quite, sir. Certain. I wouldn't have taken the thing out. I hatedhis having it here. "

"But tell me this, " said the Doctor; "the last time you found the keyshanging in the lock, did you look in to see if the case was there?"

Glyn shook his head. 

"Ah, " said the Doctor, and he stood looking on while Glyn deftly emptiedand restored each drawer in turn, the task being facilitated by theorderly state of the contents. 

"Nothing, " said the Doctor, as that task was ended. "Now, Mr Singh, itwill be as well to replace those scattered objects of attire in yourbox. "

"Oh, " cried Singh angrily, "I can't think now of such trifles as those. "

"Replace them in the box, " said the Doctor sternly. --"Mr Severn, havethe goodness to help your friend. "

As the Doctor spoke he gravely sank into one of the little bedroomchairs, and sat thinking with wrinkled brow, and watching theproceedings of the two boys till they had ended. 

"Now, " he said, "can you think out any clue to help us to find themissing case?"

"No, sir, " came almost simultaneously from the boys' lips. 

"No, " said the Doctor. "The mystery, for so I must call it, is atpresent dark and impenetrable. I am not going to send for the police tomake a clumsy and painful investigation at once, because I still clingto the belief that something will occur to you two boys that will helpus to pierce what now looks very black and impenetrable. You willkindly do as I tell you: go on with your daily avocations as if nothinghad happened, and leave any expose of what may or may not be a painfulmatter to come gradually and from me. "

Both boys responded by a sharp nod of the head. 

"If you have not thought about the matter, " continued the Doctor, "letme tell you this--though you, Severn, must have felt it only a shorttime back. Every person who is questioned or examined about thismissing belt is bound to feel a pang of indignation at what he looksupon as being treated as a thief. We are approaching to fourscorepersonages in this establishment; and if the belt has been stolen, theprobability is that seventy-nine are innocent and only one guilty. Now, you see, to find the one guilty we must spare the seventy-nine innocent. Do you apprehend my meaning?"

"Yes, sir, of course, " cried Glyn, while Singh was silent. 

"Then I shall proceed as I think best; but I tell you this: I shall beperfectly firm and just, and shall leave no stone unturned to find outthe author of this scandal. "

The Doctor turned and left the room, leaving the two boys alone. 

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX. 

DOWN THE SCHOOL GROUNDS. 

Later on in life, when Dr Bewley's pupils had grown up to manhood, theyused to think that in spite of school-troubles and a great deal of hardwork, with the natural accompaniments of temporary fits of ill-health(which matured reason taught them had generally been due to some bit ofboyish folly not unconnected with pocket-money, extra home-tips, andvisits to the highly popular tuck-shop), the sun had always seemed toshine brightly at Dr Bewley's establishment. 

There was only one boy there who wore spectacles, not because he had badeyes, for they were very bright and good, but because nature had formedthe lenses of a more than usually rounded shape, with the consequencethat their owner was short-sighted and needed a pair of concave glassesto deal with the rays of light and lengthen the focus of the naturallenses. But, metaphorically and poetically, as somebody once wrote, every boy wore glasses of the _couleur-de-rose_ type--those which makeeverything that is happily beautiful seem ten times more so, and inlater days have made many a man say to himself, "Oh, if I could see lifenow as I saw it then!"

There were cloudy and rainy days, of course, at Plymborough; and whenthe former were recalled it was generally in connection with the loss ofSingh's belt. 

It was on one of these cloudy days, when paradoxically the sun wasshining brilliantly in the pure blue south-western sky, that Glyn andSingh were strolling down the grounds together, looking straight beforethem, with the full intention of driving the school-troubles out oftheir minds for the time being. 

"What's the good of worrying about it, Singhy?" Glyn had said. "I knowit's a horrible nuisance, with the suspicion and unpleasantry, and itwas a very beautiful thing, which I am very, very sorry has been lost;but let's try and forget it. "

"Oh, who can forget it?" cried Singh impatiently. 

"Well, I know it's hard work, and it all seems like a nasty little bitof grit in the school machine. I can't get on with a single lessonwithout your wretched belt getting into it. "

"My wretched belt!" cried Singh hotly. 

"Now, don't get into a passion, old chap. That isn't being English. You must learn not to put so much pepper in one's daily curry. "

"Oh, I am not cold-blooded like you. You English are so horribly tame. "

"Oh no, we are not, " said Glyn. "We have got plenty of pepper in uswhen we want it; but that's where education comes in. I don't mean DrBewley's stuff and all we learn of the masters; but, as my dad says, thecultivation that makes a fellow an English gentleman. And do you knowwhat that means?"

"Oh, bother! No. "

"Then I'll tell you, Singhy. It's learning to be able to keep thestopper in the cruet till it's really wanted. Do you understand?"

"No; and I wish you'd talk in plain English and say what you mean, andnot build up a rigmarole all round it. Our people at home never do so. "

"Oh, come, I like that!" cried Glyn, laughing. "Why, people out in theEast are always, when they want to teach anything, turning it into afable. "

"Bother fables! Bother the belt! It's made the whole place seemmiserable. "

"Then don't think about it any more. "

"I can't help it, I tell you. Why, you owned just now that you were asbad. "

"Not so bad as you are, Singhy. I do try to throw it all aside. Youdon't. "

"Ah, it's very well for you to talk. You haven't lost something that'sworth nobody knows how much. "

"Well, but never mind; you can afford it. See what a jolly old Croesusyou are going to be when you grow up!"

"Bah! How do I know that I am going to be rich?"

"Don't be a humbug. Why, father has been looking after your revenuesfor years, and I heard him say once that money was accumulatingtremendously during your minority. After all, what's a belt with somebright stones in it? You could have a dozen more made if you wantedthem. But you don't! Who wants to look pretty like some great girl?The greatest thing in life is to be a man. Father says so, and you knowhe's always right. "

"Yes, " said Singh thoughtfully; "he's always right; but did he saythat?"

"Well, not quite, " said Glyn, laughing; and Singh looked at himsuspiciously. "What he said was that the grandest thing in life was tobe a boy. "

"Ah, " cried Singh argumentatively, "but that is very different. A mancan do what he likes, but a boy can't. "

"Oh, but a boy's a young man, or is going to be. I mean to be alwaysglad that I am a boy, for father says that when I grow up to be a man Ishall be often wishing that I was young again. Now, don't let's go onworrying about this and the old belt. You never wore it, and if ithadn't been lost I don't believe you ever would have used it. You see, after living in England you'll have learned that great English peoplenever dress up except on some grand day when Parliament's going to beopened or somebody's going to be crowned; and then noblemen, I suppose, put on robes and wear their coronets. You'd never have wanted thebelt. "

"Well, I don't know about that, " said Singh. "Of course I shall alwaysdress like an Englishman; but I suppose sometimes, by-and-by, I shallhave to dress up to show myself to my people. "

"Oh yes, just once in a way, and when you are going to meet the otherchiefs; but I'll bet sixpence you will soon be glad enough to take thethings off again. "

"But I say, " cried Singh, "look here. What about soldiers and officers?They dress up pretty grandly. "

"Well, yes, " said Glyn laughingly; "we are obliged to make them looknice, or they wouldn't care about going shooting people and cutting offheads. Now, promise me you won't worry any more about the belt. "

"Well, I will try, " cried Singh, "and I shouldn't have bothered about itso much now, only every fellow in the school looks at me as if he werethinking about it all the time. "

"Don't believe it, " said Glyn. "You fancy he does. There now, let itgo. Here, come and have a turn at something. "

"What?"

"I don't know. Let's go across the field there and get under the elms. There are a whole lot of the fellows there. They have got some game on. There's Slegge yonder. "

"Oh, I don't want to go where Slegge is. "

"But you should want to go where Slegge is. I know he's a nasty, disagreeable fellow; but you needn't notice that. If he's civil--well, that will be right enough. If he isn't, treat him with good-humouredcontempt. You aren't afraid of him, are you?"

"I! Afraid of him!" cried Singh indignantly, and he emitted quite apuff of angry breath. --"What did you do that for?" he continued angrily, for, as if by accident, Glyn, with a quick gesture, had knocked off hiscap, and then stooping quickly snatched it from off the grass and put itcarefully on again. "You did that on purpose, " cried Singh angrily. 

"Oh, it's all right. It was the stopper came off, and I put it onagain. "

"Bah!" cried Singh with a snort; but he walked quietly on, graduallycalming down as his companion half-guided him towards the group of boyswho were idling about under the elm-trees, pretty close to where the newpiece of fence marked the place where the elephant went through. 

Yielding to Glyn, Singh would have walked quietly up with him and beenready enough under his friend's guidance to embark on any sport or gamethat was going on; but as Glyn afterwards said when he was laughing itover, "old Slegge" made the pepper-stopper shoot out at once, for, afterevidently seeing who were approaching, he slowly edged himself roundtill his back was to the companions, and began talking aloud, measuringthe time by means of his ears till he came to the conclusion that Singhwas near enough to catch everything he said, and even Glyn winced as heheard the lad say:

"Oh, by the way, you fellows, I suppose you have done it for a lark, andyou mean to put it back in my box; but I have missed my turban, the onewith the big pearl in it that fastens the plume of feathers. "

The boys were silent, staring at the speaker, for they did not catch thepoint of the remark; and Slegge continued:

"You see, I set great store by that turban. It was an old one of myfather's, and of course it was very valuable. You see, in Bungly Horrora turban like that--some fellows call them puggamarees, but that's onlybecause they are ignorant beggars--but as I was saying, turbans likethat come down from father to son. I don't know how old this one was, and nobody notices that they are old, because they always go soregularly to the wash; and you know the more muslin's washed the whiterit gets, while as for the holes, of course, they are the beauty of it, because it gets to look more and more like splendid old lace. "

Slegge's remarks remained problematical for a few moments, and then themeaning came with a flash to Burton, who had suddenly caught sight ofSingh and Glyn. 

He burst into a merry guffaw at once, and thus set off the rest, whileSlegge waited till they had done before going on with the by no meanspoor imitation of Singh's manner of speaking and a rather peculiarutterance of the consonant _r_. 

"I don't know what you fellows are laughing at, " he said, with a look ofsupreme innocency; "but I suppose you don't know any better. It's yourignorance of the value of family relics like that; and because you neversee me bouncing about the schoolyard with my turban on, you think Ihaven't got one in my box--I mean, had one; so now no more nonsense. Whoever took it for a lark had better put it back before I get my monkeyup--Indian monkey, I mean--for if I do there's going to behead-punching, and no mistake. "

"Come on, Singh, " said Glyn quietly, as he slipped his arm through hiscompanion's and tried to lead him away. "Don't take any notice of themalicious brute. "

But Singh's feet seemed to be shod with something magnetic which madethem cling to the ground, and he stood fast. 

"Come on, I say, " cried Glyn. "No nonsense! Do you hear?"

Singh turned upon him quickly with an angry flash in his eyes, and hewas about to burst out with some fierce retort; but in those briefmoments it seemed to him that it was not Glyn's but the Colonel'smasterful eyes that were gazing down into his, as, truth to tell, theyhad more than once looked down upon his father in some special crisiswhen in the cause of right the brave English officer had with a fewwords mastered the untutored Indian chief, and maintained his positionas adviser as well as friend. 

The next minute Singh was walking quietly away by his companion's side;but his arm kept giving a sharp jerk as Slegge went on speaking more andmore loudly, uttering words so that the friends might hear. 

"I don't care, " said Slegge; "you fellows can do what you like, but I amnot going to believe it. It's all a got-up thing. I don't believethere ever was any precious belt, or, if there was, it was only a greenglass sham. Emeralds set in gold, indeed! Whoever heard of a fellowcoming to school with a thing like that in his box? Bah! Yah! Itisn't likely that even a nigger would do it. " And as the companionspassed out of earshot, Slegge continued, "It doesn't matter to me; mytime's nearly up at school, thank goodness! and I shall finish with thenext half. But I do pity you poor beggars who have got to stay. Idon't know what the place is coming to. It seems to me that oldBewley's head's getting soft, unless he's getting so hard-up that he'sglad to take anybody's money to keep the old mathematical musical-boxgoing, or else he wouldn't have taken a nigger to be put in the samerank with English gentlemen. "

"Here, you had better mind, " said Burney. 

"Why?" snapped out Slegge. 

"Because you will have old Glyn hear you. "

"Pooh! What do I care for Glyn?"

"Ever so much, " said Burney. "I don't suppose you want anotherlicking. "

"Look here, Burney, none of your cheek, please, or else somebody elsewill get a licking. None of that. You were always a sneak, and tryingto curry favour with the Indian nigger. "

"Curry, eh?" said Burney with a half-laugh. "Well, suppose I did. Ilike Indian curry. "

"Do you. But you won't like my curry, " snorted out Slegge, "for I'llgive you such a curry-combing down as will make you sore for a week, myfine fellow. --Look here, boys, all of you; I am not ashamed to own I waslicked that day, for I was weak and ill, and in one of the first roundsI nearly put my elbow out of joint. Something was put out of joint, butit snapped back. "

"He means his nose, " whispered little Burton. "It has been ever sinceSevern came. I never heard it snap back; did you?"

"I saw him blow it several times, " said the companion to whom he spoke, "and I saw his pocket-hanky after, and, oh my!"

"What are you two boys plotting there?" snarled Slegge. "My ears aresharper than you think, and if you don't want yours pulled you hadbetter drop it. "

Little Burton dropped upon his knees, crouching down all of a heap andseeming to subside into the worn brown earth as he laid his foreheadupon the ground, while Slegge seized the opportunity and rushed at himas if he were a football, delivering a heavy kick that sent the poorlittle fellow over. 

"Serve you right!" cried Slegge, as the boy uttered a sharp cry of pain. "Now, go and yelp somewhere else. Let's have none of your howlingshere. "

But only a faint sob followed, while the little fellow rose with histeeth closely set and lips compressed, as he tried to stifle the criesthat were struggling to escape, and then stood leaning against hisnearest companion without uttering a sound. 

"Look here, Burton, " sneered Slegge, "go and tell Severn, and ask him tocome and lick me again. I am ready, and I'll let him see. --Yes, you maylook, Mr Burney, Esquire. I saw that letter yesterday you had fromhome. Esquire indeed! It's sickening!--I am ready to have it out withhim whenever he likes, and take the nigger after him when he's had hisgruel. Go and tell him if you like. It's been dull enough in the placeever since that miserable imposture about the lost belt. You wantsomething to rouse you up, and I'll give it you if you can bring thosetwo fellows up to the scratch; but that you can't do. Look at themsneaking off like a street cur and an Indian jackal. Contemptiblebeasts! I only wish they would come back. I feel just in the humournow to give them what for. Yah!--Well, any of you going to fetch themback?"

"I'm not, " said Burney, shrugging his shoulders. And he turnedhalf-away as if to go and lean against the fence, but really to hide hisface as he muttered to himself, "Oh, shouldn't I like to see you lickedagain!"

"Well, who's going?" cried Slegge haughtily. --"No one?--Here, you, yousnivelling little wretch, " he continued, turning to little Burton, "go, and tell that big bully Severn that I am waiting here to give him hisdose, and that he's to bring the nigger with him to have his lot when Ihave done with number one. --Yes, boys, I feel just in the humour for it, and I am going to cut both their combs. --Do you hear, Burton?"

The little fellow drew a long, deep breath, but he did not move. 

"Do you hear what I say?" roared Slegge. 

"Yes, " said the little fellow sturdily. 

"Well, be off, then, at once, before you get another kick. "

"Shan't!" cried the little fellow, through his set teeth; and a sharpjerk seemed to run through his body as he clenched his fists. 

"Oh, that's it, is it?" cried Slegge, making a stride towards him. 

"Run, Burton, run!" cried two or three voices. 

"Shan't!" came again. 

"No, " cried Slegge. "He'd better! I'd run him! Here, I don't want tohurt you, young un. You go and tell them both what I say. "

"Shan't!" cried the little fellow fiercely, and he looked his persecutorfull in the face. 

"Hark at him! Hark at the little bantam!" cried Slegge, with a forcedlaugh. "And look at them, boys. Look at the two slinking off like thecurs they are, with their tails between their legs. There, you will bedisappointed; there's no fight in them. "

The big school-hero was quite right certainly as far as one of the pairwas concerned, for just then Singh was saying, "Oh, it's cowardly ofyou. I can't bear it. I will go back and have a go at him myself. "

"No, you won't, " said Glyn sturdily, and he locked Singh's arm wellwithin his own. 

"How dare he insult me like that! I don't care if he half-kills me; butI won't bear it. "

"Yes, you will, " said Glyn, "like a man. "

"Like a coward, you mean. "

"No, I don't. I am not going to have you knocked about just because alow bully abuses you. "

"Well, will you go and thrash him yourself?"

"No. I have whipped the cur once, and I am not going to lower myself byfighting again because in his spite he turned and barked at us. I coulddo it again, and I feel just in the humour; but what does it mean?Black eyes and bruises, and the skin off one's knuckles, and a nastyfeeling that one has degraded one's self into fighting a blackguard, forthat's what he is, or he wouldn't have insulted you as he did justnow. --Come away. "

"Oh, I didn't think you were such a coward, Glyn. "

"And you don't think so now, " replied Glyn coolly. "You are in aregular rage, and that's just the difference between you Indian fellowsand an Englishman. You begin going off like a firework. "

"Yes, and you go off as if you had had cold water poured on you. "

"Very likely, " replied Glyn. "There, we are both hot now. Let's tryand cool down. I don't care whether it seems cowardly or whether itdoesn't; but I am not going to get up a fight and make an exhibition ofmyself for the other fellows to see. Once was quite enough; and perhapsafter all it's harder work to bear a thing like this than to go overyonder and punch old Slegge's head and have it out. "

"I don't care whether it is or not, " said Singh fiercely. "Let's go, and if you won't fight, I will. "

"Look here, Singhy; you and I have had lots of wrestles, haven't we?"

"Yes; but what's that got to do with it?"

"Why, this. I am not bragging; but I have more muscle in my arms thanyou have, and if I like I can put you on your back at any time. "

"Ur-r-r-r-r-ur!" growled Singh. 

"That means you own it. Well now, look here; if you try to get awayfrom me I'll put you down on your back and sit upon you till you growcool. "

"Do if you dare!" cried Singh. 

Glyn closed with him on the instant. There was a short struggle. Theyoung Indian prince was laid neatly upon his back almost without aneffort on the part of Glyn, who the next moment was seated calmlyastride his companion's chest, fortunately well out of sight of thegroup beneath the elms. Then for a few minutes Singh heaved andstruggled, glaring the while into his companion's eyes, until, as if hehad caught the contagion of the good-humoured smile in Glyn's frankyoung face, a change came over Singh's, and the fierce heaving gave wayto a movement that was certainly the beginning of a laugh, followed by agood-humoured appeal. 

"Let me get up, Glyn. I am quite quiet now, " said the boy. 

"No games?"

"No; honour bright. It's all over now, and I don't want to fight. "

The next minute the two lads were walking away as if nothing hadhappened. 

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN. 

A LITTLE VICTIM. 

That same evening Singh went down the town to relieve his feelings andthe heaviness of one of his pockets, for the day before both he and Glynhad received letters from the Colonel with their monthly allowance. Glyn had refused to join his companion, to Singh's great annoyance, forthe occurrences of the day had left him touchy and ready to take offenceat anything. 

"I wouldn't have refused to go with you, " he said. "It's preciousdisagreeable, and you might come. "

"Can't, " said Glyn firmly. "I can't come, and you know why. "

"Oh yes, I know why; all out of disagreeableness. You haven't got anyother reason. "

"Yes, I have. You haven't written to father, have you, to thank him forwhat you got?"

"No; I am going to write to-morrow. "

"And then when to-morrow comes you'll say the same, and the same nextday. There never was such a fellow for putting off things. "

"Well, you needn't talk, " cried Singh. "You haven't written to theColonel to say you have got yours. "

"No, " said Glyn firmly; "but I am going to write this evening. "

"No, you are not. Come on down town with me. I want to go to the oldshop. Do come, there's a good chap! I hate going alone. "

"Why?"

"Because if I go alone I always see so many things I want to buy, andthen I go on buying, and my allowance doesn't last out till next time. "

"Nonsense! What difference would it make if I came with you? You'd bejust as bad, " cried Glyn. 

"Oh no, I shouldn't. When you are with me you always keep oninterfering and stopping me; and then the money lasts out twice aswell. "

"Well, look here, " said Glyn; "wait till I have written my letter, and Iwill make it a short one this time, and go with you afterwards. "

"Oh, you are a disagreeable one! There won't be time then, and it willbe too late for going out. There, you see if I ask you to go again. "

Uttering these words in his snappiest way, Singh whisked himself roundand stalked off. 

"Can't help it, " said Glyn to himself. "I will get it done, and then goand meet him. He'll soon cool down, and there will be time enough to goto the shop and get back before supper. "

But, all the same, Glyn uttered a low sigh as he thrust his hands intohis pockets, to jingle in one the four keys that made his bunch, and inthe other several coins which formed the half of the Colonel's previousday's cheque. 

The keys felt light in his right hand and the coins very heavy, andthere was a something about him that seemed to suggest that they oughtto be spent; but the boy turned his face rigorously towards the door ofthe theatre, when his attention was taken by Wrench's tom-cat. He wascrouching upon the sill of one of the lower windows, which was raised alittle way, and evidently intently watching something within. 

"What's he after?" said Glyn to himself. "Some bird got inside, Isuppose, and flying about among the rafters. "

Walking quietly up to see if his surmise were true, the cat did not hearhim till he was quite close, when it bounded off the sill and made forthe Doctor's garden, to disappear among the shrubs. 

"I thought he was after no good, " said Glyn to himself; and, beforemaking for the door, he peered in at the window in expectation of seeinga robin flitting about--a favourite habit these birds had of frequentingthe long room and flying from beam to beam. 

But there was no bird, Glyn seeing instead the back of little Burton, seated at his desk with the flap open resting against his head, as heseemed to be peering in; and just then the little fellow uttered a lowsob. 

"Poor little chap!" thought Glyn. "Why, that brute of a cat must havehad one of his white mice, and he's crying about it. "

Glyn went in at once and crept on tip-toe in the direction of his owndesk, where he was about to write his letter; but he contrived to passbehind Burton unheard, and stopped short, to find that he was right, forthe little fellow was bending low into his desk crying silently, savewhen a faint sob escaped him, while his outstretched hands were playingwith three white mice. The door of their little cage was wide open, andthey kept going in and out, to run fearlessly about their master'sfingers, the cuffs of his jacket forming splendid hiding-places intowhich they darted from time to time, to disappear before coming outagain to nestle in the boy's hands. 

Glyn watched him for a few minutes, amused and pleased by the littlescene and the affection that seemed to exist between the owner and thetame pets he kept within his desk. 

"Why, the cat hasn't got one, " he said; "he's only got three, and theyare all there. "

Just then there was a heavier sob than usual, and Glyn sympatheticallylaid his hand upon Burton's shoulder. 

The little fellow gave a violent start, and the mice darted into theircage, as their owner turned guiltily round to gaze with wet and swolleneyes in his interrupter's face. 

"Why, what's the matter, youngster?" said Glyn, bestriding the form andsitting down by Burton to take his hand. 

"Oh, nothing, nothing, " said Burton hurriedly, trying to withdraw hishand; but it was held too tightly, and he had to use the other to dragout his handkerchief from his jacket-pocket and wipe his eyes. 

"You don't cry at nothing, " said Glyn gently. "You are too plucky alittle chap. I saw Wrench's cat watching you, and I was afraid he hadgot one of your mice. "

"No, no; the poor little things are all right. But you oughtn't to havewatched me, Severn. "

"I didn't. I was coming to my desk to write a letter to my father, onlyI heard you sob. "

"Oh!" ejaculated the boy. 

"Come: out with it. You know you can trust me. "

"Oh yes, " said the little fellow earnestly. "I know that, Severn. Youalways are such a good chap. "

"Well then, why don't you tell me what's the matter?"

"Because I was ashamed, " said the other, nearly in a whisper. 

"Ashamed! You! What of?"

"Because it hurts so, and I couldn't help crying, " faltered the boy;"and I came in here so as no one should see me. Don't laugh at me, please!"

"Laugh at you because you are in trouble and something hurts you! Youdon't think I should be such a brute?"

"Oh, I didn't mean that, Severn, " cried the boy earnestly, as he nowclung to his sympathiser's hand. "I was afraid that you would laugh atme for being such a girl as to cry. "

"But tell me, " said Glyn. 

"And I came in here to play with my mice, and it didn't seem to hurt meso much then, because it kept me from thinking. "

"Come, what was it?" said Glyn. "You are keeping something back. "

The little fellow tried to speak, but it was some minutes before hecould command his voice. Then out came the story of the brutal kick hehad received, and of how hard he had struggled to conceal the pain. 

"A beast!" exclaimed Glyn. And then half-unconsciously, as if tohimself, "I shall be obliged to give him another licking after all. "

"Oh, do, please, Severn!" cried the little fellow joyously. "I'd giveanything to be as big and strong as you, and able to stick up formyself; for, you see, I am such a little one. "

"Oh, you will get big and strong some day, " said Glyn. "Only wait. "

"Yes, I'll wait, " said the boy; "but it will be a long time first, andold Slegge is going away at the end of this half, so that I can't fighthim myself. But I say, you will give him another licking, please?"

"Well, we'll see, " said Glyn. "I dare say he'll make me before I havedone. "

"That's right, " cried little Burton joyously; and he began to busyhimself in putting his mice together, as he called it, and hooking thewire fastening before shutting up and closing the lid of his desk, whileit was quite a different face that looked up into Glyn's, as the boycried: "There, it doesn't hurt half as much now. "

"If I were you I'd go and wash my face, " said Glyn. 

"What; is it dirty?"

"Oh, it's all knuckled and rubbed. You must have been crying ever solong; your eyes are quite swelled. There, be off. I want to write myletter. "

While Glyn had been earnestly engaged comforting Burton and before hestarted his letter, he had not observed the return of Singh with hispockets looking bulgy and his face wearing a good-tempered smile. 

"Done?" he said, as Burton took his departure. 

"What, you back again?" cried Glyn. "I thought I should have been intime enough to come and meet you. If you had been another quarter of anhour I should. "

"What; did you mean to come?" cried Singh joyously. 

"Of course. "

"Oh, you are a good chap! Here, come on up to our room. Look here. "

He slapped his pockets as he spoke, and half-held open that of hisjacket, the thought of the succulent treasures contained therein havingcompletely swept away all his past ill-humour. 

"Oh, I don't know that I want anything to-night, " said Glyn. --"Yes, Ido. I want to find little Burton. After we had gone away to-day Sleggekicked him brutally. "

"What for?" cried Singh indignantly. 

"Because he wouldn't bring an insulting message to fetch us back. "

"Oh!" cried Singh. "And you wouldn't stop and lick him! He'll getworse and worse. Poor little chap! I like Burton. "

"So do I, " said Glyn rather coldly. 

"What makes you speak like that?" asked Singh. 

"I was thinking about what I ought to do. "

"To do? What do you mean?"

"About giving him such a hiding as he deserves--that is, if I can. "

"Oh, you can, " cried Singh joyously; "and you will now, won't you?"

"Well, I wasn't going to because he was insolent to me; but now he'sbeen such a brute to that poor little chap I feel as if I ought to--andI will. "

But somehow that encounter did not come off, and possibly therecollection of the active little white quadrupeds that were closelycaged-up in the desk may have suggested the idea enunciated by theScotch poet who said:

 The best-laid schemes of mice and men Gang aft a-gley. 

So do those of boys; for something happened ere many weeks had elapsed, and before Glyn Severn had found a suitable opportunity foradministering the punishment that he thought it was his bounden duty toinflict. 

In fact, the thoughts of Dr Bewley's pupils were greatly exercisedabout the trouble that hung like a cloud over the school; and in itsdissipation Glyn Severn and Singh had a good deal to do, while, oddlyenough, Wrench's cat played his part. 

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT. 

MR. MORRIS PREPARES. 

Examination-Day was rather a frequent periodical affair at Dr Bewley's. One month Monsieur Brohanne would have all the fun, as Glyn called it, an afternoon being devoted by the boys to the answering of questions, set by the French master, neatly printed upon a sheet of foolscap paperat the local printing-office, and carefully arranged upon a rough padconsisting of so many sheets of perfectly new blotting-paper upon eachpupil's desk. 

At another time it would be the Doctor's day, and his examination-paperswould be distributed. By the same rule, in due time in the periodicity, Mr Rampson would revel in Latin puzzles; and Mr Morris would requestthe young gentlemen to build up curious constructions withperpendiculars, "slanting-diculars, " and other varieties of thediagonal, in company with polygons and other forms of bodies with theirmany angles and curves, as set forth originally by a certain antiquebrain-puzzler of the name of Euclid, for the first part of theexamination, the second portion consisting of that peculiar form ofsport in which, instead of ordinary figures, the various letters of thealphabet were shuffled up and used for calculations, plused, minused, squared, and cubed up to any number of degrees, under the name ofequations. 

It was one afternoon prior to Morris's day, which was to begin at teno'clock the next morning, and when the young gentlemen were all out inthe play-field fallowing their brains for the next day's work, so thatthey might begin rested and refreshed, this being the Doctor'sinvariable plan, that Mr Morris was the only person in theestablishment who was busy. He had received the foolscap sheets fromthe printer, carried them to his desk, upon which lay quite a pile ofnew thick white blotting-paper, and taking his seat, sat quite alone, chuckling with delight as he skimmed over his series of mathematicalquestions, one and all extracted from those which had been used atCambridge. 

"Ha, ha!" he chuckled. "This will puzzle some of them! This will makesome of them screw up their foreheads! The stiffest paper I ever set. Eh? What's that?"

He started up, looking round, for there had been a sound like a softthump; but he could see nothing on account of intervening desks. But, all the same, Wrench's tom-cat had leaped gently down to the floor, andfrom there he bounded on to one of the lines of desks, along which hestole very carefully, pausing to sniff at each keyhole as he leanedover, fully aware as he was that several of these desks were used asmenageries, in addition to a very favourite one where he had paused morethan once on account of the delicious black-beetly odour stealing upthrough the cracks, and which denoted white mice. 

In one desk silkworms began as eggs upon a sheet of paper, ate, and grewthemselves into fine, fat, transparent straw-coloured larvae whichafterwards spun cocoons. In another there were a couple of beautifullittle green lizards; while one boy had his desk divided into twoportions by means of a piece of board cut to a cardboard-plan by thePlymborough carpenter at a price. In one portion of the desk there werebooks and sundry tops and balls; the other was the home of a babyhedgehog, which lived upon bread and milk, and had a bad habit ofsitting in its saucer. 

In the next row of desks there was rather an odorous creature whichpuzzled Tom a good deal; so much so that when the theatre was empty hemade that desk a special spot for study in a very uncomfortableposition, crouching as he did upon the slope with his head hanging overthe edge and his nose close to the keyhole. 

That desk required much thought, for he was convinced by gliding soundsthat there was a live occupant therein, and his impression was that itwas good to eat; but he had never seen inside, and was not aware that itcontained an ordinary grass-snake. 

Tom was convinced too, though he had never seen it, and was not aware ofthe differences in tails, that the inhabitant of another desk--enlightened as he was by sundry scratchings and gnawings--was a rat, though it was only Fatty Brown's young squirrel, which was destroyingthe imprisoning wood in a way that was alarming to the owner of thedesk. 

There were several other desks in the big theatre which gave forthsounds and excited Tom's curiosity, for Dr Bewley's young gentlemenaffected zoology even as far as young birds, though not to any verygreat extent, as, not being nightingales, they did not nourish in thedark. 

But enough has been said to account for the cat's love of study when thetheatre was vacated by the pupils, and upon this particular occasion, taking little heed of Mr Morris, Tom went on investigating with hisnose till he had reached the end of one series of desks, and, boundingacross the intervening space, he came down with a thump upon the next, making Mr Morris look up sharply, snatch up a pocket lexicon, and sendit flying, in company with the words, "Tsh! Cat!"

The next moment he was alone; and, in perfect satisfaction with thestiffness of his papers, he descended from his place and proceeded tolay neatly along the rows before him a carefully doubled set ofhalf-a-dozen sheets of white blotting-paper, till one stood out clearand clean upon every pupil's desk. 

This done, he proceeded to work his way back by placing a blue printedsheet of foolscap upon each improvised blotting-pad. It was allcarefully and neatly done, for Mr Morris's mathematical brain led himto square the paper parallelograms, as he would have termed them, withthe greatest exactitude, before going away to his own desk to gaze backover the blue and white patchwork before him, and give utterance oncemore to his thoughts regarding the puzzledom which would exist the nextmorning when the boys took their places. 

"A magnificent mental exercise, " he said proudly, before marching slowlydown the big room like a mathematical general surveying the field wherehe was to do battle next day with the enemy in the shape of sloth andignorance. 

So wrapped up was he in self that he passed out without noticing that hewas watched by one who waited till he was out of sight, and then, thoughthe door was open, preferred to enter by the window, leap on to a desk, and then slowly proceed from one to the other; not in a bold open way, but in a slinking, snaky, crawling fashion, as if about to spring uponsome object of prey. 

The peculiarity of this was that it necessitated great extension ofperson; and as, after the fashion of all cats save those that belong tothe Isle of Man, Tom carried his tail behind him, he went on inignorance of the fact that more than once the furry end touched lightlyin a more than usually well-filled ink-well, the result being an inkytrail, which, however, dried rapidly in the warm theatre, and was notlikely to excite notice upon unpainted desk-lids which were dotted withthe blots and smudges made by hundreds of boys. 

But sometimes great discoveries come from very small things, andWrench's Tom played his part in one of the little comedies of life, those of Terence and Plautus not being intended here. 

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE. 

SOMETHING UNPLEASANT. 

The examination-days were not looked forward to with joy by Dr Bewley'spupils; and, sad to say, Morris's days were liked least. In fact, hiswas the only joyous countenance upon the morning after he had preparedthe theatre, when he glanced round at the heavy expressions thatpervaded the breakfast-tables. But possibly the most severe face in theroom that morning was the Doctor's, as he paid his customary visit, andhe took it with him afterwards into the theatre, which he enteredpunctually at ten o'clock, when the boys were all assembled in theirplaces, while the masters were all at their desks, ready under Morris'sleadership to sit out the examination, using their eyes, and makingperfectly certain that no pupil whispered a question, furtively passed apiece of paper to another, or dipped down into his desk in search of aso-called helping "crib. "

To use the schoolboy phrase popular at Plymborough--"What was up?"

The Doctor rose deliberately upon his throne-like place at the end ofthe theatre, coughed sonorously, settled his plump chin in his verystiff white cravat, and then gazed frowningly through his spectacles atthe assembled pupils. 

There was silence for quite a couple of minutes, and every boy presentfelt that the Doctor was singling him out and was about to speak to himabout the committal of some fault, while internally he asked himselfwhat it could be. 

At last the great brain-ruler put an end to the suspense by addressinghis pupils collectively; and every individual but one drew a breath ofrelief. 

"Young gentlemen, " he said, "in my long career of tuition of the boyswho have been entrusted to my charge it has been my great desire toinculcate honour. "

The three masters glanced at each other, making suggestive grimaces asif questioning what was to come, and at the same time expressingignorance. 

"Now, I regret very much to have to tell you that this morning I havebeen made aware of a most dishonourable act committed by one of mypupils. I have received by post what I can only term a very degradingletter, which I am sorry to say I fully believe to have been written bysome one present. Who that is I do not know, and I tell you all that Iwould rather not know until the culprit allows his better feelings toobtain the mastery, and comes to me privately and says, `Dr Bewley, Iwas guilty of that act of folly; but now I bitterly repent, and am herehumbly to ask your forgiveness and at the same time that of myfellow-pupil whom I have maligned. ' Now, young gentlemen, it gives mepain to address you all for one boy's sin, and I have only this to say, that you whose consciences are clear can let it pass away like a cloud;to him who has this black speck upon his conscience I only say I amwaiting; come to me when the examination is done. --Mr Morris, it is tenminutes past ten. At one o'clock your examination is over, and thestudies are at an end for the day. --Now, my dear boys, I wish you allsuccess, and I trust that you will show Mr Morris that his mathematicalefforts on your behalf have not been in vain. "

There was an end to the painful silence half a minute later, as theDoctor closed the door after him, not loudly, but it seemed to echoamong the great beams of the building, while it was long before hisslow, heavy step died away upon the gravel path outside. 

"Now, young gentlemen, " said Morris sharply, "our Principal's address isnot to interfere with my examination. You have your papers. Pro--"

There was a pause. 

"--Ceed!" shouted Mr Morris. 

There was the scratching of pens upon papers, but upon very few; most ofthe boys taking their pens and putting them down again, to rest theirelbows on the desks and their chins upon their thumbs, as they fixedtheir eyes upon the column-like pile of questions printed quite close tothe left side of the sheets of foolscap, while the three masters at thetwo ends and in the middle of the theatre seated themselves, book inhand, ready to hold up high before their faces so that they couldconveniently peer over the top and make certain that there were not anymore culprits than one within reach of their piercing eyes. 

Mr Morris, to pass his three hours gently and pleasantly, opened a veryold copy, by Blankborough, upon logarithms; Monsieur Brohanne had armedhimself with a heavy tome of _La Grande Encyclopedie_, with a bookmarktherein at the page dealing with the ancient _langue d'oc_; while MrRampson, also linguistical, opened a sickly-looking vellum volume, horribly mildewy and stained, and made as if to read a very brown pageof Greek whose characters looked like so many tiny creases andshrinkings in a piece of dry skin. 

Only one boy spoke, and that was Glyn Severn, and he to himself; but atthe same time he had caught Singh's eye as he sat some distance fromhim, and, placing his sheet of foolscap by his side, he raised hisblotting-pad so that his companion could see a great blotch of inkthereon which seemed as if it had been roughly made by a brush that hadbeen dipped in ink. 

This done, he laid the pad back in its place, twisted the fold towardshim, and taking a bright, new two-bladed knife that had been purchasedwith the proceeds of the Colonel's cheque, he opened the large blade andcarefully passed it along the fold, setting free one half-sheet of theabsorbent paper. This he folded and put in his pocket; but the ink hadgone through to the next half-sheet, and this he also separated, treating it as he did the first. This left two half-sheets, with thepossibility of their slipping about and away from the rest. So, afterpocketing his knife, he opened the remainder where they were folded, andrefolded the pad inside out, so as to leave the two cut half-sheets inthe middle. 

"That nasty nuisance of a cat!" he muttered to himself. "It must havecome along smelling after poor little Burton's white mice, and smudgedmy paper like this. Ah, " he continued, to himself, "I have promised thepoor little chap that I'll lick Master Slegge, and--Hullo! What's this?What does old Morris mean by giving me half-used paper, and the otherfellows new?"

His hands had been busy redoubling and smoothing the fold over the nowprisoned half-sheets, and he was about to hold up his hand as a sign tothe nearest master that he wanted to speak; but he let it fall againupon the desk, and sat gazing down at some indistinctly seen lines uponthe blotting-paper, which looked as if a letter had been inserted wetwithin the pad and hastily blotted. 

He could barely read a word, but somehow his curiosity was aroused, andhe turned the leaf over, to find that the newly written letter had beenplaced in contact with the other side, the lines looking far blackerthere, but seen like a page of printing type the reverse way on, so thathe could not read a word. 

Glyn closed the leaf again and tried to read once more, but with verylittle success; but for some reason or another his interest was moredeeply excited, and he doubled two more leaves over so as to hide thewriting, drew forward the foolscap paper to place it once more on theblotting-pad, and then began to read hard at the first section, tryingthe while to forget all about the freshly blotted letter, but in vain. 

For two questions very different from Mr Morris's kept on appealing tohim, neither of them algebraic or dealing with Euclid. One was, "Howcame that letter to be blotted on my pad?" and, "Who was it that wroteit?"

There was no answer; but the boy felt that he knew enough about one ofMr Morris's questions to begin to write the answer, and over this hehad been busy for about ten minutes when another question flashed acrosshis brain: "Was this the letter of which the Doctor spoke?"

CHAPTER THIRTY. 

BROUGHT TO BOOK. 

Not until late that same evening did Glyn have an opportunity ofinvestigating the mystery, for he had purposely refrained from making aconfidant of Singh; so that it was after the latter was asleep thatGlyn, rising softly, went over to the dressing-table and there lightedthe chamber candle, which stood at the side of the looking-glass. 

"Will it be too blurred?" he thought, and he held up in front of themirror a piece of blotting-paper, and then started, for the occupant ofthe other bed stirred slightly, causing Glyn to step cautiously to theside of the sleeper. 

"He won't wake, " muttered Glyn, and he went back to the table andrecommenced his task, to find that with the aid of reflection thewritten words on the spongy surface of the blotting-paper stood outfairly plain, though there was a break here and there. And this is whathe read:

"_it was g----ern oo thev the princes_--"

Then there was a blurred line where the ink had run, with only a letteror two distinct at intervals. Then half a blank line, and then, verymuch blurred and obscure, more resembling a row of blots than so muchwriting:

"_e as idden--sum whare--for sertane_. "

Another line all blotted and indistinct; then:

"_umble Suvvent, --Wun oo nose_. "

Then a line in which so obscure and run were the letters that minuteshad elapsed before the reader could make out what they meant:

"_toe the doktor_. "

Glyn drew back from the glass as if stung, and then the question whichcame to him was who had written this abominable, ill-spelt accusation, evidently pointed at himself?

"That was the letter, then, that the Doctor mentioned, " he said tohimself, and he tried to read the words again, instinctively filling upsome of the blanks so as to make the letter fit himself; and it seemedto him that there could only have been one person who was capable ofwriting such a thing. 

He examined the lettering once again--a back-slanting hand, disguised. 

"And I have only one enemy--Slegge, " he thought to himself, as he softlyblew out the candle and crept back into bed; but it was long ere sleepcame, for the writing, run by the blotting-paper but still vivid, seemedto dance before his eyes, and as he now mentally read it: "It was GlynSevern who stole the Prince's belt. "

And it was with this to form the subject of his dreams that he fell fastasleep. 

On the following morning Glyn entered the class-room early and proceededto Slegge's desk. 

"Just as I thought, " he said, and he took up one of the writing foliobooks which lay with other volumes on the desk-cover. 

There was no one else in the theatre at that early hour, and Glyn hadtime to compare as he wished certain of the letters and capitals inSlegge's handwriting with the wording on the blotting-paper. 

"It was he; there can be no doubt, " he exclaimed, and he went out of theroom, making for the playground, intending to find his detractor; but hewas not to be seen. 

Fortune, however, favoured him as he was making his way back to theschoolhouse, for near the boys' gardens he suddenly caught sight of theobject of his search. 

"I say, Slegge, " he said, approaching the lad, "I want to talk to you. "

It did not seem to be quite the same self-confident bully of the dayprevious who responded, "Eh? You do, Severn? What's up?"

"Come into the class-room, " said Severn. "I want you. "

"What!" began Slegge. "What do you mean? Why are you trying to orderme about?"

"Because I have something to tell you. "

"Ha, ha, Cocky Severn! It's time you had that thrashing. "

"Is it?" said Glyn. "Well, I don't think I should care to fight with afellow who writes anonymous letters. "

"What do you mean by that?" cried the other. 

"I will show you what I mean if you come with me. I don't suppose youwant the other fellows to hear it. "

"I don't care, " said Slegge. "Some cock-and-bull story you arehatching, Severn. "

"You wrote that letter, " said Glyn abruptly, and his voice sounded huskywith the emotion and rage that were gathering in his breast. 

"Letter? Letter? What do you mean? Has one come for me by the post?"

"You know what letter I mean, " burst out Severn. 

"Here, I say, " cried Slegge, with a most perfect assumption ofinnocence; and he looked round as if speaking to a whole gathering oftheir schoolfellows, "what's he talking about? I don't know. Isn'tgoing off his head, is he?"

"That letter the Doctor was talking about yesterday morning, " criedGlyn, with the passion within beginning to master him. 

"Here, I don't know what you mean, " cried Slegge. "You seem to have gotout of bed upside down, or else you haven't woke up yet. What do youmean by your letters?"

"You miserable shuffler!" cried Glyn, in a voice almost inaudible fromrage. "The Doctor only talked about a letter; but I've found you out. "

"No, you haven't, " cried Slegge truculently; "you have found me in--inhere by the gardens, and if you have come down here to have it out oncemore before breakfast, come along down to the elms. I am your man. "

"That's just what I should like to do, " panted Severn, whose hands keptopening and shutting as they hung by his sides; and there was somethingin the boy's looks that made Slegge change colour slightly, and heglanced quickly to right and left as if in search of the support of hisfellows; but there was no one within sight. 

"But, " continued Glyn, "if you think I am going to lower myself byfighting a dirty, cowardly hound who has struck at me behind the backlike the dishonourable cur that the Doctor said he was waiting to seecome and confess what he had done, you are mistaken. "

"There, I knew it!" cried Slegge. "You are afraid. Put up your hands, or I will give you the coward's blow. "

To the bully's utter astonishment, one of Glyn's hands only rose quickas lightning and had him by the throat. 

"You dare!" he cried. "Strike me if you dare! Yes, it would be acoward's blow. But if you do I won't answer for what will happen, for Ishall forget what you have done, and--and--"

"Here, Severn! Severn! What's the matter with you?" gasped Sleggeexcitedly. "I haven't done anything. Are you going mad?"

"You have, you blackguard!" cried Glyn, forcing the fellow back till hehad him up against the garden-fence. "You have always hated me eversince I licked you, and like the coward you are you stooped to writethat dirty, ill-spelt, abominable letter to make the Doctor think I hadstolen Singh's belt. "

"Oh, I don't know what you mean, " whined Slegge. "Let go, will you?"

"No!" cried Glyn, raising his other hand to catch Slegge by the wrist. "Not till I've made you do what the Doctor asked for--taken you to hisroom and made you confess. "

"Confess? I haven't got anything to confess. You are mad, and I don'tknow what you mean, " cried Slegge, whose face was now white. "Let go, or I'll call for help. "

"Do, " cried Glyn, "and I'll expose you before everybody. You coward!Why, a baby could have seen through your miserable sham, ill-speltletter, with the words all slanting the wrong way. "

"I don't know what letter you mean. Has the Doctor been showing you theletter he was talking about?"

"No, " said Glyn mockingly, as he read in the troubled face before himthat he was quite right. "But I have read it all the same, on the pieceof blotting-paper that you used to dry what you had written--the sheetof blotting-paper that was put ready on my desk so that if it were foundit might seem that I was the writer. "

"That I wrote?" said Slegge, with a forced laugh. "That you wrote, youmean, before you sent it. I don't know what for, unless you wantedpeople to think that it was done by some one who didn't like you. Whatdo you mean by accusing me?"

"Because you are not so clever as you thought. Come on here to theclass-room. I have been there this morning, and laid the blotting-paperby the side of one of your exercises on your desk; and, clever as youthought yourself, the Doctor will see at a glance that some of theletters, in spite of the way you wrote them, could only have beenwritten by you. " And here he took a piece of paper out--a piece that hehad torn from Slegge's exercise-book--and laid beside it the unfoldedblotting-paper. 

Slegge made a dash at them, but Glyn was too quick. Throwing one handbehind his back, he pressed Slegge with the other fiercely against thefence. 

"There!" he cried triumphantly. "That's like confessing it. Come on tothe Doctor. There's Mr Morris yonder. --Mr--"

"No, no, don't! Pray don't call!"

"Hah!" cried Glyn triumphantly. "Then you did write it?"

"I--I--"

"Speak! You did write it, you coward! Now confess!"

"Well, I--I was in a passion, and I only thought it would be a lark. "

"You were in a passion, and you thought it would be a lark!" cried Glynscornfully. "You muddle-headed idiot, you did it to injure me, for youmust have had some idea in your stupid thick brain that it would do meharm. But come on. You have confessed it, and you shan't go alone tothe Doctor to say that you repent and that you are sorry for it all, foryou shall come with me. Quick! Now, at once, before the breakfast-bellrings; and we will see what the Doctor says. Perhaps he will understandit better than I do, for I hardly know what you meant. "

"No, no, don't! Pray don't, Severn! Haven't I owned up? What more doyou want?" And the big lad spoke with his lips quivering and a curioustwitching appearing about the corners of his mouth; but Glyn seemed ashard as iron. 

"What more do I want? I want the Doctor to know what a miserable cowardand bully he has in the school. "

"No, no, " gasped Slegge, in a low, husky voice, and with his face nowall of a quiver. "I can't--I won't! I tell you I can't come!"

"And I tell you you shall come, " cried Glyn, dragging him along a stepor two. 

"Don't, I tell you! You will have Morris see, " gasped Slegge. 

"I want him to see, and all the fellows to see what a coward we have gotamongst us. So come along. "

Slegge caught him by the lapel of his jacket, and with his voicechanging into a piteous whisper, "Pray, pray don't, Severn!" he panted. "Do you know what it means?"

"I know what it ought to mean, " cried Glyn mockingly; "a good flogging;but the Doctor won't give you that. "

"No, " whispered the lad piteously. "I'd bear that; but he'd send meback home in disgrace. There was a fellow here once, and the Doctorcalled it expelled. Severn, old chap, I am going to leave at the end ofthis half. It will be like ruin to me, for everything will be known. There, I confess. I was a fool, and what you called me. "

"Then come like a man and say that to the Doctor. "

"I can't! I can't! I--oh, Severn! Severn!"

The poor wretch could get out no more articulately, but sank down uponhis knees, fighting hard for a few moments to master himself, but onlyto burst forth into a fit of hysterical sobbing. 

The pitiful, appealing face turned up to him mastered Glyn on theinstant, and he loosened his hold, to glance round directly in thedirection of Morris, and then back. 

"Get up, " he said, "and don't do that. Come along here. "

"No, no; I can't go before the Doctor. Severn, you always were a goodfellow--a better chap than I am. Pray, pray, forgive me this once!"

"And you will never do so any more?" cried Glyn half-mockingly. 

"Never! never! I swear I won't!"

"Well, " said Glyn, whose rage seemed to have entirely evaporated, "Isuppose that it would pretty well ruin you, at all events for thisschool. I don't want to be hard on you; but I can't help half-hatingyou, Slegge, for the way you have behaved to that poor little beggarBurton. Look here, Slegge, if you say honestly that you beg pardon--"

"Yes, " cried the lad. "I do beg your pardon, Severn!"

"No; I don't want you to beg my pardon, " cried Glyn. "I can take careof myself. I want you to tell that poor little chap that you are sorryyou ill-used him, and promise that you will never behave badly to himagain. "

"Yes, yes. I will, I will. But you are going to tell the Doctor?"

"No, I shall not. I am not a sneak, " said Glyn, "nor a coward neither. I have shown you that, and I am not going to jump on a fellow when he'sdown. But come along here. "

"To the Doctor's? Oh no, no!"

"Be quiet, I tell you, and wipe your eyes and blow your nose. You don'twant everybody to see?"

"No, no. --Thank you!--No, " cried the big fellow hurriedly. "I couldn'thelp it. I am not well. I must go to my room and have a wash beforethe breakfast-bell rings. May I go now?"

"No; you will be all right. The fellows won't see. I only want you tocome over here to where Burton is. No, there he goes! I'll call himhere. There, don't show that we have been quarrelling. --Hi! Burton!"cried Glyn, stepping to the garden-hedge and shouting loudly, with theeffect that as soon as the little fellow realised who called he camebounding towards him, but every now and then with a slight limp. 

"Just a quiet word or two that you are sorry you hurt him; and I wantyou to show it afterwards--not in words. "

"You want me, Severn?" cried the little fellow, looking from one to theother wonderingly as soon as he realised that his friend was not alone. 

"Yes. Slegge and I have been talking about you. He wants to say a wordor two to you about hurting you the other day. "

The little fellow glanced more wonderingly than ever at his big enemy. 

"Does he?" he said dubiously, and he turned his eyes from one to theother again. 

"Oh yes, " said Slegge, with rather a pitiful attempt to speak in ajocular tone, which he could not continue to the end. "I am precioussorry I kicked you so hard. But you'll forgive me and shake hands--won't you, Burton?"

"Ye-es, if you really are sorry, " said the little fellow, slowly raisinghis hand, which was snatched at and forcibly wrung, just as thebreakfast-bell rang out, and Slegge turned and dashed off towards theschoolhouse as hard as he could run. 

"I say, Severn, " said little Burton, turning his eyes wonderingly up athis companion, who had playfully caught him by the ear and begun leadinghim towards where the bell was clanging out loudly as Sam Grigg tuggedat the rope, "do you think Slegge means that?"

"Oh yes. I have been talking to him about it, and I am sure he's verysorry now. "

"Oh, I say, Severn, " cried the little fellow joyously, and with his eyesfull of the admiration he felt, "what a chap you are!"

Some one who sat near took an observation that morning over thebreakfast that Slegge did not seem to enjoy his bread and butter, andset it down to the butter being too salt; and though the Doctor waitedfor days in the anticipation that the sender of the anonymous letterwould come to him to confess, he expressed himself to the masters asdisappointed, for the culprit did not come, and the affair died out inthe greater interest that was taken later on in the matter of the belt. 

Still, somebody did go to see the Doctor, and he looked at himwonderingly, for it was not the boy he expected to see, but the verylast whom he would have ventured to suspect. 

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE. 

GLYN'S WORRIED BRAIN. 

"Is any one with the Doctor, Wrench?"

"No, sir, " replied the man distantly, and he looked curiously at Glyn. "Aren't you well this morning, sir?"

"Yes--no. Don't ask questions, " cried the boy petulantly. 

"All right, sir, " said the man. "I don't want to ask no questions. There's been too much of it lately. Suspicions and ugly looks, and therest of it. I'd have given warning the other day, only if I had, thenext thing would have been more suspicion and the police perhaps had into ask me why I wanted to go. Shall I ask the Doctor, sir, if he willsee you?"

"No, " cried Glyn, and walking past the man he tapped at the study-door, and in response to the Doctor's deep, "Come in, " entered. 

"What does this mean?" muttered Wrench. "I don't like listening; but ifI went there and put my ear to the keyhole I could catch every word; andso sure as I did somebody would come into the hall and find me at it. So I won't go. But what does it mean? Young Severn's found out allabout it, as sure as I stand here. Then it's one of the boys after all. Well, I don't care about it as long as it ain't me or Sam, so I'll goon with my work. "

Meanwhile Glyn had entered, closed the door after him, and stood gazingat the Doctor with a curious sensation in his breast that seemed to stopall power of speaking connectedly, as he had meant to do when he hadobeyed the impulse to make a clean breast to his old preceptor. 

"Well, Severn, " said the Doctor gravely, as he laid down his pen, thrustup his glasses till they were stopped by the stiff grey hair, andallowed himself to sink back in his writing-chair, "you wish to speak tome?"

"Yes, sir, please; I--" Glyn stopped short. 

That was all that would come, so the Doctor waited for a few moments togive him time to collect himself, and then with an encouraging smile:"Are you unwell, my boy? Do you wish to see our physician?"

Glyn uttered a kind of gasp, and then, making a tremendous effort, thepower to speak returned, and he cried, "Oh no, sir; I am quite well, only--only I am in great trouble, and I want to speak to you. "

"Indeed!" said the Doctor gravely, as he placed his elbows upon thetable, joined his finger-tips, and looked over them rather sadly at hisvisitor. "I am glad you have come, my boy, " he continued gently, "for Ilike my pupils to look up to me as if for the time being I stood in theplace of their parents. Now then, speak out. What is it? Some freshquarrel between you and Mr Slegge?"

"No, sir, " cried Glyn. "It's about that dreadful business of Singh'sbelt. "

"Ah!" said the Doctor, rather more sharply. "You know something aboutit?"

"Yes, sir. It's about that I have come. About people being wrongfullysuspected, and all the unpleasantry. "

"Indeed!" said the Doctor, and he now spoke rather coldly. "You know, Severn, where it is?"

"I--I think so, sir. Yes, sir, " continued the boy, speaking morefirmly, "and I want to tell you all I do know. "

The Doctor fixed his eyes rather sternly now, for a strange suspicionwas entering his mind, due to the boy's agitated manner and hishesitating, half-reticent speech. 

"Well, " he said, "go on; and I beg, my boy, that you tell me everythingwithout reservation, though I am sorry, deeply grieved, that you shouldhave to come and speak to me like this. "

Glyn seemed to breathe far more freely now, and as if the nervousoppression at his breast had passed away. 

"You see, sir, " he began, "I have known all along that Singh had thatvery valuable belt. It was his father's, and the Maharajah used to wearit; and when he died my father took charge of it and all the Maharajah'svaluable jewels as well. "

"Yes, " said the Doctor slowly. "He was the late Prince's executor andSingh's guardian. "

"Yes, sir; and Singh was very eager to have it--oh, months and monthsbefore we came over here to school, and my father used to smile at himand tell him that he had far better not have it until he had grownolder, and asked him why he who was such a boy yet should want such arich ornament, and told him it was vanity. But Singh said it wasn'tthat; it was because the people had been used to see his father wear it, and that now he was dead and he had become Maharajah they would thinkmore of him and look up to him if he wore the belt himself. You see, sir, Singh told me it was like being crowned. "

"I see, " said the Doctor gravely, and he kept his eyes fixed upon theyoung speaker. "Go on. "

"Well, sir, father always put him off, and Singh didn't like it, andasked for it again and again; but my father would never let him have ittill we were coming slowly over here to England. We stopped for a monthin Ceylon, and when we sailed again to come here, one day Singh askedfather again to let him have it, so that he could wear the belt as soonas we reached England. And then father said he should have it if hewould make a promise not to wear it unless he had to appear before theQueen. Then he was to put it away again, and not make a parade ofhimself in a country where the greatest people in the land were alwaysdressed in the plainest way. "

"Your father spoke wisely and well, my boy, " said the Doctor gravely. "Great men do not depend upon show, but upon the jewels of worth andwisdom with which they have adorned themselves in their careers. Well, I repeat I am very glad you have come. Go on. "

"Yes, sir, " said Glyn, clearing his throat. "Singh promised father thathe would do exactly as he was told, and the next day my father told meto try and keep Singh to his word. He said it would be very absurd nowthat we were going among strangers and a lot of boys of our own ages ifSingh were tempted to make a show of the royal belt. `You be watchful, 'he said, `and help him when he seems weak, for he has naturally a gooddeal of Eastern vanity and pride in him. '"

"Quite true, " said the Doctor softly; "but he has improved wonderfullysince he has been here. "

"Yes, sir; but every now and then he has bad fits, and has wanted toshow off; but I was always able to stop him. Then, you see, sir--"

Glyn broke down, and as he met the Doctor's steady gaze he seemed tomake effort after effort to proceed, but in vain. 

"I told you, my boy, " said the Doctor encouragingly, "to speak to me asif I were your father. "

"Yes, sir, I know, " cried Glyn passionately, "and I want to speak outplainly and clearly, but it won't come. "

"Yes, " said the Doctor gravely; "it will, my boy. Go on to the end. "

"Yes, sir, " cried Glyn. "Well, sir, there has been all this troubleabout the belt when it was missed out of Singh's box. "

The Doctor bowed his head. 

"I seem to have been able to think of nothing else, and I couldn't do mylessons--I could hardly eat my meals--and at night I couldn't sleep forthinking about the belt and what my father would say about it beinglost. "

The Doctor bowed his head again very slowly and solemnly, and fixed hiseyes once more upon Glyn's flushed face. 

"You see, sir, my father said so much to me about Singh being as it werein my charge, and told me how he trusted in my example, and in me beingready to give Singh a sensible word whenever he was disposed to doanything not becoming to an English lad. "

"Exactly, my boy, " said the Doctor. "Your father is a worthy trustee ofthis young ward, and it will be a terrible shock to him when he hears ofthis--er--er--accident and the loss. "

"Yes, sir, for you see, as he is the old Maharajah's executor, the royalbelt was in his care till Singh is old enough to be his own master; andfather will feel that he is to blame for giving way and letting Singhhave it so soon. "

"Exactly, " said the Doctor; "but, my boy, it seems to me that you arerather wandering away from your purpose, and are not telling meeverything exactly as I should wish. "

"It's because, sir, it won't come; something seems to stop me. But I amtrying, sir. "

"Well, I believe you, my boy, " said the Doctor. "Go on. "

"Yes, sir. Well, I told you that I could hardly eat or sleep forthinking about it. "

The Doctor sighed. 

"And it seemed so horrid, sir, that so many people should be suspectedfor what one person alone must have done. "

"Yes, " said the Doctor, fixing him with his eyes again; and then as hemet the boy's frank, unblenching eyes his brow began to wear a curiouslook of perplexity, and he disjoined the tips of his fingers, picked uphis quill-pen, and began slowly to litter the table-top by stripping offthe plume. 

"Well, sir, " continued Glyn, speaking very hurriedly now, "I have alwaysbeen dreaming about it, and waking up with starts, sir, fancying I heardsome one creeping into the room to get to Singh's box; and one night itwas so real that I seemed to hear some one go to Singh's bedside, takeout the keys from his pocket, crawl to his box, unlock it, and lift thelid, and then shut it and lock it again. And I lay there, sir, with myhands and face wet with perspiration, wanting to call out to Singh; butI couldn't stir. But when all was silent again I crept out of bed andwent to his box to find the keys in it; and I opened it quickly and feltinside, feeling sure that it was one of the boys who had stolen the beltand who had repented and come and put it back again. "

"And had he?" cried the Doctor, startled out of his grave calmness. 

"No, sir; I think it was only my fancy. But I have been something likethat over and over again. "

"Ah!" said the Doctor gravely once more. "The workings, my boy, of anuneasy mind. "

"Yes, sir, and that's what held me back from coming to you to speakout. "

"Go on, " said the Doctor; "and speak plainly and to the point, my boy. What more have you to say?"

"Only this, sir, " cried Glyn huskily, "that the night before last I layawake for a long time, thinking and thinking about the belt and aboutSingh lying there sleeping so easily and not troubling himself in theleast about the loss of the emeralds; and then all at once, when my headwas so hot with the worry that I felt as if I must get out and drinksome cold water. --I don't know how it was, but I began going over thebig cricket-match in the field, and it was as if it was the day before, and I was fidgeting and fidgeting about the crowd there'd be, and a lotof strangers walking about the grounds and perhaps finding their wayinto the empty dormitories; and it all worried me so, sir, that it mademe think that somebody dishonest might go to Singh's box and carry offthe emeralds, and they would never be found again. "

The Doctor leaned forward a little to gaze more fixedly in his pupil'seyes. Then rising slowly, he reached over and placed his cool whitehand upon Glyn's forehead. 

"Yes, sir, " said the boy quickly, "it's hot--it's hot; but it comes likethat sometimes. I believe it's from thinking too much. "

"Ah!" said the Doctor, subsiding again into his chair. 

"Well, sir, I was so worried about the belt that I thought I wouldn'tsay anything to Singh, but that I would take his keys, get out the case, and bring it to you in the morning. "

"Ah!" cried the Doctor excitedly now. "It would not have been right, myboy. But you did not do that. "

"No, sir, " said the boy, with a bitter laugh; "for the next minute Ithought you would put it in your table-drawer, and that it wouldn't besafe there, for strangers might come into this room, so I--" Glynstopped, and the Doctor waited patiently. "It seemed so weak andfoolish, sir, " continued Glyn at last, after moistening his parched lipswith his tongue, "but I must tell you. I seemed to be obliged to do it. I took out the case and went downstairs past all the boys' rooms, andgot out through the lecture-hall window to go across the playground tothe cricket-shed where the boys' lockers are, and there I opened ourlocker and took out a ball of kite-string. "

"Yes, " said the Doctor. "Go on, go on. "

"Then, sir, I came back across the playground and turned into the yardto go into the well-house, where I tied the end of the kite-string roundthe case very tightly and safely, and then leaned over and lifted one ofthe flaps of the well lid--"

"And lowered the case down into the well?" cried the Doctor excitedly. 

"Yes, sir, " said Glyn; "and I could smell the cool, damp sides of theplace, and hear a faint dripping of the water as I let the string runthrough my fingers, till at last the case splashed and it ran down moreslowly, seeming to jerk a little to and fro as a flat thing does when itsinks, till I felt it touch the bottom. And then I leaned over to feelfor a place where I could tie the string to one of the loose bricks atthe side. "

"But there are no loose bricks at the side, my boy, " said the Doctor. 

"No, sir, " said the boy. "I couldn't feel one; and then all at once, asI was feeling about, the ball slipped out of my fingers and fell belowwith a splash. "

"So that you could not pull the case up again?" cried the Doctor. 

"Yes, sir, " said Glyn very slowly, and looking at him in a peculiarmanner. 

"And then, " said the Doctor, "what did you do?"

"Nothing, sir, " replied Glyn, "for just then the first bell rang. "

"What?" exclaimed the Doctor. 

"And I started up in bed, sir. It was all a dream. "

"A dream!" cried the Doctor angrily. "Why, my good lad--"

"But it was all so real, sir, and I was thinking about it all dayyesterday, and that perhaps it's possible that I really did do itwalking in my sleep. "

"Oh, impossible!" cried the Doctor. 

"I don't know, sir, " said the boy; "but you see, I might have done so. "

"Well--yes, you might, " said the Doctor slowly. "I did have a pupilonce who was troubled with somnambulism. He used to walk into the nextdormitory and scare the other boys. --Oh, but this is impossible!"

"I thought you'd say so, sir. "

"Yes, " said the Doctor, "impossible. Why, if it were true the belt musthave been lying at the bottom of the well ever since the cricket-matchweeks ago. "

"Yes, sir, and I must have done it then in my sleep; and the nightbefore last I dreamed again what I dreamed before. "

"Tut, tut, tut, tut, tut, tut!" ejaculated the Doctor, rising now fromhis chair and beginning to walk to and fro excitedly. "Strange--moststrange, and I feel sceptical in the extreme. It must all beimagination. An empty dream, brought about by the worry and anxiety ofthis unfortunate loss. Well, I am glad you have come, my boy, and--er--er--I must be frank with you. Your manner and the strangeness of yourwords half made me think that you had come, urged by your conscience, tomake a confession of a very different kind. "

Glyn started; his lips parted, and he looked wildly in the Doctor'seyes. 

"Don't look at me like that, my lad. Your manner suggested it, and Icannot tell you how relieved I feel. "

As the Doctor spoke he leaned over his writing-table and caught theboy's hand in his, to press it warmly. 

"But, " he said, as he subsided once more into his chair, "this must be ahallucination, an offspring of an overworked brain; and yet there arestrange things in connection with the mental organisation, and I feel asif I ought to take some steps. What a relief it would be, my boy, to usall, the clearing away of a load of ungenerous suspicion. But one word:whom have you told of this?"

"No one, sir, " said Glyn. 

"Not even Mr Singh?"

"No, sir. I have been ever since yesterday thinking about what I oughtto do, and I came to the conclusion at last that I ought to come to you, sir. "

"Quite right, my boy; quite right. "

"But it was very hard work, sir--very hard indeed. "

"Yes, yes; so I suppose, " said the Doctor thoughtfully; "and you haveplaced a problem before me, my boy, that I feel is as difficult toresolve. I am very, very glad that you have kept it in your own breast, Severn; and the more I think of it the more I feel that it is only anintangible vapour of the brain. But, all the same, the matter is somysterious and so important that I should not be doing my duty if I didnot have the well examined. "

"You will, sir?" cried the boy eagerly. 

"Yes, Severn, I will, " said the Doctor firmly, "and at once. But thismust be a private matter between us two. Let those who like considerthe act eccentric; I shall have it done, and I look to you to take noone else into your confidence over the matter. "

"No, sir; I'll not say a word, " cried Glyn. "But, "--hehesitated--"but--"

"Well, Severn; speak out. "

"If it all turns out fancy, all imagination, sir, you will not beangry?"

"No, Severn, not in the least, " said the Doctor, smiling. "Now go andsend Wrench to me. "

As he spoke the Doctor turned and rang, with the consequence that Glynmet the footman in the passage coming to answer the bell, and half anhour later, when the boy made it his business to casually stroll towardsthe well-house, he heard voices, and on looking in found Wrench, who hadchanged his livery for an old pair of trousers and vest, talking to thegardener and making plans for the emptying of the well. 

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO. 

THE DOCTOR'S DICTUM. 

"It'd take a month, " said the gardener, as Glyn was coming up. "Don'ttell me! Should think I know more about wells than you do. Fast as youtake a bucketful out another one runs in. You go and tell him that ifhe means to have the old well emptied we shall want half-a-dozen men, for we could never do it by oursens. "

"Yah!" cried Wrench; "such fellows as you gardeners are. It's alwaysthe same old tune: more help, more help. --Hear him, Mr Severn, sir? Iexpect the water isn't so clear as it has been, and the Doctor says hewill have the well emptied and cleaned out. --Look here, Taters, you cango and tell the Doctor that if you like; I am going to work. "

"Oh, I shan't tell him, " growled the gardener. "I aren't afraid of abit of wuck; only, mark my words, as I says again, it'd take a month. "

The unusual task did not take a month; but after a hard day's toil solittle progress had been made, and Wrench's indoor work had come to sucha standstill, that the Doctor gave orders for the gardener to get theassistance of a couple of labouring men, when the water was so muchlowered at the end of the next day that unless a great deal filtered induring the coming night there was a fair prospect of the bottom beingreached before long. 

By a tacit understanding with the Doctor, Glyn was excused from lessonsduring the clearing out of the well, and spent his time watching theemptying of every bucketful as it was wound slowly up; and it was putabout by Slegge that Glyn had been planted there by the Doctor to keepthe juniors off for fear any of them should tumble down. 

It was an anxious task for the boy, who had to resist appeal afterappeal made by Singh to come and join him in some sport or go for awalk. But Glyn kept fast to his post, watching in vain, and withoutmuch hope, for if the case was there it would probably be sunk in themud. One hour he found himself full of faith in the belief that therewas something in his dream, and the next he thought that it was allnonsense. 

And so the days passed on, with Glyn paying constant visits to thewell-house, where Wrench went on toiling away; while, in spite of thesloppiness of the place, his big tom-cat came regularly to perch himselfupon a shelf, and with his big eyes looking fierce and glowing in thesemi-darkness of the building, he seemed to look upon it as his duty tosee that all went on steadily and well. 

The sixth day had come round, and the gardener reiterated with a grin, as he stared grimly at Glyn, "Ah, we shan't be done yet. It's myopinion that it will take a month; and that's what the ganger thinkstoo. "

"The ganger?" said Glyn. "Who's he?"

"Him, " said Wrench, with a sidewise nod in the direction of his felinefavourite, who was crouched together in the spot he had selected forlooking on. 

"Oh, nonsense!" cried Glyn. 

"Ah, you may call it nonsense; but you know, Mr Severn, I shouldn't beat all surprised if that cat thinks. It's my opinion that he knowsthere's holes somewhere down below, just above where the water used tobe, and that sooner or later if he waits patiently he will see some ofthem as lives there come up in the empty bucket for him to hunt. "

"And what are they that live down there?" said Glyn. 

"Rats, sir--rats. "

There was some colour given to Slegge's assertion that Glyn was there tokeep the juniors from tumbling down; for the slow, steady lowering anddrawing up of the big buckets had a peculiar fascination for some of theyoungest boys, notably the little set whose playtime was nearly allmonopolised by hard work--to wit, the bowling and fielding for Slegge. Their anxiety was wonderful. If Glyn was not constantly on the watch, one or other would be getting in the men's way, to peer down into thedarkness or rush to where the full buckets were emptied into a drain. 

On commencing work upon the sixth morning the water was found to be solowered that the big buckets had to be removed from rope and chains, forthey would not descend far enough to fill. So they were replaced bysmall ordinary pails; and, the work becoming much lighter, they werewound up and down at a much more rapid rate. 

"We shan't be long now, Mr Severn, sir, " said Wrench, for each pail asit came up had for its contents half-water and half-mud, the sediment ofmany, many years. And at last Glyn's heart began to throb, for hangingout over the side of the last-raised bucket was a long length of muddystring. 

"Then I am right, " he said to himself. "How strange!" And as hefollowed to the mouth of the drain into which the contents of the pailwere to be poured he caught hold of the string. 

"Here, don't do that, sir, " cried Wrench. "You'll cover yourself withmud. Let me, " and before the boy could stop him the man had snatchedthe string from his hand and drawn it out. 

"Broken away, " said Glyn to himself, as the end was drawn from thebucket, and he now peered anxiously into the pail, expecting to see oneend of the long morocco case standing up out of the thick contents. 

But as the half-fluid mud was poured away the empty bucket went down andits fellow rose similarly filled. 

Glyn expected to see the rest of the string, for nothing like half ofthat which he believed he had lost had come up. 

Again he was disappointed, for there was neither string nor case, andfor some time bucket after bucket rose, at first full of mud, but byslow degrees containing half, a quarter, and then only a small portionof mud and water at a time, while each time the empty ones reached thebottom a hollow scraping sound arose, as by clever manipulation of therope by Wrench they were dragged along the bottom. 

"I say, Mr Severn, sir, " he cried, "who'd ever have thought that therewas all that mud under the beautiful clear water? Ah, it must be a mortof years since it was cleared out, and now we are at it we will do itwell--let the water come in a little and give it a good wash out two orthree times over. I won't let it fill up at all till we have scrapedthis all clear. That's the way to do it, " he continued, giving the ropea swing so as to turn the bucket on its side and scrape it along thebottom. "Hear that, sir? All hard stone at the bottom down there, andmud and mud. Now, I half-expected to find a lot of things that hadfallen down, and the hoops of some old bucket that had been lost. "

Glyn started at the man's words, and saw in his mind's eye the long redmorocco case, blackened now and saturated with water, while he wonderedwhat effect the moisture would have had on the beautifulgold-embroidered leather of the belt. 

"Yes, " continued Wrench, giving Glyn as he stood close beside the mouthof the well what seemed to the boy a malicious grin, "I did expect tofind something curious down there; but the buckets run easily over thebottom, and there don't seem to be--yes, there is, " he shoutedexcitedly. "Nothing like patience in fishing. I have got a bite. "

Glyn's heart seemed to stand still as the man gave a snatch at the rope. 

"That's the way to strike, " he cried excitedly. "I've caught him, and aheavy one too. "

Glyn's heart sank with disappointment, for there was no heaviness aboutthe belt, and he stood waiting now as the winch was steadily turned andthe bucket began to rise. 

They had not been observed before, but a little party of about a dozenof the younger boys had been hovering for some time about thewell-house-door, and first one and then another made a dash in from timeto time when Wrench was too busy with the buckets to take any notice ofthem. 

Burton had come inside now, to range up close to Glyn, and in anaffectionate way passed his arm round that of the lad who had been hisdefender more than once. 

Glyn responded by withdrawing his arm, placing both hands on the littlefellow's shoulders, and thrusting him in front so that the boy couldhave a good view of all that there was to see. 

"I say, Severn, " he cried, turning his head to look up, "no larks--noshoving me down the well!"

"Why not?" said Severn merrily, as he gripped the little fellow tighter. 

"Because old Slegge will want me to bowl for him, and he likes kickingme. "

"Likes kicking you? Why?" said Glyn, speaking almost mechanically, forhe was anxiously watching the dark hole for the ascent of the nextbucket. 

"Because I'm so soft and don't hurt his feet. "

"Don't let it drop out, mates, " cried the gardener, who was on the otherside of the well, turning one winch. "Hold tight now you have got him. Do you know what it is?"

"No, " replied Wrench; "but I think by the feel of it when I got itslithered into the bucket that it must be an old brick out of the sidesomewhere. "

"Yah! Not it!" said the gardener. "I'll tell you what it is: it's thatbig old tom-cat of the Doctor's that used to be about the garden and wasalways scratching up my young plants. He was missing four or five yearsago, and I dare say he got into the top bucket to curl up for a nap onenight, and went down in it and was drowned. "

"If it is, " said Wrench, "he's got to be pretty heavy with soaking up somuch water down below. Maybe you know better than that how it was hedid get drowned and left off scratching up your plants. "

As the man said these words little Burton gave quite a jump, and made apeculiar sound. 

"Here, " said Glyn quietly, "what are you starting at? Did you think Iwas going to pretend to push you in?"

"N-n-no, " said the little fellow in a peculiar tone. 

"What are you laughing at?" said Glyn, tightening his hold on the boy'sshoulders. 

The little fellow squirmed. 

"It--it--it--it--it, "--he stuttered--"it does tickle me so!"

"There, there! Steady, steady!" said Glyn. "No nonsense, or I shallsend you out of the well-house. "

"No, no; please don't, Severn, " whispered the boy excitedly. "Let mestay, please. I do so want to see. "

"Very well, then, only no games now, " and in rather a hopeless way, feeling as he did that there would be no morocco case and belt broughtup this time, Glyn patiently waited till from out of the darkness thebucket came into sight, was wound up till it was well within reach, athump and a scraping noise coming echoing up from the bottom to announcethat its fellow had reached the end of its journey, and Wrench cried out"Wo--ho!" for the gardener to hold on tightly by the handle and preventthe heavy bucket running down again. 

"Why, Crumpets!" cried Wrench, "what in the world have we got here?"while Burton reached both hands back behind him so as to get a good gripat the lapels of Severn's jacket, and began to dance with delight. 

"Why, it's a cricket-bat!" cried Wrench. "Hanging over the side of thebucket by a string tied round the handle!"

At this Burton began to make uncouth sounds as if he were being chokedin his efforts to suppress a hearty burst of laughter. 

"Well, this 'ere's a pretty game, " continued Wrench, as he took hold ofthe bat by the handle and ran his hand along the muddy string till atthe bottom of the bucket his hand came in contact with a heavy brick. "Why, any one would think it was a tom-cat with a string round its neckand a brick at the other end of the string so as to keep him down. Fouror five years ago! Why, that would be time enough for all the flesh andskin to have gone; but I never knowed that cats' skillingtons was shapedlike a cricket-bat. --Here, steady, youngster!" he continued to thelittle fellow, "if you laugh like that you will have a fit. "

"Oh, I can't bear it! I can't bear it!" panted the little chap, andwrenching himself free from Glyn's grasp he rushed out at the well-housedoor, ten or a dozen of his comrades bounding up to him as he shouted, "Oh, come and look! come and look! Here it is! They've pulled it up, drowned and quite dead. "

There was a yell of delight from the little crowd, and all rushed up tothe well-house-door, to begin performing something like a triumphantwar-dance about the blackened and muddy bat. 

"Here, I say, some one, " cried Burton, "run and tell old Slegge thatthey have found his cricket-bat drowned in the well like a dead dog in apond. "

"Hush! Hush! Oh no. Hold your tongue!" whispered another of the boysexcitedly. "Let him find it out for himself. Don't let the cat out ofthe bag. "

"Bat out of the bag, you mean, " said Glyn, who knew of the disappearanceof the bat and began to see through what had been done. "Which of youdid this?"

There was no reply. 

"Do you hear?" cried Glyn, catching Burton by the collar of his jacket. 

"I shan't tell, " replied the little fellow. "Serve him right forloading the old bat with lead. --Chuck it down again, somebody. "

"Nay, " cried Wrench; "I am not going to have any more things drowned inmy well. Now then, stand aside, some of you! Clear out, and take thatbat away. "

"Here, " cried Burton. "Come on, boys! Bring it along. "

"Stop a moment, " said Glyn. "Here's a painted wooden label here. What's this on it?"

"B--e--a--s--t, " said Wrench, "only it's turned nearly black with beingin the water, and very badly done; but that's it, sure enough, sir--_beast_. "

"Yes, that's it--_beast_, " said another of the boys, snatching the batfrom Glyn's hand, while another boy got hold of the brick. 

"Come on, boys, " cried Burton. "Let's get a spade from the potting-shedand bury the beast before old Slegge knows. " And away they galloped, followed by a shout from the gardener:

"Here, I say, you mind you put that there spade away again!--They'renice uns, Mr Severn, sir, and knew about it all the time. "

"Yes, " said Wrench; "that young Burton was chuckling and laughing sothat he could hardly bear himself while he was waiting to see it comeup. --Now, then, twist t'other bucket over, mate, and give it a draground the bottom. What are we going to catch next?"

Glyn started once more, his heart beginning to beat fast withexpectation; but it gradually calmed down as the time went on, bucketafter bucket after a careful scraping along the bottom bringing upnothing but a very little mud, and he began to feel convinced that ifthere had been a morocco case down at the bottom of the well it musthave been felt in the careful dredging the live rock received, even ifit had not been brought up. 

"There, " said Wrench, "that'll do for to-day. It's only scraping fornothing to get a little mud like that. I dare say there'll be sixinches of water in the bottom by to-morrow morning, and we will give thewhole place a good scraping round in getting that out; then another thenext day, and it ought to do. "

"But do you feel sure there's nothing down there now?" said Glyn. 

"Certain, sir. What do you say to going down yourself to see? Youcould stand in the bucket, and we'd let you down. You wouldn't mindturning round as you went down?"

"No, " cried Glyn eagerly; "and there's no water there now. "

"Not much more than enough to fill a teacup, sir. What do you say?"

"I'll go, " cried Glyn excitedly. "I could take a lantern with me so asto make sure there was nothing left. "

"Well, yes, sir, it would be wise to take a candle, " saidWrench. --"Wouldn't it, gardener?"

"Nay, my lad; you ought to send the light down first. Then, if itdidn't go out, him as went down wouldn't go out. "

"What do you mean?" said Glyn. 

"Foul air, sir. Like enough there's some down at the bottom of thatwell. "

"Oh, there couldn't be any to hurt, " cried Glyn eagerly. "I'll go, Wrench. Get a candle. "

"Not I, sir, " said the man sturdily. "If any one was to go down thatwell it would be me; but there ain't no need for it. I could swearthere's nothing down there, and I shan't go. "

"Nobody wants you to go, " cried Glyn. "I'll go myself. "

"That you don't, sir, if I know it, " said Wrench sturdily. "Pst!Here's the Doctor. "

For at that moment the entrance was darkened and the Doctor came in, picking his way very carefully lest he should step into one of thepuddles of the muddy floor. 

"Well, my men, " he said in his slow, pompous way, "have you nearlyemptied the well?"

"Quite, sir, " said Wrench. 

"Was there any mud?"

"Yes, sir; we got out about two cart-loads, and scraped out all wecould. To-morrow, when there's a little more water come back, we'regoing to try again. "

"Yes, " said the Doctor; "clean it out thoroughly while you are about it;and mind and carefully secure the door when you come away. You hadbetter lock it, so that nobody can get in. --Well, Mr Severn, you mustbe tired of watching here. Come and walk down the garden with me. "

Glyn followed the Doctor, who made room for him to walk abreast tillthey were half-way down the main path, when the latter said quietly, "Well, Severn, what have you found?"

"Nothing, sir, " replied Severn, who did not consider it necessary toallude to the bat. 

"No, " said the Doctor; "I did not expect you would. Of course, you see, my boy, that it was only a dream. "

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE. 

BETWEEN BOYS. 

"Oh, I say, what a lovely morning!"

Glyn, who had lain awake half the night, woke up with a start, to seeSingh standing barefooted by the window, which he had just thrown wideopen to let in the joyous sunshine and the soft sweet air. "Yes, jolly, " he cried, inhaling a deep breath. "No! Most miserable morningI ever saw, " and he sank back sitting on the edge of his bed, to utter adeep groan. 

Singh sprang to his side in an instant. "Glyn, old chap, what's thematter? Are you ill?"

"Yes, horribly. In my head. Oh, I say! I couldn't sleep for ever solong last night for thinking about it. "

"Then why didn't you wake me, old fellow? I'd have dressed directly andgone and told the Doctor. "

"What about?"

"You being so ill. "

"Bah!" cried Glyn angrily. "It isn't salts and senna. What a fellowyou are! You don't mean to say that you'd forgotten that the dad'scoming down to-day?"

Singh plumped himself down on the carpet like a native of Dour, untroubled by clothes, with his knees nearly to his ears and his crossedhands before him resting on the floor, while his face lost itssympathetic expression and puckered up into one of misery and despair. 

"Yes, I had, " he said, with a groan; "all about it. Here, " he criedpassionately, "I won't be treated like a schoolboy! I am a prince and achief, and the belt was mine. It's gone, and I won't be bullied aboutit by any one. "

"Not even by your guardian, eh?"

"Not even by my guardian, " cried the boy haughtily. "If Colonel Severnsays anything to me about it I shall tell him I won't hear another word, and that he is to go to the best jeweller in London and order anotherexactly like the one that has been stolen. "

"Of course, " said Glyn solemnly. "It'll be as easy as kissing yourhand, and they'll know at once how to engrave the emeralds with the oldSanskrit inscription, and make the belt of the same kind of leather, sobeautifully soft, dull, and yellow; and there are plenty of people inLondon who can do that Indian embroidery. "

Singh nodded his head shortly. 

"Bah! You jolly old Tom Noodle!" continued Glyn; "why, even if theycould get as big emeralds and manage somehow to have the exact words ofthe inscription cut, would it be the same old belt and stones as camedown from the past, and that your father used to wear?"

Singh's eyes dilated and his lips parted. 

"No, " he said with a groan. "Oh, Glynny, what a beast you are! And youcall yourself my friend!"

"Never, " cried Glyn. "It was you said I was. "

"Yes, and instead of helping me in my trouble, and saying a few words tocomfort me, you call me names. "

"Yes, but I didn't call you a beast. Is it being a friend to hide thetruth from you and let you snuggle yourself up with a lot of sham?Answer me this: would a fresh belt be anything more than an imitation?"

"No, I suppose not, " groaned Singh. "I am a prince, and going to bevery rich some day, and rule over my people, with a little army of myown, and elephants, and everything any one could wish for; but I am nota bit clever, except at wicket-keeping. I haven't got half such a headas you have, Glyn, and such a head as I have got is now all muddled andfull of what you may call it. "

"Brains, " said Glyn cynically. 

"No, no; I don't mean that, " said Singh piteously. "Don't tease me, oldchap; I am so miserable. I mean, my head's full of that stuff, I don'tremember what you call it--I mean what you have when you are very sorryfor something you have done. "

"Misery?"

"No, no. Here, I remember--remorse. I know well enough now, though Idon't like owning it, that if I had done as you told me, and taken carealways to lock it up, that belt wouldn't be gone. "

"Well, it's too late to talk about that, " said Glyn, "and it's no use tocry over spilt milk. You have got to face it all out with the dad whenhe comes, and take your blowing-up like a man. "

"I can't. I shall do just as I said, and even if it isn't going to bethe same belt, " cried the boy passionately, "I shall give your fatherorders. Yes, I can see you sneering. Orders, orders, " he repeated, with increased emphasis, "to have a new one made. "

Glyn threw himself back on his bed, and gave his heels a kick in theair. "Ho, ho! ha, ha!" he roared with laughter. "What a game! Mindand do it when I am there. I should like to see you jump on a fence andcry `Cock-a-doodle-doo' at my father. Fancy you playing the haughtyprince to him! Why, he'd stare at you. You know his way. And he'dtake a grab of his moustache in each hand and pull it out straightbefore he began; and then he'd get up out of his chair, take hold of youby one of your ears, lead you back, and put you between his knees as heseated himself again. And then he'd talk, and at the first word hesaid, he'd blow all the haughty wind out of you, and you'd curl up likea--oh, I don't know what. It's nonsense to try and think of similes, for you'd never say what you pretend. "

"Well, then, I shall bolt, as you call it, " cried Singh. "I won't facehim. I can't face him. "

"Why?"

"Because I am too proud I suppose, and the Colonel isn't my master. "

"I say, Singhy, get off the stilts, old chap, and be a man over it. Youknow what the dad always used to say to both of us: `A fellow who hasdone wrong and owns up like a man is half-forgiven at once. '"

"Oh yes, I recollect. But do help me now, I am in such trouble. "

"You are in no worse trouble than I am. "

"Oh yes, I am. You are not to blame, for you did tell me to be careful;and though I didn't like it at the time, I can see now how right youwere. "

"Yes; but I wasn't half right enough. I ought to have made you tell theDoctor what you'd got in the box, and then he'd have insisted upon itsbeing kept in a safer place. "

"But I wouldn't have given it up, " cried Singh angrily. 

"Oh yes, you would, " continued Glyn; "and I feel now that I ought tohave gone straight to the Doctor and told about your going to seeProfessor Barclay. "

"No, you oughtn't, and you wouldn't have been such a sneak. Besides, itwould have been getting poor Mr Morris into trouble, too, for taking methere. Did you want him to lose his place?"

"Well, no, " said Glyn thoughtfully. 

"And as to my going to see Professor Barclay and lending him a littlemoney now and then--I mean, giving it--it was my own money, and what'sthe good of having money if you don't do good with it?"

"Well, " said Glyn thoughtfully, "there is something in that, " and theboy seemed yielding to his companion's attack. 

Singh realised this, and pressed it home. 

"I am sure it was doing more good with my allowance than you do withyours, always stuffing yourself with fruit and sweets and things. "

"That I am not!" cried Glyn indignantly. 

"Yes, you are. Why, you have got quite half of that big three-shillingcake in your box now. "

"Oh, but that was to eat of a night when we came to bed and felt as ifwe ought to have a little more supper. "

"Oh, bother!" cried Singh angrily. "What shall I do. Here, I know. Ishall go. "

"What, run away?"

"Yes, " cried Singh, "and stop away till my guardian writes to me andbegs of me to come back; and then I shall make terms, and not give waytill he promises that he won't say another word about the belt. "

Glyn chuckled to himself softly. "How are you going to make terms?" hesaid. 

"I shall write to him, " cried Singh importantly. 

"Without giving any address?" said Glyn, with a mirthful look dancing inhis eye. 

"What rubbish! Why, of course I shall put my address, so that he canwrite to me again--"

"And then he won't write to you, " said Glyn. "He'll come to you andfetch you back with a flea in your ear. "

"Oh, you are a brute!" cried Singh viciously. "And I feel as if Icould--No, I won't. I shall treat you with contempt. "

"That's right; do. I say, you are comforting me nicely, aren't you?Pig! disagreeable old jungle-pig! That's what you are. "

"Well, why don't you help me then? What am I to do?"

"Get dressed, I think, " said Glyn. "Don't be what old Brohanne calls a_bete_--big fool. Do as I do. Go and have it out with the dad, and getout of one's misery. He won't be very hard. "

"Oh, if it was only a good--good--good--What's that you say?"

"Bullying?"

"No, no. It was a bit of slang, and I like to use bits of English slangwhen I can; they'll be so useful to know by-and-by when I am scolding mypeople. Not bullying, but--"

"Oh, you mean tongue-thrashing?" said Glyn. 

"Yes, that's it, tongue-thrashing. I wouldn't mind then. I feel soashamed of myself. "

"All right. So do I, I suppose, for making a mess of it when I wantedthe dad to think that I had managed you so well that I was making myselffit to be your friend and companion when we both grew up to be men. "

The next minute the lads were busy making their preparations to descendfor a little study before the breakfast-bell should ring; and as hewashed and dressed, Glyn's brow looked wrinkled and cloudy, for he wasthinking very seriously all the while. 

On the other hand, Singh dressed himself as if he had a quarrel witheverything. He chipped the edge of the basin as he handled the ewer, dropped the lid of the soap-dish with a clatter, and as he washedhimself he burst out with an angry ejaculation, for the wet soap wasgripped so tightly and viciously that it flew out of his hand as if infear, and dived right under the bed to the farthest end, where it had tobe hunted out and retrieved, covered with the flue that had beenforgotten by one of the maids; while the way in which he finished offwith his towel was harsh enough to produce a smarting sensation upon hisskin. 

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR. 

A WITNESS CALLED. 

Neither of the boys enjoyed his breakfast that morning, and theirstudies afterwards fared very badly, for their attention was principallydirected from their books to the door, which opened again and again forsome reason or another, but not for the delivery of the message theyexpected. 

Knowing the military precision of the Colonel, both boys began to wonderat a quarter-past eleven why they had not been summoned, for the Colonelhad said in his curt epistle to Glyn--which "looked cross, " so the boysaid--that he would be at the Doctor's at eleven. 

Half-past was marked by the hands of the big dial, quarter to twelve, and then five minutes to mid-day, and in a few minutes the masters wouldrise; but there was no summons, and, what was more, the Doctor had notbeen in the class-room that morning. 

It was exactly one minute to twelve, and just as Singh's spirits wererising fast from the effect of having fully settled in his own mind thatthe Colonel would not come down that day, that his heart sank with arush, for Wrench entered with the familiar announcement that the Doctorwished to see Mr Severn and Mr Singh in his study. 

The boys followed the footman, and as soon as they were outside Glynbegan to question him. 

"Has my father come, Wrench?"

"Yes, sir, " said the man coldly, for since the beginning of the troubleand the sharp examinations that had taken place, the behaviour of theservants had been distant in the extreme, and such friendly intercourseas had existed between the pupils and masters had received a decidedcheck. In fact, as the days glided away, the Doctor's establishment hadbecome more and more haunted by the evil spirit, suspicion. 

"How long has my father been here?" asked Glyn. 

"About an hour, sir, " replied the man shortly. "I didn't look at theclock. This way, please, sir. I am busy. "

It was so different from the Wrench of the past that it sent a chillthrough the boys, as they followed on and began whispering so that theman should not hear. 

"Go on first, Glynny, " whispered Singh. 

"Get out! I haven't lost my belt, " was the reply. 

"But the Colonel's your father. "

"Well, I can't help that, can I? It's about your business. You go onfirst. "

"I shan't. I have got something wrong with my legs, " said Singh. "Theyfeel quite weak. "

"Come on together, " cried Glyn, and he thrust his arm through Singh's, as the door was opened and the boys uttered a sigh of relief in concert, for the Doctor was not present, and at first they had to see the Colonelalone. 

It was a strange sensation that ran through both, a mingling of dread, despair, and misery, as they gazed in imagination into the stern, threatening countenance of the fierce-looking old soldier, and wishedthemselves a thousand miles away. For Glyn felt more uncomfortable thanever before in his life, and as he darted a quick sideways glance at hiscompanion it was to see no haughty indignant prince ready to standdefiantly upon his rights, but a fellow-pupil appearing as mild andtroubled as could be. 

All this was little more than momentary, and the fierce threatening facethey had come to encounter was all fancy made; for the Colonel's looksas he held out his hand was very much the same as when they had dinedwith him the last time at his hotel, and his salute was just a heartyEnglish:

"Well, boys, how are you? But you two fellows have been making a prettymess of it over that belt!" And before either of them could reply, hecontinued, in his short, giving-order style, "Great nuisance and botherto me. I have had quite two months taken up with your affairs, Singh--Dour business, you know--and I shall be very glad when you are oldenough to take the reins in your hand and drive yourself. "

"But, guardian--" began Singh, who was breathing more freely, the warmpressure of the Colonel's hand having thrilled him through and through. 

"Oh yes, I know, my boy; I didn't mean that. I am not going to bepensioned off. I am going to be a sort of House of Lords to you twocommoners, and you will come and refer all big matters to me. Let'ssee, what was I saying? Oh, I've been busy two months over the Douraffairs. Got them pretty straight, and I was going up into Scotland fora month's rest. I meant to write from there if you had been doing yoursums a little better, Glyn, and if you, Singh, had improved a bit inyour spelling, for the way in which you break your shins over the bigwords in your letters is rather startling. "

"Oh, guardian, aren't you rather too hard?" said the boy appealingly. "But you weren't only going to write to the Doctor about that?"

"Humph! No. I had some idea about salmon-fishing when the season comeson. "

"Oh, fishing!" cried the boys in a breath. 

"Yes, " said the Colonel. "It won't be like getting up in the hillsamongst the mahseer. Bah! Here am I running away about fishing! Icaught a forty-pounder last time I tried, and a big fight too. But theDoctor wanted me to come out here about this wretched belt business, andI have had to leave my club and put off my journey to come down and seeabout this. --It's a bad business, Glyn. I am afraid you have not beenso sharp as you should have been. "

"I have tried my best, father. "

"I suppose so; but the best's bad. "

"Don't be hard on him, guardian, " said Singh, laying his handaffectionately on the Colonel's shoulder. "It was all my fault, and Iknow better now. "

"Know better? What do you mean by that, sir?"

"Well, sir, " said Singh hesitatingly, "I know it was weak and foolish ofme to want to have a showy thing like that to wear; but I was not soEnglish then as I am now. "

"Showy thing like that, eh?" said the Colonel. "Ahem! Well, I don'tknow that you need excuse yourself about that. It's rather natural. Asoldier likes showy regimentals. I was always proud of my uniform, boys. No, I am not going to fall foul of you about that, Singh, so longas you didn't make a goose of yourself with it. But when you had such ashowy thing, you ought to have had gumption enough to know how to takecare of it. Well, it will be a lesson to you to know how to behaveby-and-by when you come out among your own people as a prince. Youwon't go pitching your jewels about then as if you were asking people tocome and help themselves. "

"But it was like this, father--" began Glyn. 

"Halt!" cried the Colonel sharply. "Wait till the Doctor comes. He isgoing through it all quietly with you, and he has asked me to sit like ajudge till it has all been put before me, and then I am to give myverdict. He asks me to say whether the matter shall be placed in thehands of the police. Well, one of you had better ring, and--"

As he was speaking, there was a tap at the door, which was gentlyopened, and the Doctor said, "May I come in?"

"Yes, sir. Come in, come in. I have had my say to the boys, and toldthem what I think about their carelessness, and to a certain extent ouryoung friend here, Singh, agrees, I believe, that it was rather amistake for him to have that piece of vanity at school. "

"I am glad, Colonel, " said the Doctor, seating himself, "that they areready to confess a fault; but as one who seeks to hold the scales ofjustice evenly, I hope you will excuse me for saying that I think mypupils are not entirely to blame; for--I beg you will not be offended--Iventure to think it was rather indiscreet on your part to give way to myyoung friend Singh, however much he may have pressed you, and placed inhis hands so valuable an heirloom. "

"Humph! You think so, do you?" grunted the Colonel. "However, it isnot of so much consequence. He has got plenty more valuable jewels--enough to make himself look as gay as a peacock by-and-by. "

"Excuse me, Colonel Severn, " said the Doctor stiffly; "I think thematter is of very great consequence. Not only is it a serious loss--"

The Colonel grunted again. 

"But I feel as if the honour and reputation of my school are at stake, and it was for that reason that I wrote and asked you to come down toconsult with me as to what steps should be taken now towards therecovery of the belt. This, before placing the matter in the hands ofthe police. "

"Oh, hang the police!" said the Colonel shortly. "We can settle thislittle matter, I am sure, without calling in the help of policeman A orZ. "

"I am very glad to hear you say so, Colonel; for it would be mostrepugnant to me, and painful to my staff of assistants, and for mypupils, I may add. There are the servants too, and the publicity in thetown, where I am afraid the matter is too much talked about already. You think, then, that we may dispense with the police?"

"Certainly, " said the Colonel; "unless, " he added drily, "Singh herewants the business carried to the bitter end. "

"I, sir? Oh no!" cried Singh. "If I could do as I liked I wouldn'thave another word said about it. I hate the old belt. Can't even thinkof it without seeming to have a nasty taste in my mouth. "

"Oh, " said the Colonel; "but we can't stop like that. I think, forevery one's sake, the shoe should be put on the right foot. --What do yousay, Dr Bewley?"

"I quite agree with you, sir. We have talked the matter pretty wellover this morning, and I have told you what I have done. I was bound toquestion the servants, though all of them have been with me for years, and I have perfect confidence in their honesty. As to my pupils, Icould not examine and cross-examine every boy. It would have been likeexpressing a doubt of every little fellow's truth. It has been a mostpainful thing for me, sir; and if you can help me or advise me in thewearisome business, I should be most grateful. "

"Very well, sir. I suppose I have had a little experience acting thepart of magistrate in India, where petty thefts are very common; and Ihave attended trials in England, and have been vain enough to think tomyself that I could examine a witness or cross-examine more to the pointthan I have heard it done in some of our courts. "

"Then, " said the Doctor, "you were good enough to suggest two or threelittle things this morning. What should you do first?"

"Well, " said the Colonel thoughtfully, "I think, first of all, it is dueto those gentlemen who act as your ushers that they should be asked tojoin in our consultation. "

"Certainly. Quite right, " said the Doctor, and, ringing the bell, hesent a message by Wrench to the class-room, and if the masters were notthere, bade the man find them in the grounds. 

There was a pause in the proceedings here, during which the Doctor andhis visitor chatted about political matters, and the boys sat whisperingtogether about the last match. 

But they had not long to wait. Morris came bustling in to bow to theColonel and take the seat to which the Doctor pointed, while Rampson andMonsieur Brohanne came in together from a walk round the grounds. 

Then, after a very few preliminaries, forming a sort of introduction tothe masters of the boys' father and guardian, the Colonel spoke aboutthe great unpleasantness of the matter and the Doctor's desire to havewhat seemed like a cloud hanging over his establishment swept away. 

He addressed a few words then to Rampson, who had nothing more to sayafter declaring his perfect certainty that not one of the boys he hadthe honour of instructing would have been guilty of such a crime. 

Monsieur Brohanne, too, declared himself as lost in astonishment at thetrouble which had come upon them like a sudden tempest. No, by hisfaith, he said, he could not think how such an outrage could have takenplace. 

Morris was disposed to be more voluble, and the Colonel more ready toexamine him, while the master was prompt and eager in his replies, sighing as if with relief as the Colonel at length stopped short and satpatting the carpet with his right toe. "Well, sir, " said the Doctor atlast, "seeing that, as I told you, I carefully examined the servants, Ihad plunged as far as this in the mystery before. "

"Humph!" grunted the Colonel, with his eyes closed, and Glyn and Singhexchanged glances. 

"The servants, " said the Colonel softly; "the servants. Doctor, Ishould like you to ring for that man of yours. "

Morris glanced at the Doctor, who bowed his head, and the usher steppedto the bell. 

"Oh, father!" cried Glyn excitedly, "pray don't suspect Wrench!"

"Hold your tongue, sir, " said the Colonel sternly. "Wait and hear whatis said, and don't jump at conclusions. "

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE. 

UNDER EXAMINATION. 

Then there was a tap and Wrench appeared. "Come in, my man, " said theColonel, "and close the door. "

Wrench started, turned pale and then red, as he looked sharply at hismaster, who sat perfectly still and avoided his gaze. 

"Come a step nearer, my man, " said the Colonel. Wrench gazed at himdefiantly, shook himself, jerked up his head, looked hard at the twoboys, who were watching him, tightening his lips the while, and then, after taking two steps instead of one, stood facing the Colonel, as muchas to say: "Now, ask me as many questions as you like. "

"Your master has deputed me, my man, to carry on this investigation, andI should be obliged by your replying in a straightforward, manly way. You are not before a magistrate, and hence are not sworn. Doctor Bewleygives you an admirable character for honesty and straightforwardconduct, and if I ask you questions that sound unpleasant in your ears, don't run away with the idea that it is because you are suspected. "

Wrench's manner changed a little, for the references to his uprightnessand rectitude sounded pleasant in his ears. 

"I give you credit, " continued the Colonel, "for being as desirous asthese gentlemen here and I am to find out the culprit. "

"Yes, sir; certainly, sir, and Mr Singh and Mr Severn, sir, will tellyou that I have been as much cut up about it as if the blessed--I begyour pardon, gentlemen--as if the belt had been my own. "

"Exactly, " said the Colonel. "Now then, it seems that the time when thebelt was lost cannot be exactly pointed out, since it may have beentaken at one of the times when Mr Singh's travelling-case was leftunlocked. "

"Oh, sir, but nobody ever goes up into his room except the maids andMrs Hamton and me; and, bless your heart, sir, the Doctor will tell youthat he wouldn't doubt any of us to save his life. "

"Hah!" said the Colonel. "A good character, my man, is a fine thing. Now, what about strangers--people from the town--peddlers, or hawkers, or people with books to be subscribed for? You have such people come, Isuppose, to the house?"

"Lots of them, sir; but they never come any farther than the door, "cried Wrench, laughing. "You see, sir, Mr Singh's dormitory is on thefirst floor of the new building, over the little lecture-hall. Nobodyever went there. "

"Could any strangers come up through the grounds and get into thepassage or corridor after dusk?"

"No, sir; not without coming through the house. I have laid awake lotsof times, sir, trying to put that and that together; but it's all beenlike a maze, sir--a sort of maze, sir, made like with no way in and noway out. "

"Humph!" said the Colonel, looking at the man searchingly. "I haveheard of cases where people have come to a house and asked the servantsif somebody was at home when the speaker knew that he was out, and thenmade an excuse to be shown into a room to write a letter to thegentleman, say the Doctor, whom he wanted to see; Did such a thinghappen in your recollection? No, no; don't hurry. Tax your memory. --Ah!--What is it?"

"I've got it, sir!" cried Wrench excitedly. 

"Oh!" said the Colonel quietly. "Well, what did happen?"

"To be sure, somebody did come just as you said, sir, as you asked methat question, once. But it hasn't got anything to do with the stealingof that belt. "

"Perhaps not, " said the Colonel; "but let us hear. You say somebody didonce come and ask for the Doctor when he was out?"

"Begging your pardon, sir, no, sir. It wasn't to see the Doctor, sir. It was on the day when everybody was out, gone to the Strongleycricket-match, and there was nobody at home but the maids and me, forMrs Hamton our housekeeper, sir, had leave from the Doctor to go andsee a friend who was ill. "

"Well, " said the Colonel sharply, "what is it, Glyn?" For the boy hadjumped up excitedly. 

"That was the day, father, when Singh left the keys in the lock of hisbox. "

"Exactly, " said the Colonel. "Sit down, my boy. --Well, my man, whom didthis stranger ask to see?"

"Please, sir, it wasn't a stranger; it was a gentleman the Doctor knew, and who came here to dinner once, and he asked for Mr Morris. "

"Oh!" cried Morris, springing up. "Impossible!"

"Mr Morris, I must ask you to be silent, " said the Colonel sternly. 

"But--"

"I will hear anything you have to say, sir, when I have finished withthis witness, " said the Colonel firmly. --"Go on, my man. Who was thisgentleman?"

"Pro--Professor Barlow, sir. No, sir; Professor Barclay, sir. And hesaid he was very much disappointed, as he had come down expressly fromLondon to see Mr Morris. He said he couldn't stop, but he would writea letter if I would give him pens, ink, and paper. "

"Go on, " said the Colonel, as the hearers bent forward with eagerinterest. "Did you supply him with pens, ink, and paper?"

"Yes, sir. You see, he wasn't a stranger, but a friend of master's. "

"And you took him to my study?" said the Doctor almost fiercely. 

"I beg your pardon, Doctor, " said the Colonel stiffly. 

"I beg yours, Colonel Severn, for the interruption. "

"Now then, my man, " continued the Colonel; "you took this visitor, thisProfessor Barclay--"

There was a low, indignant murmur here, and the Colonel looked roundsharply. 

"You took this Professor Barclay into your master's study, I understand, and gave him pens, ink, and paper, and left him to write the letter?"

"No, sir, that I didn't, " said Wrench, grinning with triumph. "I havebeen a servant too many years, sir, to go and do a thing like that. What, take him into master's room, where he keeps his cash-box andcheque-book in the little iron safe in the closet! And there's thepresentation clock on the chimney-piece, and his old gold watch that henever wears in the table-drawer! No, sir. That gentleman was master'sfriend to some extent; but he was a stranger to me, and if he'd been aroyal duke I shouldn't have done it. "

"Then, what did you do?" said the Colonel. 

"Took him into the theaytre lecture-room, sir, where there's littletables, and the young gentlemen writes out their exercises. That's whatI did, sir, " said Wrench triumphantly; and he looked hard at his master, who sat shaking his head at him solemnly. --"What! Wasn't that right, sir?" cried Wrench. 

"Oh Wrench, Wrench, Wrench!" said the Doctor. "And you left him there, with the staircase close at hand leading right up to the corridor andthe young gentlemen's dormitories?"

Wrench's jaw dropped, and one hand went slowly up to the back of hishead and began to scratch. 

"Well, " continued the Colonel; "and how long did this gentleman stay?"

"I don't know, sir. Not half an hour--I'd swear to that. I gave himlong enough to write a letter, and then I come back to see if he wasready to go. "

"Let me protest, " cried Morris indignantly. "No such letter was writtenfor or delivered to me; that I declare. "

"Pray be calm, sir, " said the Colonel judicially. "You can ask this manany questions when I have done with him. --Now, my man, go on. Did youfind this gentleman where you left him?"

"Yes, sir. "

"And he gave you a letter to deliver to Mr Morris?"

"No, sir, " cried Wrench sharply. "I'd forgotten all about it till youbegan arxing me questions like this. When I come in he got up in adisappointed sort of way and began tearing up the letter he had writtenquite small, and throwing it into the waste-paper basket. `It's no use, my lad, ' he said. `I can't say in a letter one-hundredth part'--I ain'tsure, sir, he didn't say a thousandth-part--`of what I want to tell MrMorris. I'll stay in the town to-night, and come and see Mr Morris inthe morning. '"

"And did he come and see Mr Morris in the morning?"

Morris half-rose in his chair, but sat down again. 

"No, sir; and I haven't seen him from that day to this, though I hadoften seen them together before. "

"That will do, my man, " said the Colonel quietly. --"Now, Mr Morris; youwish to ask this man some questions?"

"Yes, sir, " cried Morris springing up. --"Now, Wrench, did you ever tellme that Professor Barclay called when I was absent?"

"No, sir. I suppose it was the cricket-match put it all out of myhead. "

"Bah!" cried Morris. 

"And then, you see, sir, I have so many things to think of about my workand the young gentlemen that I haven't got room to remember everything;and I always have to tick things off. "

"Tick things off? What do you mean by that?" cried Morris. 

"Well, sir, there's things to do and there's things that's done; thingsI have got to remember, and things I haven't. The Professor said thathe'd come and see you, so that was his job and not mine; and if you'llbelieve me, gentlemen all, I never remembered about his coming untilColonel Severn here asked me about any one coming and wanting to write aletter. "

"I believe you, " said the Colonel quietly, as if speaking to himself;but it was sufficiently loud for Morris to hear, and he turned upon thespeaker fiercely. 

"I protest, sir, " he cried indignantly, "partly against my name beingdragged into this despicable theft, and partly on behalf of my friendProfessor Barclay, a scholar, a gentleman, and a professor of Sanskritand other Eastern languages; a gentleman, sir, though a poor and needygentleman upon whom the world had frowned, but whom I considered it anhonour and a privilege to know, as I should any gentleman whom I wasintroduced to by my revered principal the Doctor. I cannot sit stilland hear such a man even suspected of being dishonest; and I beg you, sir, and the Doctor will go on with this investigation so as to prove tothe world that Professor Barclay was a gentleman indeed. "

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX. 

THE COLONEL OPENS FOLK'S EYES. 

Morris sat down, panting, and began wiping the perspiration from hisforehead. He looked very much agitated, and then he smiled withsatisfaction, for Singh sprang up and cried, "Mr Morris is quite right, guardian. The Professor was a scholar and a gentleman, whom I knewtoo. "

"Indeed!" said the Colonel. 

"Yes, sir. He spoke Hindustani very well for an Englishman. Why, yousaw him, sir!"

"I?" said the Colonel sharply. "Yes, sir; that night we were diningwith you at your hotel. "

"The Colonel forgets, " said Morris quickly. "He was with me in thehall, sir, and wanted to be introduced to you. "

"Oh, " said the Colonel; "that man? No, I don't forget. I rememberperfectly well. "

"And, guardian, he took such an interest in my belt!"

"Indeed!" said the Colonel quietly. 

"Yes, sir, when I showed it to him. He asked to see it, you know, whenI told him about the Sanskrit letters. "

"Naturally, as a Sanskrit scholar, " said the Colonel drily. "Sit down, my boy. --Doctor, I am very glad you sent for me, and that I am able toclear up this miserable little mystery. You knew this ProfessorBarclay?"

"Only as coming to me with testimonials to prove that he had been one ofthe professors at Stillham College. "

"Yes; and his name?"

"Barclay--Professor Barclay, Professor of Sanskrit and Hindustani. Heapplied for an engagement here. "

"Humph! All wrong, " said the Colonel. "I thought I knew his face whenhe tried to thrust himself upon me in the hotel; and I was right. I didknow it, though thirty years had elapsed since we last met. A man whohad been out in Calcutta and picked up a little Sanskrit and a prettygood smattering of Hindustani--a man who can chatter a bit in a foreigntongue always seems a big scholar to one who can't. This fellow, on thestrength of his acquirements, came back to England and obtained anappointment near London where military cadets were in training for theHonourable East India Company's Service. I was there--not Stillham, butBarniscombe; name not Barclay, but Roberts. He was kicked out, Doctor, for blackmailing the students. He was not much more than a boy himselfin those days. "

"Colonel, " cried the Doctor indignantly, "are you prepared to say youare sure, and that this is a fact?"

"Yes, " said the Colonel coolly. "He blackmailed me. "

"Oh, impossible!" cried Morris wildly. 

"No, sir, " said the Colonel, smiling. "Quite possible. But you don'toffend me, sir. I admire the way in which you defend the man whom youseem to have made your friend. --Well, Doctor, there's your man. --Why, boys, you seem to have been babies in his hands. Glyn, I'm ashamed ofyou. "

Glyn looked at the Doctor, and then at Morris, as he felt that hisfather was not treating him fairly; but he held his tongue, and then hiseyes flashed with satisfaction as Singh gave him a quick look and thenspoke out. 

"Glyn had nothing to do with it, sir, " he said. "He protested againstit, and regularly bullied me for showing this man the belt and lendinghim money. "

"Ha, ha!" said the Colonel. "Then he fleeced you a little, did he, myboy?"

"Well, yes, sir. I lent or gave him some money, because I thought thathe was a poor gentleman. How was I to know that he was not honest, when--when--"

He was about to say "when my teachers were deceived, " but the Colonelchecked him. 

"There, there, there, " he said; "that'll do, Singh. You are not thefirst fellow of your age who has been imposed upon by a needyscoundrel. "

"No, " said the Doctor sharply. "If any one is to blame it is I, whopitied the position of a man out of employment and tried to befriendhim. Well, Colonel Severn, I am very sorry; but it is forced upon me. I feel it a duty to you to try and make some recompense. "

"Oh, nonsense!" said the Colonel rather haughtily. "I need norecompense. "

"Indeed, sir, " said the Doctor, "but I am answerable to Mr Singh herefor his loss through my want of care and foresight. "

"Oh, pooh, sir! pooh! The belt was not worth much; eh, Singh?"

"Oh no, " said the boy contemptuously, and raising his head he walked upto the Doctor and held out his hand. "Don't say any more about it, sir, please, " he added rather proudly. "I don't mind losing the belt a bit. "

"Oh, but, " cried the Doctor, catching at and pressing the boy's handwarmly, "this is very brave and noble of you, my boy. Still I must putaside all false shame and accept the punishment that may fall upon mefrom the want of confidence that people may feel in the future. --ColonelSevern, this must go into the hands of the police. Such a man as thismust be run down; it is a duty, and before he imposes upon others as hehas imposed upon me. "

"No, no, no, my dear sir! No, no, " cried the Colonel. "The swindlingscoundrel has had his punishment before this, so let him go. "

"I beg your pardon, " said the Doctor; "he cannot have had hispunishment; and such a man as this should not be allowed to be atlarge. "

"There, there, sir, " cried the Colonel, laughing pleasantly, and greatlyto the annoyance of the Doctor that he should treat the loss of hisward's valuable belt in so light a way. "I find that I must make aconfession. That belt really was not intrinsically worth more than aten-pound note. It cost me about twenty; but I very much doubt whetherthe scoundrel would be able to sell it for a tithe of the amount. "

"Guardian, " cried Singh, "what are you saying?"

"Something in very plain English, my boy. Let's see, how old are younow?"

"Sixteen, sir. "

"Well, it's about two years since you began to attack me about lettingyou have that part of the Dour regalia, and I wanted to satisfy you anddo my duty in the trust my good old friend your father placed in me. "

"I don't understand, sir, " cried the boy, flushing. 

"You soon will, my lad. I, in my desire to do my duty by you, felt thatit would not be right to let a mere schoolboy like you come away to makeyour home at some place of education with so costly, and, from itsassociations, unique a jewel as the one in question. "

"You used to say so to me, sir, " said the boy quickly. 

"Yes. But in your young hot-blooded Indian nature you were notpacified, and I felt bound to do something that I thought then would beright. "

Singh looked at him and then at Glyn, while the rest of those assembledlistened eagerly for the Colonel's next words. 

"Do you remember, boys, our long stay in Colombo?"

"Yes!" they cried in a breath. 

"Well, they are famous people for working in jewellery there, and Ieasily found a man ready to undertake the task of making a facsimile ofthe belt. "

"Facsimile!" cried Singh, starting away from the speaker. 

"Yes, my boy; and he did it beautifully--so well that I was almoststartled by its exactitude and the way in which a few pieces of greenglass resembled emeralds. "

"But the Sanskrit inscription?" cried the Doctor. 

"Exactly copied, " said the Colonel; "cut in the glass. I tell you itwas so well done that I was almost startled. "

"Then--then--then, " cried Singh wildly, "I have been deceived!" and hisvoice seemed to cut down that of Glyn, who was about to burst out in atriumphant "Hooray!"

"Well, yes, my boy, " said the Colonel quietly. "I told you I mustconfess. I did deceive you in that, but with the best intentions. "

A look of agony crossed the boy's face, and he turned from father to sonand then back. 

"Treated as a child!" he cried. "Deceived again! Oh, in whom am I totrust?"

"In me, I hope, boy, " almost thundered the Colonel in the deepest tones. "I had the trust imposed on me by your dead father to care for you andyour wealth until you came of age. Should I have been acting my parthad I given up to you and let you treat as a toy that valuable jewelthat was almost sacred in his eyes?"

"But to--but to--Then where--where is it now?"

"Lying safely with others, sir, in the bankers' vaults. "

"Oh-h-h-oh!" cried Singh, and his whole manner changed as he stood for afew moments striving for utterance yet unable to speak. But at last thewords came, hoarsely and with a violent effort, as in the reaction fromhis fit of indignation he almost murmured, "What have I done? What haveI said?"

"Nothing, my boy, " said the Colonel, holding out his hands, "but whathad my son been in your place I would have gladly seen him do and heardhim say. "

One moment Singh's face, quivering with emotion, was hidden in theColonel's breast; the next, he rushed from the room, closely followed byGlyn. 

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN. 

THE SORE PLACE IN THE FENCE. 

Time had gone on after his good old fashion, moving silently andinsidiously, seeming to crawl to those who were waiting for something, till it suddenly dawns upon them that he has been making tremendousstrides with those long legs of his which puzzled the little girl whoasked her mother whether it was true that Time had those means ofprogression. Many will remember that the mother asked the child why shesupposed that Time had legs, "Because, " she replied, "people speak aboutthe lapse of Time, and if he has laps he must have legs to make themof. "

The troubles connected with the disappearance of the belt, and theunpleasant weeks during which masters, scholars, and servants seemed tohave been mentally poisoned by suspicion and were all disposed to lookaskant at each other, had passed away, and, in his busy avocations andjoining in the school sports, Singh was disposed to look upon the theftof his pseudo-heirloom as something which had never happened. 

"Even if it had been real, Glyn, " he said one night as they lay talkingacross the room in the dark, and the boy had grown into a much morephilosophical state of mind, "what would it have mattered?"

"Not a jolly bit, " said Glyn drowsily. 

"I suppose it's being here in England, " continued Singh, "where youpeople don't think so much about dressing up, and getting to be moreEnglish myself, that I don't seem to care about ornaments as I used. Sometimes I think it was very stupid of me to want to bring such a thingto school with me in my travelling-trunk. "

"Awfully, " grumbled Glyn. 

"What!" cried Singh sharply. 

Glyn started. "Eh! What say?" he cried, and a yawn followed. 

"You said `awfully. '"

"Did I?" said Glyn, more sleepily than ever. 

"Why, you know you did, " cried Singh petulantly. 

"What did I say that for?"

"Ugh!" grunted Singh. "There, go to sleep. What's the good of talkingto you?"

"Not a bit, " replied Glyn; "it only sounds like _buzz, buzz_. "

"I haven't patience with you, " cried Singh; "when I was trying to talkquietly and sensibly about losing my belt. "

"Bother your old belt!" cried Glyn. "Who wants to talk quietly andsensibly now? I came to bed to sleep, and every time I'm dozing offnicely and comfortably you begin _burr, burr, burr_, and I can'tunderstand you a bit. "

"I wish we were in India, " said Singh angrily. 

"I wish you were, " growled Glyn. 

"I should like to set a punkah-wallah to pick up a chatty of water anddouse it all over you. "

"He'd feel very uncomfortable afterwards, " said Glyn, "if I got hold ofhim. Oh, bother! bother! bother!" he cried, sitting up in bed. "Nowthen, preach away. What do you want to say about your ugly old belt?"

"Go to sleep, " cried Singh, and there was a dull sound of Glyn's headgoing bang down into the pillow, in which his right ear was deeplyburied while his left was carefully corked with a finger, and a minuteor two later nothing was heard in the dormitory but the steady restfulbreathing of two strong healthy lads. 

"What shall we do to-day; go out somewhere for a good walk?" asked Glynthe next morning. 

"No; I want to have a quiet talk. Let's go down to the jungle, as youcall it, " said Singh. 

"Thy slave obeys, " cried Glyn. "But, jungle! poor old jungle! Whatwouldn't I give for a ride on a good elephant again--a well-trainedfellow, who would snap off boughs and turn one into a _chowri_ to whiskoff the flies. "

"Wouldn't old Ramball's Rajah do for you?"

"To be sure. I wonder what has become of the old boy. Roaming roundthe country somewhere, I suppose. What a rum old chap he was, with hishat in one hand, yellow silk handkerchief in the other, and his shinybald head. Yes, I wonder where he is. "

"Ramballing, " cried Singh, with a peculiar smile on his countenance; andthen he started in wonder, for Glyn made a dash at him, caught him bythe wrist, and made believe to feel his pulse in the most solemn manner. 

"What are you doing that for?" cried Singh. 

"Wait a moment, " replied Glyn. --"No. Beating quite steadily. Skinfeels cool and moist. "

"Why, of course, " said Singh. "What do you mean?"

"I thought you must be ill to burst out with a bad joke like that. "

"Oh, stuff!" cried Singh impatiently. "It's just as good as yours. Yes, " he continued thoughtfully, "it is very nice here; but I shouldlike another ride through the old jungle; and this old row ofelm-trees--pah! how different. "

The two lads remained very thoughtful as they walked slowly across thecricket-field, mentally seeing the wild forest of the East with itsstrange palms that run from tree to tree, rising up or growing down, here forming festoons, there tangling and matting the lower growthtogether, and always beautiful whenever seen. 

Strange musings for a couple of schoolboys, who never once connectedthese objects of their thoughts with the stringent master's cane--therattan or properly _rotan_-cane or climbing-palm. 

They stopped at last in their favourite place beneath the elms, andstood with their hands in their pockets and their shoulders against thepark-palings--the patch that looked newish, but which was graduallygrowing grey under the influence of the weather that was oxidising thenew nails and sending a ruddy stain through the wood. 

Neither spoke, but stood gazing up through the elm boughs, theirthoughts far away in Northern India, dwelling upon active monkeys, peacocks and other gorgeously plumaged birds, tigers haunting nullahsand crouching among the reeds. All at once there was a strange pantingsound, and a scratching behind them on the park-palings which made thetwo lads start away and turn to gaze at their late support, for thesound suggested, if not a tiger some other savage beast trying to climbthe division between the Doctor's premises and the adjoining estate. 

The next moment eight fat fingers appeared grasping the palings, therewas the scratching of a boot on one of the supporting posts, and around, red, fat face rose above the top of the fence like a smallrepresentation of the sun gradually topping a bank of mist upon a foggymorning. 

Glyn Severn's Schooldays--by George Manville Fenn

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT. 

HIS GREAT ATTRACTION. 

"Mr Ramball!" cried the boys in a breath. "Aha! Good-morning! Onlyto think of me looking over here to see if I could catch sight of youtwo young gents, and hitting upon just the right spot, and--Oh my!"

There was a rushing sound as the wild-beast proprietor suddenlydisappeared--so suddenly that, moved as by one impulse, the two ladsmade a dash at the palings, sprang up, and held on to look over, and seeRamball seated on the ground in the act of taking off his hat andextricating his yellow silk handkerchief to dab his bald and dewy head. 

"Hurt?" cried Glyn anxiously. "Well, I--I don't quite know yet, " saidtheir unexpected visitor. "I haven't sat down as quick as that for aprecious long time. Well, no, I don't think I am; it wasn't pleasant, though. But my toe might have given me notice that it was coming offthat ledge. Well, how are you? If you'd come over here I'd offer toshake hands, but I would rather sit still for a few minutes to get mybreath again. It seemed to be all knocked out of me at once. "

The two lads glanced across the fields towards the orchard where theelephant had eaten his fill of apples, and, seeing nobody near, theyboth broke bounds by swinging their legs over the palings and droppingon the other side by the fat little man. 

Glyn offered his hand to help him up, and Ramball took it and shook it. 

"By-and-by, " he said. "I am all right here. --And how are you, my hero?"he continued, extending his hand to Singh. 

"Quite well, " said Singh good-humouredly, looking at the showman but inimagination seeing the great elephant instead. 

"That's right, " cried Ramball. "You look it--hearty, both of you!"

"Where's the elephant?" said Singh. 

"Oh, he's all right, sir. Fine. "

"Is he coming into the town?" cried Glyn. 

"What, here, sir? Bless you, no! He's in Birmingham, where we aredoing a splendid business; crowded houses--tents, I mean--twice a day. "

"And what are you doing here?" cried Singh. 

"Oh, killing two birds with one stone, " said the man, laughing. 

"Where are they?" asked Glyn, laughing in turn. 

"Get out! Poking fun at me! It was like this 'ere. The gentyonder, "--and the man gave his head a jerk backwards--"wrote to me andsaid that he'd had to pay a pound for a bit of damage to the fence abouthis orchard, and that he thought, as my elephant had done the mischief, and I had only paid him for the apples he ate, the money ought to comeout of my pocket. Well, young gentlemen, I always pay up directly forany damage done by my beasts if the claim's made honest. This gent, your neighbour, sent in a very honest demand, and I set that down as oneof the birds I wanted to kill. T'other was that I wanted to see my farmand how some of the young stock was getting on. So I nips into thetrain yesterday, travelled all night, and been to see the gentleman, paid up, and he was very civil--give me a bit of breakfast, and when Isaid I should like to look round the place again where my elephant wentin for his apples he said I was quite welcome to look about as much as Iliked. Well, we have been lately in the iron country and among thepotteries; and bless you, it's quite a treat to be away from the smokeand to see things all a-growing and a-blowing. Then I catches sight ofthis bit of new fence, and that set me thinking of your school and youtwo young gents; and for the moment I thought that I would go back, saygood-morning to the gentleman, and come round to the school and ask tosee you two. But then I said to myself, `Well, they are not their ownmasters yet, and the Doctor mightn't be pleased to have a common sort offellow like me coming the visitor where I had no business, ' and I saysto myself, `It might make it unpleasant for those two young fellows, andso I won't go. ' Then I thought I should like to catch sight of you bothagain, for I took quite a fancy to you young gents. And here I am. "

"Well, " said Glyn, laughing, "we are glad to see you; eh, Singh?"

"Yes, of course. But hadn't you better get up, Mr Ramball? It seemsso queer for us to be standing talking to you and you sitting there, "said Singh. 

"Oh, I'm all right, bless you, my lad. It makes me think about myRajah. "

"And me too. He's a grand beast. "

"Isn't he, my lad? And the way he's been putting flesh on is wonderful. I won't say he weighs a ton more than when you saw him last, but he's aheap heavier than he was. "

"But, " cried Glyn mischievously, "his trunk's fine enough, only he's gotsuch a miserable little tail. "

"You leave his tail alone, " said Ramball, wagging his head. "What he'sgot is his nature to. "

"But I say, Mr Ramball, " cried Singh merrily, "don't you want me tocome and ride him in your show?"

"Well, no, sir; you chucked your opportunity away. I have got a newkeeper now as fits exactly. "

"What a pity!" said Glyn merrily. 

"Well, that's what I thought, sir, " said Ramball quite seriously, "whenthe young gent threw away his chance. You know we are common sort ofpeople; but the money we earn sometimes ain't to be sneezed at. Why, ofcourse I ought to tell you. Who do you think I have got?"

"Oh, how should we know?" cried Glyn. 

"Friend of yours, gentlemen, that come to my show when it was here andwanted me to take him on. "

"Friend of ours?" said Glyn. 

"Yes; just after squire here had ridden Rajah. Said he was hard-up andcouldn't get anything to do, but that he could talk Ingyrubber tongue aswell as squire here. But I wouldn't have anything to do with him then, for I didn't believe in him. "

"Professor Barclay!" cried Glyn excitedly. 

"That's the man, sir. Well, he come to me, followed me up like, and Iengaged him. "

"But he's gone to India!" cried Singh excitedly. 

"Gone to India, sir? Well, he's only got as far as the elephant, andthat's in Brummagem town as sure as I am sitting here. "

"Do you hear this, Glyn?" cried Singh excitedly. 

"Oh yes, I hear, " was the reply, and the two lads exchanged glances, while Ramball sat shaking and nodding his head like a mandarin image. 

"It's no use, gentlemen. You threw that chance away. He come after meand followed me up all through the Midlands. Half-starved he was, porechap. I never see such a gentlemanly sort of chap so hard pushed as hewas; and at last out of charity like I took him on. And very glad I am, for he's turned out capital. He talks that Indian gibberish to the oldRajah, and the big beast follows him about like a lamb. Never have abit of trouble with him now, only when he tries to shove one of thecaravans over with that big head of his, just in play; and then BahKlay--that's his show-name, and a very good one too--comes and says`Hookah-bah-dah' and `Shallahballah, ' and the Rajah follows him as quietas can be. "

"Oh, " said Singh. 

"Ah, I wish you could see him, sir, " continued Ramball, dabbing his headpleasantly with his yellow handkerchief. "Bah Klay is quite an additionto my show, and the people come in hundreds to see him and the Rajahalone. It was him himself as came to me one day and proposed it. "

"What, the Rajah?" cried Glyn. 

"The Rajah! Tchah! What are you talking about? No; Bah Klay. He saidit wouldn't cost much, and that if I'd pay for the white cotton bed-gownsort of thing for him to wear and some scarlet muslin to roll up to makea muzzle to wear upon his head--"

"Muzzle! Over his mouth, you mean, " cried Glyn. 

"Who said anything about muzzle?" cried Ramball tetchily. "I saidpuggamaree--and that if I'd buy them, he'd dress up, and that he'd got aproperty to finish it all up fine. Well, I'd never seen any propertythat he'd got except a few things in a very shabby old carpet-bag that Iwouldn't have picked up off the street. Still, I couldn't help thinkingthat him in a white bed-gown and a red turban on his head, cocked upthere on the elephant's neck, wouldn't make a bad picture; so I said Iwould, and the very next week when we had paraded for a procession to gothrough one of the pottery towns and draw the people in, Mr Bah Klaycame out in what he called his property. Ah, and he done it well! He'dwashed his face in walnut juice, and his hands too. There he was in hiswhite bed-gown and scarlet puggaree turban thing, and round his waisthe'd got on a yellow leathern belt all dekkyrated with gold and buckledon with three great green glass ornaments that twinkled in the sun likehooray. "

Singh started, his lips dropped apart, and he made a snatch at Glyn'swrist just as his companion clutched him by the arm, and the lads stoodgazing into each other's eyes. 

"Yes, gents, I tell you he looked fine, and it would have done yourhearts good to see him. That there idea of his put steady vittles intohis mouth and a few shillings a week into his pockets; but it alwayspuzzled me why, him being so hard-up, he hadn't tried to sell that therebelt. I said so to him one day, but he only gave a curious kind of grinand said he should have done so, but nobody would buy it, for it wasn'treal. Well, of course I never supposed it was, being a theaytrical kindof property. Still, I don't suppose it was made for less than afive-pun note. Well, gentlemen, " cried Ramball, rising slowly andgiving his head a final dab, "I must be off. I go back to Brummagemagain this afternoon, and all the better for seeing you two gents; so ifyou will shake hands, your sarvint to command, Titus Ramball, of theImperial Wide World Menagerie. "

The two lads shook hands heartily, but they were too full of thought tosay much; and as the visitor went in one direction, they slipped overthe palings and sat down with their backs against the fence to have agood long talk, for Fate seemed to have provided them with a subjectupon which they could discourse; and it was this:

There was the criminal, almost within touch, for they had only to givenotice to the police and the Professor would be lodged in jail fortheft. 

"And what then?" said Singh slowly. "I wouldn't have that belt again ifit were brought to me. And what was it your father said about theProfessor being punished?"

"Oh! about the punishment coming when he found that he had made himselfa thief to get something that was not worth the pains. "

"Yes, " said Singh, "but not in those words. Then we don't want topunish the miserable cheat any more. "

"And do harm to droll old Ramball, " said Glyn. "My word, though, Ishould almost like to go to Birmingham and suddenly come upon theProfessor riding upon old Rajah's neck!"

"Pah!" exclaimed Singh, with his lip curling and a look of disgust inhis eyes, "I shouldn't like to see the miserable creature for the poorelephant's sake. Here, let's go and tell Mr Morris. "

"No, no!" cried Glyn excitedly. "All that trouble is being forgotten, and it would hurt his feelings if it were brought up again. "

"Think so?" said Singh. 

"Yes. Promise me you'll never say a word to any one here. "

"Well, " said Singh thoughtfully, "I won't. "

Salaam To All!

THE END.