United States or Guadeloupe ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
In a very short time the whole school knew exactly what had taken place in the doctor's study, and every boy was incensed at the underhanded meanness of this attempted attack on Oaks and Allingford. It was a good thing for Thurston and Fletcher that they had their studies, and Noaks the housekeeper's room, in which to find shelter, or they would have been compelled to run the gauntlet.
Go and change your clothes." The two prefects hurried down the passage. "Wait a minute," said Allingford. "Which is Thurston's study?" Acton knocked at the door; and receiving no answer, pushed it open and looked in. The room was empty. "Come on," cried Allingford; "the 'gym! They may be there still."
Fletcher had come a nasty cropper, and reaped what, sooner or later, is the inevitable reward of double-dealing. Once more the sympathy of the meeting was enlisted on the side of Allingford and the prefects, and the crowd dispersed, resolved to discover, if possible, who had made the attack on Browse, and determined that such acts of disorder were not to be tolerated in the future.
The real thing is he's going to the dogs, and, as Allingford says, he ought to resign." Away in one of the Sixth Form studies the subject of their conversation was sitting with his hands in his pockets, frowning at the fire. He was roused from his reverie by some one putting his head round the corner of the door and exclaiming, "Hullo, 'Thirsty!"
All boys were supposed to be on the school premises by half-past five, and at that time the door leading to the outer world was locked by the prefect for the day. Oaks, who happened to be on duty, was standing in the passage talking to Allingford when the three juveniles arrived, out of breath and flushed with running. "Hullo, you kids! where have you been?" inquired the captain.
It made old Denson open his eyes." "So it did," continued Allingford; "and if it hadn't come out, the whole school would have got into another precious row, and there'd have been a stop put to the Wraxby match. I tell you what.
One by one they filed into the room, the door was shut, and there was a moment of awful silence. Even Diggory trembled, and Allingford, noticing it, laid his big hand reassuringly on the small boy's shoulder. "I wish to know," began the doctor, "which of you boys were concerned in what took place last night? I refer, of course, to the screwing up of Mr. Grice's bedroom door."
Allingford shouted, the crowd roared, while "The Happy Family" gambolled about on one another's chests and stomachs, and squealed with delight. Like the poet's brook, Oaks might have exclaimed, "Men may come, and men may go, but I go on for ever."
"Look here, I've half a mind to give you two a jolly good 'impot' to keep you out of mischief. Now stop it, d'you hear, or I'll send both your names in to Denson." Fletcher and Andson had already beaten a retreat, and Grundy was preparing to follow, when Allingford called him back. "Come," he said, in a kinder tone.
As it happened, there was a check just then, and Carton ran forward and told Allingford what had happened. He and Oaks came back, and said the only thing would be to get him to Chatton station, and so home by train. It was awfully decent of those chaps. They carried Bayley all the way, and then Oaks went home with him, and Allingford walked back, and so, of course, they missed half the run.