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Possibly there was; but it was only between the two friends, who strove their best to put him out, the one by a clean ball which sent stumps and bails flying, the other by laying his wicket low with a sharp movement when Slegge's long legs had, in his excitement carried him off his ground.
Slegge's remarks remained problematical for a few moments, and then the meaning came with a flash to Burton, who had suddenly caught sight of Singh and Glyn. He burst into a merry guffaw at once, and thus set off the rest, while Slegge waited till they had done before going on with the by no means poor imitation of Singh's manner of speaking and a rather peculiar utterance of the consonant r.
To Slegge's annoyance, he very soon found that if the prestige of the school was to be kept up Glyn and Singh must be in the eleven, for the former in a very short time was acknowledged to be the sharpest bowler in the school, while, from long practice together, Singh was an admirable wicket-keeper one who laughed at gloves and pads, was utterly without fear, and had, as Wrench said he being a great admirer of a game in which he never had a chance to play "a nye like a nork."
There was no one else in the theatre at that early hour, and Glyn had time to compare as he wished certain of the letters and capitals in Slegge's handwriting with the wording on the blotting-paper. "It was he; there can be no doubt," he exclaimed, and he went out of the room, making for the playground, intending to find his detractor; but he was not to be seen.
And here he took a piece of paper out a piece that he had torn from Slegge's exercise-book and laid beside it the unfolded blotting-paper. Slegge made a dash at them, but Glyn was too quick. Throwing one hand behind his back, he pressed Slegge with the other fiercely against the fence. "There!" he cried triumphantly. "That's like confessing it. Come on to the Doctor. There's Mr Morris yonder. Mr "
The natural result was that in regular play Slegge's score always mounted up when he was not opposed to Glyn and Singh, when there was generally what the delighted younger boys denominated a "swodge of rows;" while Slegge himself, always ready to pick a quarrel, never now attempted to settle it with fists, but he fought pretty hard with his tongue, and always declared that there was "a beastly conspiracy."
"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, and such a voice. He seemed as if he wanted to look me through.
For quite a minute the opponents stood gazing fiercely, and then what had threatened to become a cuffing encounter became verbal. "Look here," cried Burney, "you two will get it for this. What am I to say to the captain?" "Tell him to bowl for himself," said Singh sharply. "Here! Hi! Burney, bring 'em along!" came from across the field and from between Slegge's hands.
Burney's face was working, for after the excitement of the fight and its sudden ending he felt hysterically emotional, and in a broken voice the truth came pouring forth. "I can't help it, sir, and if he bullies me afterwards for speaking I must tell all. Slegge's been jealous of both the new boys ever since they came.
"I presume then that I ought to ask Mr Thomas Slegge's permission before asking the two new pupils to my board." "Yes, sir," burst out Burney, who had gathered breath and had now got into the swing of speaking. "It was bound to come, sir. Slegge said he should do it, and I can't help it if I do seem like a sneak for telling all." "Go on, Burney," said the Doctor. "I'll be the judge of that."
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