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"We shall be standing you head downwards in a minute, Hare. You're next door to drowning yourself. Get up, and come with me!" The Hare protested feebly, with chattering teeth. But the attendant thrust a spoonful of Toppin's drink between them, and counselled Jack to take him to his wife.
It was those who first started the quarrel between boarders and day-boys, those who put the notion of ill-feeling into his silly little head. I see you're thinking of the swimming-baths, and Toppin's dive. Now I happen to know, and Toppin can bear me out, that the kid asked to be pushed, and that Armitage would have saved him next moment if the March Hare hadn't jumped in and hindered things.
The Hare took no notice. He only tucked his arm affectionately into Toppin's, knowing that he was keeping within his rights in doing so. Toppin could say nothing. Arm-in-arm is quite correct and English! "I have som-ting to say. Zat Armitage he did not ought to be gone chasing paper. He is bad! I hate him, don' like him!" "Why?" enquired Toppin, with wide-open eyes. "Be-cause he try to drown you.
"No, sir; only it might have been. Toppin little Trevelyan, that is got into the deep end, and the March Hare you know the boy I mean, sir he thought he was drowning, and jumped in after him with his things on, and so they had to haul them both out. Toppin's as right as a trivet again, and as warm as a toast.
Presently, after roll-call in which there had come a queer, awkward little pause at Toppin's name Tammy came over to me. The rest of the men had gone forrard, and I guessed they were talking over mad plans for forcing the Skipper's hand, and making him put into port poor beggars! I was leaning over the port rail, by the fore brace-lock, staring down into the sea, when Tammy came to me.
Green found himself hugging Toppin's Little Reader instead of Elementary Physics; and Hallett might make what use he could of the March Hare's English Conversation when he came to open it. The pages of the masters' registers fairly bristled with black marks that unhappy morning. Grey was for bringing the enemy to book, and reporting his evil devices, but his elders quashed the proposal.
Rather!" was Toppin's proud reply. "Well, you'd better trot back to your friends, and bathe with them. We're not going to wait for anyone." "Nor aren't I," said Toppin carelessly. "Come on!" shouted Simmons from a box. "Don't waste time!" Preparation for a bath is not a long process with a boy.
Although the March Hare was the first to lay hold of Toppin's crest, the next minute he was himself in need of rescue. The Hare had only advanced to the swimming stage when both hands and feet are absolutely necessary, and the pause to seize his friend had sufficed, when combined with the weight of his garments, to sink him; so Toppin dived for the second time, in company with the March Hare.
Jack Brady was the centre of another group, which seemed inclined to be angry with him. "Brady's no business to have his supper stopped," said Trevelyan. "He never touched a morsel of that wretched fowl." "He ought to have told West so." "Such nonsense!" exclaimed Jack. "I could have eaten some if I'd wanted to. Now, Toppin's case is different. He wasn't allowed to have any.
"Mayn't I have a little bit?" The sleepy voice came from Toppin's bed. "Certainly not," replied his elder brother promptly. "Chicken at night is bad for little boys high chicken especially. Tuck your head in, and don't let me hear you speak again, or I'll come to you with a slipper." Toppin was kept in very strict order by his brother, and the boys, who were used to his methods, made no remark.
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