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Updated: August 13, 2024
Stutter and Wibberly, two of the sceptics, happened to be caught that very afternoon by Bloomfield in the act of "skulking" dinner that is, of answering to their names at the call-over, and then slipping off unobserved to enjoy a rather more elaborate clandestine meal in their own study.
There was something strange about this interruption, and also in the manner in which the question was asked, which drew the sudden attention of the House, and all eyes were turned on the captain. He stopped and turned in his usual nervous, half-inquiring way, apparently not quite sure what had been said or who had spoken. "Mr Wibberly," said Bloomfield, "wishes to ask a question of Mr Riddell."
"Where are you coming to?" demanded Fairbairn, flinging Wibberly from him into the arms of his followers. Before Wibberly could recover his balance the crowd had closed in by a sudden impulse, and with a loud shout had set upon the crew.
"Of course, it's a regularly arranged thing," said Wibberly, whose face was enveloped in a handkerchief and whose lips were unusually thick. "They've vowed all along to keep their boat at the head of the river, and they've managed it." "Yes," said another. "They knew what they had to expect if Bloomfield got there. I can see it all."
It was this sort of thing which, as the term dragged on, made Bloomfield more and more uncomfortable with his position. It was all very well for Game, and Ashley, and Wibberly to declare that but for him Willoughby would have gone to the dogs it was all very well of them to make game of and caricature Riddell and his failures.
"Why he'd faint at the very idea." "Probably take him off to his study and have a prayer-meeting with Fairbairn and a few more of that lot upon the top of him," said Gilks, a schoolhouse monitor, and not a nice-looking fellow. "I guess I'd sooner get a hiding from old Bloomfield than that," laughed Wibberly. "I hope," said Game, "snivelling's not going to be the order of the day.
"We might get up a petition to the doctor, anyhow," suggested Game, returning to the subject; "he'd have to take notice of that." "What will you say in the petition?" asked Porter. "Oh! easy enough that. Say we don't consider Riddell fit to be captain, and we'd sooner have some one else." "Better say we'd sooner have Bloomfield at once," said Wibberly.
I can't stand it." "I don't think you've any right to call Riddell a sniveller," said Porter. "He may be a muff at sports, but I don't fancy he's a sneak. And I don't see that it's against him, either, if he does go in for being what he professes to be." "Hear! hear! quite a sermon from Porter," cried Wibberly. "Porter's right," said Bloomfield. "No one says it was against him.
Although his principles had never been lofty, his spirits always used to be excellent, and those who knew him best could scarcely recognise now in the anxious, spiritless monitor the companion whose shout and laugh had been so familiar only a few months ago. Among those who met him this afternoon was Wibberly. Wibberly, like Gilks, felt very little interest in the juniors' match.
As soon as silence was restored, Mr Porter wished to ask the captain of the eleven whether the team to play against Rockshire was yet settled. Mr Bloomfield. Not quite. Nine names are fixed Game, Tipper, Ashley, Wibberly, and myself from Parrett's house, and Fairbairn, Porter, Coates, and Crossfield from the schoolhouse. That's what everybody wants to know!
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