Dr. Jolliffe's Boys Part 10

The doctor returned to his cla.s.s-room, not too soon. One of the young scamps had taken his chair, and was delivering a burlesque lecture, near enough to the head-master's style to excite irreverent laughter. They listened for his step upon the stair, however, and when he entered the room they might have been taken for a synod discussing a Revised Edition by the extreme gravity of their demeanour.

"We must interrupt our studies for a short time, I am sorry to say,"

observed Dr Jolliffe. "I wish you to a.s.semble at once, but without noise, in the schools. And, Probyn, run round to the other cla.s.s-rooms, and tell the masters, with my compliments, that I wish their cla.s.ses also to go there at once, and arrange themselves in their proper places, as on Examination Days."

The "Schools" was a large room which held all Weston; but the college was liberal in the matter of accommodation, and only three cla.s.ses were habitually held in it, that so the hubbub of voices might not be inconvenient. For some persons are so const.i.tuted that when you seek to instruct them in Greek, they take an intense interest in mathematics, if treated upon within their hearing, and _vice versa_. But every cla.s.s had its appointed place in the schools, all the same, and in a few minutes after the summons had gone forth, the boys, not quite broken- hearted at having to shut up their books, were rea.s.sembled in the large room, wondering what on earth had happened to cause such an unparalleled infraction of the daily routine. One sanguine youth suggested that they were to have an extra half-holiday in consequence of the fine condition of the ice, and he had many converts to his opinion; but there were many other theories. Saurin alone formed a correct guess at the real matter in hand, conscience prompting him.

No sooner were all settled in their places than the head-master came in accompanied by Lord Woodruff, who was known to most present by sight, and curiosity became almost painful.

"It is he who has begged us the half-holiday," whispered the prophet of good to his neighbour. "Shall we give him a cheer?"

"Better wait to make certain first," replied his more prudent auditor.

Next the roll was called, and when all had answered to their names Dr Jolliffe announced that their visitor had something serious to say to them; and then Lord Woodruff got up.

"No doubt some of your fathers are preservers of game for sporting purposes," he said, "and you all know what it means. I preserve game in this neighbourhood; and last night one of my keepers was going home through a wood where there are a good many pheasants, for it has not been disturbed this year, when he met two persons. They may not have been poachers, but poaching was certainly going on last night, for the guns were heard, and the man naturally concluded that they were trespa.s.sing in pursuit of game, for why else should they be there at that hour of the night. And so, as was clearly his duty, he endeavoured to secure one of them. But just as he had succeeded in doing so, he was struck down from behind with some weapon which has inflicted serious injuries upon him. He has recovered his senses, and laid an information that the person he seized was a Weston boy."

There was a murmur and a movement throughout the a.s.sembly at this sensational announcement. Saurin, who felt that he was very pale, muttered, "Absurd!" and strove to a.s.sume a look of incredulous amus.e.m.e.nt.

"Now, boys, listen to me. I take a great interest in Weston College, and should be sorry to see any disgrace brought upon it. And indeed it would be very painful to me that any one of you should have his future prospects blighted on first entering into life, for what I am willing to look upon as a thoughtless freak. But when the matter is once put into the hands of the police I shall have no further power to s.h.i.+eld anyone, and if they trace the boy who was in that wood last night, which, mind you, they will probably do, safe as he may think himself, he will have to stand his trial in a court of justice. But now, I will give him a fair chance. If he will stand forward and confess that he was present on the occasion I allude to, and will say who the ruffian was that struck the blow, for of complicity in such an act I do not for a moment suspect him, I promise that he shall not be himself proceeded against in any way."

There was a pause of a full minute, during which there was dead silence; no one moved.

"What!" continued Lord Woodruff; "were you all in your beds at eleven o'clock last night? Was there no one out of college unbeknown to the authorities?"

He looked slowly round as he spoke, and it seemed to Buller that his eyes rested upon him. Though he knew nothing of this poaching business, he was certainly out, and perhaps Dr Jolliffe had told Lord Woodruff so, and this was a trap to see if he would own to it, and if he did not, they might suspect him of the other thing. He half rose, and sat down again, hesitating.

"Ah!" said Lord Woodruff, catching sight of the movement; "what is it, my lad? speak up, don't be afraid."

"I was certainly out of the college last night," said Buller, getting on to his feet, "but I was not near any wood, and I did not meet any man, or see or hear any struggling or fighting."

"It has nothing to do with this case, my lord," interposed the doctor.

"This boy went late to the gravel-pits to skate, and was seen by one of the masters. It was a breach of the regulations, for which he will be punished, but nothing more serious."

"Oh! if he was seen skating by one of the masters that is enough. Might I speak to the gentleman?"

"Certainly."

And Mr Rabbits was called forward and introduced.

"Oh! Mr Rabbits, you actually saw this boy skating last night, did you?"

"No, not exactly. He was getting in again at his window when I surprised him?"

"May I ask at what time?"

"About half-past twelve."

"And how, if you did not see him, do you know that he was out skating?"

"He said so," replied Mr Rabbits innocently.

"And his word is the only evidence you have that he was not elsewhere?"

Mr Rabbits was obliged to confess that it was.

"Buller! come here," cried the doctor. "Now, did anyone see you at the gravel-pits, or going there, or coming back?"

"No, sir."

"Think well, because you may be suspected of having gone in an exactly opposite direction. If any friend was with you I am certain that he would be glad to give himself up to get you out of a really serious sc.r.a.pe. Shall I put it to the boys, my lord?"

"It is of no use, sir," said Buller. "I was quite alone, just as I told you, and no one knew I was out. I did not think of it myself till a few minutes before, when I found the bar loose. And I did not open my door even. And I saw no one, going or returning, till Mr Rabbits lit his chemical as I was getting in at the window."

"It is very painful to--ah--to seem to doubt your word, in short," said Lord Woodruff with hesitation, for he was a gentleman, and Tom's manner struck him as remarkably open and straightforward. "But you know it is impossible to accept anyone's unsupported evidence in his own favour, and I really wish that you could produce some one to corroborate your rather unlikely story. a.s.suming for a moment that you were in the company of poachers for a bit of fun last night, and that you saw something of this affray, and being caught as you got home, were frightened into accounting for your being out at so late an hour by this story of going skating in the moonlight; I say, a.s.suming all this, I appeal to you to save yourself from serious consequences, and to forward the ends of justice by telling anything you know which may put us on the traces of the fellow who has injured my poor gamekeeper. A fellow who would come behind and strike a cowardly blow like that, trying to murder or maim a man who was simply doing his duty, does not deserve that you should s.h.i.+eld him. Come, will you not denounce him?"

"But how can I tell about things of which I have no knowledge whatever?"

cried Buller, who was getting vexed as well as bewildered. "What I have said is the exact truth, and if it does not suit you I cannot help it.

Believe me or not, as you like, there is no good in my going on repeating my words."

"I cannot accept the responsibility of taking your bare word in such a matter," said Lord Woodruff, more stiffly, for Tom's tone had offended him; "a magistrate may do so. Of course I shall not adjudicate in my own case," he added, turning to Dr Jolliffe. "Mr Elliot is the next nearest magistrate, and I shall apply for a warrant against this youth to him."

Tom Buller experienced a rather sudden change of sensation in a short period. A quarter of an hour ago he felt like a culprit, now his heart swelled with the indignation of a hero and a martyr. To be accused of poaching, and asked to betray a supposed accomplice in what might prove a murder, just because he happened to be out after ten one night, was rather too strong, and Tom's back was up.

"You had better go to your room, Buller, and wait there till you hear further," said Dr Jolliffe, not unkindly.

To tell the truth the doctor was a good deal ruffled by this accusation, brought, as it seemed to him, on very insufficient grounds, against some member of the school. But he was determined to be as cool and quiet about it as possible, and not to give any one a chance of saying that he had obstructed the ends of justice. For if he took the highly indignant line, and it were proved after all that one of his boys was involved in the sc.r.a.pe, how foolish he would look!

"And you really mean to have this boy up before Mr Elliot on a charge of poaching?" he asked.

"What else can I do?" said Lord Woodruff. "His own obstinacy in refusing to tell what he knows is to blame."

"But supposing that he really knows nothing, how can he tell it? I know the boy well, and he is remarkably truthful and straightforward.

Intensely interested, too, in the studies and sports of his school, and the very last to seek low company or get into a sc.r.a.pe of this kind."

Lord Woodruff smiled and shook his head.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

CIRc.u.mSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.

Have you ever stood near a bee-hive when something unusual was going on inside? When a swarm was meditated, or you had cut off the communication with a super which you meant to take? Just such a buzz and murmur as then arises might have been heard in Weston court-yard when the boys poured out from the schools, only increased so much in volume as the human vocal organs are more powerful than the apiarian.

And surely not without cause, for the scene which had just been enacted, without any rehearsal, for their benefit was simply astounding.

"Fancy Tom Buller the chief of a gang of poachers!" cried Saurin. "By Jove, I did not think it was in him, and fairly confess that I have not done him justice. He is a dark horse and no mistake."

"Why, you don't for a moment suppose that there is anything in it, do you?" asked Robarts, who heard him.