The Cock-House at Fellsgarth Part 6

With a sigh of relief he deposited his loads on the carpet and locked the door.

"Let us go, you cad!" yelled the prisoners. "What do you want bringing us here into this place for?"

"Fun," said Ashby. "You'll know presently."

"If you don't let us out, we'll yell till a master comes."

"Will you?--we're used to yelling here. Yell away; it'll do you good."

To the credit of the two "voters" they did their best, and made such a hideous uproar that Ashby began to grow uneasy, and was immensely relieved when presently he heard outside a sound as of coals being carelessly carried up the staircase. Some one was evidently coming up with a good load.

Ashby was prudent enough not to open the door till an irregular double kick and a breathless cry of "Balbus, look sharp," apprised him that another of the electioneering agents had returned. He then cautiously opened the door, and in tumbled D'Arcy, gasping, yet triumphant, under the weight of three fractious youngsters.

"Bully for us," said he, surveying the harvest. "Five for our side.

Jolly well done of you, kid--you're a stunner. Two of mine are new kids--they came easy enough; but the other's a regular badger."

The badger in question seemed determined to maintain his reputation, for he flew upon his captor, calling upon his fellow-prisoners to do the same. All but the new boys obeyed, and the two "canva.s.sers" were very hard put to it for a while, and might have fared yet worse, had not D'Arcy astutely hung out a flag of truce. "Look here," said he; "I never knew such idiots as you Modern kids are. Here I've done my best to be friends and invited you to a spread in my room; and now you won't even let me go to the cupboard and get out the black currant jam and cake."

"You're telling crams; that's not why you brought us here. You're a howling--"

"Yes, really," said D'Arcy, in quite a friendly tone, "Cry _pax_ for one minute, and if I don't hand out the things you may go; honour bright.

I've a good mind to kick you out without giving you anything."

The caged animals sullenly fell back and eyed the cupboard which D'Arcy leisurely opened. A row of half a dozen pots on a top shelf, a segment of a plum-cake, and something that looked very like honey in the comb, met their greedy eyes.

"There you are," said D'Arcy. "What did I tell you! They belong to Wally; he'll be here directly. You'll be all right--all except _you_,"

said he, singling out his princ.i.p.al a.s.sailant. "You don't know how to behave, like these other kids. I shall advise Wally not to waste any of his stuff on you."

"I didn't know it was a feast," said the youth, much softened. "I thought you were only humbugging; really I did."

"I've a good mind to do what you think. You'd better mind your eye, I can tell you--I wish Wally would come. There's five o'clock striking-- I'll go and look for him. Ashby, you see if he's in the library; you kids, stay here, and lock the door, and don't let anybody in but Wally.

Do you hear? If you do, you'll get it pretty hot for being out of your house. And look here, if Wally doesn't come by half-past, you can help yourselves."

"Thanks awfully," said the party.

"Mind! honour bright you don't touch a thing till the clock strikes the half. When you've done, stay here till one of us comes to fetch you, and we'll see you safe out. Don't go without, as our chaps are awfully down on Moderns this term, and you'll get flayed alive. If they've seen you come in, they'll try to get at you, be sure; so lock yourselves in, whatever you do, and don't make the room in too great a mess. Come along, Ashby; let's look for Wally."

"Cut hard," said he, as soon as they stood outside, and had heard the lock within duly turned. "We've only just time to get over; that's five votes lost to their side! Real good business! I wonder where the other new kid is? He was bound to make a mess of it. That's why I sent him to the gymnasium; it's closed to-day."

"Hooray for the c.o.c.k-House!" shouted Ashby, as, side by side with his now admiring patron, he entered the School Hall, where the ceremony of club elections was just beginning.

At the door they encountered Wheatfield.

"Such games!" whispered D'Arcy, clapping him joyously on the back.

"We've got five Modern kids boxed up in our room, waiting for the clock to strike the half-hour before they have a tuck in at our empty jam- pots."

"Ha, ha!" said Wheatfield; "splendid joke!" and vanished.

D'Arcy's countenance suddenly turned pale as he gripped his companion by the arm.

"What's the matter?" inquired Ashby, alarmed for his friend's health.

"What's up?"

"It's all up! We're regularly done. My, that _is_ a go!"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Why, you blockhead, didn't you see that was the wrong Wheatfield--not Wally, but the Modern one! And now he's gone to let those chaps out, and we're clean done for!"

"Whew! what is to be done?" groaned Ashby, almost as pale as his friend.

CHAPTER FOUR.

A CLOSE ELECTION.

Ever since certain well-meaning governors, two years ago, had succeeded in forcing upon Fellsgarth the adoption of a Modern side, the School had been rent by factions whose quarrels sometimes bordered on civil war.

When people squabble about the management of a school outside, the boys are pretty sure to quarrel and take sides against one another inside.

The old set, consisting mostly of the Cla.s.sical boys, felt very sore on the question. It was a case of sentiment, not argument. If boys, said they, wanted to learn science and modern languages, let them; but don't let them come fooling around at Fellsgarth and spoiling the reputation of a good old cla.s.sical school. There were plenty of schools where fellows could be brought up in a new-fangled way. Let them go to one of these, and leave Fellsgarth in peace to her dead authors.

The boys who used such arguments, it is fair to say, were not always the most profound cla.s.sical scholars. Most of them, like D'Arcy and Wally Wheatfield, had a painful acquaintance with the masterpieces of old- world literature in the way of impositions, but there their interest frequently ended. The upper Cla.s.sical boys, however, though not so noisily hostile, had their own strong opinions about the new departure; and when it was discovered that the new Modern side had not only alienated one or two of their old comrades, but, so far from being apologetic, were disposed to claim equal rights with, and in certain cases superior privileges to, the old boys, the relations became strained all round.

As it happened, the Modern set consisted of a number of moderate athletes who could not be wholly ignored in the School sports, and had no intention of being ignored. And to add to their crimes they numbered among them a good number of rich boys, who boasted in public of their wealth with a freedom which was particularly aggravating to the Cla.s.sical seniors, who were for the most part boys to whose parents money was an important consideration.

As has been said, the rivalry had been growing acute all last term, and but for Yorke's determined indifference, it might long ago have come to a rupture. Now, every one felt that at any moment the peace might be broken, and civil war break out between the two sides at Fellsgarth.

The School clubs offered a rare opportunity for an exhibition of party feeling, for they were the common ground on which every one was bound to meet every one else on _level_ terms.

By an old rule, every member of the House clubs was a member of the School clubs and had the privilege of electing the committee and officers for the year. It was this business which brought together the crowd that flocked into the Hall to-day; and it was in view of this critical event that Mr D'Arcy had carefully shut up five voters of the other side in his study until the election should be over.

"Whatever's to be done?" asked Ashby, with blank countenance.

"n.o.body but a born idiot would begin to ask riddles just now!" retorted D'Arcy surlily. "Shut up; that's what's to be done."

"I expect it will be all right," persisted the dogged Ashby, venturing on a further remark. "They won't let him in, if he's not Wally; or if they do, they'll go for him."

"I hope they will. Anyhow we've done our best. Stick near the door.

We may be able to bundle a few of 'em out before the voting comes on.

Look out, Yorke's speaking. Yell as hard as you can."

Whereupon Ashby lay his head back and yelled until D'Arcy kicked him and told him it was time to shut up.

Yorke was moving a resolution that the captains, vice-captains, secretaries, and treasurers of each house should form the School sports committee, whose business it would be to arrange matches, keep the ground, make rules, and generally organise the athletics of Fellsgarth.

He hoped every one would agree to this.

Clapperton, the Modern captain, and head of Forder's house, rose to second the motion.