r approvingly, while Baynes, the fellow
on my left, whispered:--

"Yellow-Face has been there! He's a Guinea Pig--see?"

I laughed and was punished in consequence, but the suggestion of the
witty Baynes being whispered round the school was effective. From that
moment the yellow-faced mysterious foreigner was commonly known as "the
Guinea Pig."

We did our best to pump him and ascertain whether he had been born in
Guinea, but he carefully avoided the subject. The information that he
came from the West Coast of Africa had evidently been given us quite
involuntarily. He had been asked a question about a spot he knew
intimately, and the temptation to exhibit his superiority over us had
proved too great.

Not only was his nationality a secret, but many of his actions puzzled us
considerably. As an instance, whenever he drank anything, water, tea, or
coffee, he never lifted his cup to his lips before spilling a small
quantity upon the floor. If we had done this punishment would promptly
have descended upon us, but the masters looked on at his curious antics
in silence.

Around his neck beneath his clothes he wore a sort of necklet composed of
a string of tiny bags of leather, in which were sewn certain hard
substances that could be felt inside. Even in the dormitory he never
removed this, although plenty of chaff was directed towards him in
consequence of this extraordinary ornament. It was popularly supposed
that he came from some savage land, and that when at home this string of
leather bags was about the only article of dress he wore.

If rather dull at school, he very soon picked up our language with all
its slang, and quickly came to the fore in athletics. In running,
swimming and rowing no one could keep pace with him. On foot he was fleet
as a deer, and in the water could swim like a fish, while at archery he
was a dead shot. Within three months he had lived down all the prejudices
that had been engendered by reason of his colour, and I confess that I
myself, who had at first regarded him with gravest suspicion, now began
to feel a friendliness towards him. Once or twice, at considerable
inconvenience to himself he rendered me valuable services, and on one
occasion got me out of a serious scrape by taking the blame himself,
therefore within six months of his arrival we became the firmest of
chums. At work, as at play, we were always together, and notwithstanding
the popular feeling being antagonistic to my close