"

The unseen crowds withdrew. His own dormitory rustled into bed and lay
silent for a while.

"I say, Crandall"--Stalky's voice was tuned to a wholly foreign
reverence.

"Well, what?"

"Suppose a chap found another chap croaking with diphtheria--all bunged
up with it--and they stuck a tube in his throat and the chap sucked the
stuff out, what would you say?"

"Um," said Crandall, reflectively. "I've only heard of one case, and
that was a doctor. He did it for a woman."

"Oh, this wasn't a woman. It was just a boy."

"Makes it all the finer, then. It's about the bravest thing a man can
do. Why?"

"Oh, I heard of a chap doin' it. That's all."

"Then he's a brave man."

"Would _you_ funk it?"

"Ra-ather. Anybody would. Fancy dying of diphtheria in cold blood."

"Well--ah! Er! Look here!" The sentence ended in a grunt, for Stalky had
leaped out of bed and with McTurk was sitting on the head of Beetle, who
would have sprung the mine there and then.

Next day, which was the last of the term and given up to a few wholly
unimportant examinations, began with wrath and war. Mr. King had
discovered that nearly all his house--it lay, as you know, next door but
one to Prout's in the long range of buildings--had unlocked the doors
between the dormitories and had gone in to listen to a story told by
Crandall. He went to the Head, clamorous, injured, appealing; for
he never approved of allowing so-called young men of the world to
contaminate the morals of boyhood. Very good, said the Head, he would
attend to it.

"Well, I'm awf'ly sorry," said Crandall guiltily. "I don't think I told
'em anything they oughtn't to hear. Don't let them get into trouble on
my account."

"Tck!" the Head answered, with the ghost of a wink. "It isn't the boys
that make trouble; it's the masters. However, Prout and King don't
approve of dormitory gatherings on this scale, and one must back up the
house-masters. Moreover, it's hopeless to punish two houses only, so
late in the term. We must be fair and include everybody. Let's see. They
have a holiday task for the Easters, which, of course, none of them
will ever look at. We will give the whole school, except prefects and
study-boys, regular prep. to-night; and the Common-room will have to
supply a master to take it. We must be fair to all."

"Prep. on the last night of the term. Whew!" said Crandall, thinking of
his own wild youth. "I fancy there will be larks."

The school, frolickin