nd he sells dogs, and rats, and rabbits, and even does a
little mole-catching, I believe--rather a low-class sporting chap, in
fact. Roper took me to the kennels one day, to see a spaniel. Some of
our fellows keep dogs there, and Blake looks after them. Well, I liked
the spaniel; it was a perfect beauty! Roper said Blake only wanted ten
shillings for it, and it was an absolute bargain. He advised me to buy
it and keep it at the kennels. I'd run through all my cash by then, but
Blake said I could go on tick if I cared; and I thought it was a pity
to miss the chance, because if I didn't have the dog, Jarrow was going
to take him."

"I suppose you mayn't keep dogs at school?" said Honor.

"Rather not! You'd have liked this one, Honor! His name was Terry, and
he was as jolly as poor old Doss used to be. He got to know me
directly, and he'd come jumping and trying to lick my face. He was
clever, too; he could do all kinds of tricks--trust for a biscuit, and
lie down and die, and give three barks for the King. I grew so fond of
him, and I meant to take him home with me in the holidays. Well, I
hadn't been able to go to the kennels for several days, and when at
last I managed to run down there Blake told me that Terry was dead and
buried. He looked so shifty when he said it that I had my suspicions at
once. I don't believe Terry died at all; I'm sure Blake sold him to
somebody else, who has taken him away."

"Oh, what a shame!" exclaimed Honor.

"It's just like the fellow, though--he's an atrocious cad! Of course, I
couldn't prove anything. I could only say that Terry had looked all
right when last I saw him, and it seemed a queer thing for him to pop
off so suddenly; but then Blake rounded on me with all sorts of medical
terms, and said he'd made a post-mortem examination, and could give me
a written certificate. As if that would have been of any use! Well, the
long and short of it was, we had a quarrel, and Blake turned nasty. He
said he wanted the money I owed him for the dog, and he gave me an
immense bill for its keep. It was quite ridiculous; he made out it had
eaten pounds and pounds of Spratt's biscuits every week, and that he'd
bought fresh meat for it too. I'm sure he hadn't! I disputed every
item; but he said if I wasn't satisfied I could refer the matter to the
Head. The whole affair came to exactly a sovereign. I couldn't possibly
pay it--I hadn't more than a few shillings left in the world. I tried
to get him