ur governors to write to the doctor," said another.

"Let's all leave if he does; that's bound to make him stay," said a
third.

Arthur, however, had a more practical proposal.

"What we'd better do is to get up a whacking petition to Pony," said he.
"We've got a right to do it; and if all the fellows will sign it, he
can't well let him go."

The question arose, Who was to write the petition? And after some
discussion it was resolved to call the amiable Stafford into their
councils. He at once suggested that if the petition was to be of any
weight it should come from the entire house, with the captain's name at
the head of the list; and a deputation was told off forthwith to wait
upon Ainger.

He was not very encouraging, but said there would be no harm in trying,
and undertook to draw up the petition and sign his name first
underneath.

The petition was short and business-like:

"To Dr Ponsford. Sir,--We, the boys of Mr Railsford's house, have
heard with great sorrow that he is to leave Grandcourt. We consider he
has done more for our house than any other master, and feel it would be
the greatest loss to all of us if he were to go. He does not know we
are sending this. We hope it will have your favourable consideration,
and make it possible for him to stay among us."

In two days this document received the signature of every boy in the
house except Felgate and Munger, who contrived to evade it. Ainger took
no trouble to press them for their signatures, and indeed stated, not in
a whisper, that the petition would carry more weight without these two
particular names than with them. Whereat Felgate and Munger felt rather
sorry they had not signed.

A deputation was then appointed, consisting of the head boy in each form
represented in the house, to convey the petition to the doctor. Arthur,
not being the head Shell boy in the house, felt very sore to be left
out, and prophesied all sorts of failure to the undertaking in
consequence.

However, he was consoled vastly by a fight with Tilbury that same
afternoon. Tilbury, though a signatory to the petition, was unlucky
enough to brag, in the hearing of his comrade, that one reason he had
signed it was because he believed Railsford had had something to do with
the paying-out of Mr Bickers last term, and was a friend to the house
in consequence. Whereupon Arthur, crimson in the face, requested him to
step outside and receive the biggest hiding he had eve