" he said, "I believe this is meant for you."

Rudd read it, and flushed a dusky red.

"Who wrote this?"

Proudly the author claimed his work.

"Well--er--let me see," said Rudd: "it is er--gross impertinence. Come
and see me after breakfast to-morrow."

The poet sat down, and his friends showered condolences on him; Bray
recommenced his wanderings.

That night in second hall Rudd called a prefects' meeting to discuss the
affair. He pointed out that it was gross insolence to a prefect, and
that a prefects' beating was the recognised punishment for such an
offence. Gordon protested vehemently.

"But, damn it all, Rudd, if you are such a weak-kneed ass as to be
ragged by a fool like Stockbrew, you jolly well oughtn't to be head of
the House. And, by the way, we haven't heard this masterpiece of satire
read out yet."

"I don't think there's any need," said Rudd.

"Well, I think there is," said Gordon. "I am not going to see a kid
beaten for an unknown piece of cheek. Read the thing out!"

With many blushes Rudd read it out.

"Ah, jolly suitable, too," said Foster. "What you want is a nurse. Good
lord, man, can't you look after yourself in hall. Jolly ignominious,
isn't it, having to call up a lot of prefects to back you up? Fine
example to the rest of the House, isn't it?"

"Well," stammered Rudd, "I don't pretend to be a strong prefect."

"You certainly aren't," said Foster.

"That's beside the point," said Rudd. "I have been cheeked by Stockbrew,
and I am a prefect. The punishment for that is a prefects' beating.
There'll be a pre.'s meeting here to-morrow at eight, and if you have
anything to grouse about, go to the Chief."

He flounced out of the room like a heroine of melodrama.

"I don't think we'll go to Chief," said Gordon, "he would be utterly
fed up. But I am jolly well not going to be made an ass of by Rudd.
Think what fools we shall look trotting about on Rudd's apron strings
like policemen after a cook."

"Well, what can we do?" said Davenport.

"Do? Why, make Rudd look a bigger ass than we. We have got to give this
lad a pre.'s beating. There's no way out of it. We have got to. But if
we let the House know about this, a crowd will collect; Rudd will go
first and make two fairly effective shots. We shall then proceed in
rotation. We will just tap him; the crowd will roar with laughter; it
will be damned amusing, and Rudd will look a most sanguinary ass."

"I see," said Foster. "Hat's of