-its length was hardly a foot--and gave Archie a feeble blow. It
could not possibly have hurt him. But the victim leapt in the air,
clutching the seat of his trousers.

"Oh!" he screamed. "Oh, sir, oh, sir! You have hurt me, sir. You are so
strong, sir."

"Oh, then you are coward, too, are you?" said the delighted Jenks.
"Stoop down again; stoop down!"

The form rocked with laughter.

Archie received four strokes in all, and after each he went through the
same performance. Jenks thought himself a second Hercules; he repeated
the story in the common room. Archie repeated it also, in the studies:
"Believe me, you fellows, some rag!"

A great man, and after Gordon's own heart!

On a bleak, rainy afternoon Gordon and Fletcher watched the overwhelming
defeat of the House in the Two Cock. The score was over thirty points;
Mansell played only moderately; Jeffries was off his game. A gloom
settled down over the House, everyone became peevish and discontented.
It was said that the great days of House footer were over. To lose both
the Thirds and the Two Cock was a disgrace. No one expected anything but
a rout in the Three Cock. There were bets in the day-room as to whether
the score would be under fifty. Interest centred entirely on who would
get their House caps. With Lovelace away, the three-quarter line would
be innocuous: the forwards always had been weak. The House were bad
losers, they had grown accustomed to victories.

CHAPTER V: EMERGING

"Jeffries was pretty hot stuff to-day, wasn't he?"

"Good Lord! yes. If he plays half as well as that in the Three Cock
he'll get his House cap."

It was just after tea. Mansell was lying back in an easy-chair with his
feet on the table; he was dead tired after a strenuous game. Gordon was
sitting on the table. Hunter reclined in the window seat.

"Where is he, by the way?" said Gordon. "I didn't see him in to tea."

"Oh, I believe someone asked him out. Isn't he rather a pal of the
Jacobs in Cheap Street?"

"I heard that there was a bit of a row on," said Hunter. "I couldn't
quite make out what about.... Oh, by Jove, that's him."

Jeffries' voice was heard down the passage: "Mansell."

A voice answered him: "Here, No. 34."

Jeffries was heard running upstairs; he entered looking very dejected.

"Hullo! Cheer up!" shouted Mansell. "I shouldn't have thought you could
have run like that after this afternoon's game. Where've you been?"

"I say ... I'm in the