ntary election, and with the details of contests which had taken
place in their native towns vividly impressed upon their minds, the
younger boys, from the Lower Fourth downwards, threw themselves into the
present conflict with an amount of energy and spirit which was not to be
found in the more sober and deliberate action of their seniors.

The greater number of the old "Happy Family" had now been removed into
the Lower Fourth, and this form in particular was rent with opposing
views, and shaken with continued outbursts of hostility between the
rival factions. The Triple Alliance were loyal to the old _regime_, and
were supported by "Rats," Carton, and several of their old friends.

"Acton saved us from getting into a row after that 'coffee-mill'
business," remarked Diggory.

"Rowland gave Noaks a dressing down when he hit me in the mouth," said
Jack Vance.

"And old Ally boxed Mouler's ears when they made me upset that paint,"
added Mugford.

"Rats" declared that he meant to conduct what he called a
"house-to-house visitation," and accordingly, beginning at the bottom of
the form, the first person he called upon was Grundy, a great lout of
sixteen, who had been at the tail end of the Lower Fourth for the last
twelve months. As it happened, Grundy was a strong partisan of the
opposite side, and not only refused to vote for Parkes, but, seizing
hold of the unfortunate canvasser, proceeded to twist his arms and pinch
his ears for daring to oppose the election of Thurston.

Fletcher Two, whose sympathies, as might have been expected, were with
his brother's chum, organized open-air meetings in one corner of the
field where the big cricket-roller could be used as a platform.
But here, again, the love of larking which is so characteristic
of the lawless small boy came into evidence, and with that touch of
nature which makes the whole world kin, friend and foe alike joined in
the spree of interrupting the proceedings. Just when the orator
had reached the most important point in his harangue, and was pouring
forth a torrent of impassioned eloquence, the platform would begin to
move, or the audience would insist on turning the gathering into an
imaginary "scrum," and almost crushing the life out of those who
happened to be in the middle of the crowd.

Poor Bibbs especially became a target for the humour of the electors.
According to Fletcher's instructions, he had written out a speech and
learned it by heart; but th