"Ha, ha!" said Swinstead, "he's letting you have it, Gossy."

"He's telling beastly crams," said Gosse, "and I'll kick him when we get
back."

"I'll swim you across the pool and back, first!" said Heathcote.

The seniors were delighted. The new boy's spirit pleased them, and the
prospect of taking down the junior pleased them still more.

"That's fair," said Birket. "Come on, strip."

Heathcote was ready in a trice. Gosse looked uncomfortable.

"I'm not going in again," he said; "I've got a cold."

"Yes, you are," replied Birket; "I'll help you."

This threat was quite enough for the discomfited junior, who slowly
divested himself of his garments.

"Now then! plenty of room for both of you on the board."

"No," said Gosse; "I've not got any cotton wool for my ears. I don't
care about going in off the board unless I have."

"That's soon remedied," said Swinstead, producing some wool from his
pocket and proceeding to stuff it into each of the boy's ears.

Poor Gosse was fairly cornered, and took his place on the board beside
Heathcote, the picture of discontent and apprehension.

"Now then, once across and back. Are you ready?" said Birket, seating
himself beside his friend on a ledge.

"No," said Gosse, looking down at the water and getting off the board.

"Do you funk it?"

"No."

"Then go in! Hurry up, or we'll come and help you!"

"I'd--I'd rather go in from the _edge_," said the boy.

"You funk the board then?"

The boy looked at the board, then at his tyrants, then at the water.

"I suppose I do," said he, sulkily.

"Then put on your clothes and cut it," said Swinstead, scornfully.
Then, turning to Heathcote, he shouted. "Now then, young 'un, in you
go."

Heathcote plunged. He was nervous, and splashed more, perhaps, than
usual, but it was a tolerable header, on the whole, for a new boy, and
the spectators were not displeased with the performance or the swim
across the pool and back which followed.

"All right," said Swinstead; "stick to it, young un, and turn up
regularly. Can your chum swim?"

"Rather!" said Heathcote, taking his head out of the towel. "I wish I
could swim as well as he can."

"Humph!" said Swinstead, when presently the two Seniors were left to
themselves. "Number Two's modest; Number One's cocky."

"Therefore," said Birket, "Number Two will remain Number Two, and number
One will remain Number One."

"Right you are, most learned Plato! but I'm curious