ster than a
snail, you know,"--began he--"and as I had pulled off the new boys'
race, they said they'd make me Whipper-in of the Harriers instead of
you, and told me to come and tell you so, and ask you to _give_ me the
whip."

Cresswell laughed in spite of himself.

"Do you really want it?" he asked.

"Not now, thank you."

"I suppose you'd been swaggering after you'd won the race, and they
wanted to take the conceit out of you?"

"Yes, I suppose so."

"And have they succeeded?"

"Well--yes," said Dick. "I think they have."

"Then, they've done you a very good turn, my boy, and you'll be grateful
to them some day. As for the whip, you can tell them if they'll come
here for it, I'll give it to them with pleasure. There goes the dinner
bell--cut off, or you'll be late."

"Thanks, Cresswell. I suppose," said the boy, lingering a moment at the
door, "you won't be obliged to tell everybody about it?"

"You can do that better than I can," said the Sixth-form boy, laughing.

And Dick felt, as he hurried down to Hall, that he was something more
than well out of it. Instead of meeting the fate which his own conceit
had prepared, he had secured a friend at court, who, something told him,
would stand by him in the coming term. His self-esteem had had a fall,
but his self-respect had had a decided lift; for he felt now that he
went in and out under inspection, and that Cresswell's good opinion was
a distinction by all means to be coveted.

As a token of his improved frame of mind, he made frank confession of
the whole story to Heathcote during dinner; and found his friend, as he
knew he would be, brimful of sympathy and relief at his narrow escape.

Swinstead and Birket, as they watched their man from their distant
table, were decidedly perplexed by his cheerful demeanour, and full of
curiosity to learn the history of the interview.

They waylaid him casually in the court that afternoon.

"Well, have you settled it?" said Birket.

"Eh? Oh, yes, it's all right," replied Dick, rather enjoying himself.

"He made no difficulty about it, did he?"

"Not a bit. Jolly as possible."

It was not often that two Fifth-form boys at Templeton felt
uncomfortable in the presence of a new junior, but Swinstead and Birket
certainly did feel a trifle disconcerted at the coolness of their young
victim.

"You told him we sent you?"

"Rather. He was awfully obliged."

"Was he? And did he give you the whip?"

"No