, he hadn't got it handy. But I told him he could give it to you two
next time he met you--and he's going to."

And to the consternation of his patrons the new boy walked off,
whistling sweetly to himself and watching attentively the flight of the
rooks round the school tower.

"Old man, we shall have some trouble with Number One," said Swinstead,
laughing.

"Yes, we've caught a Tartar for once," said Birket. "You and I may
retire into private life for a bit, I fancy."

CHAPTER SEVEN.

A GENERAL ELECTION.

The return of the Sixth, our heroes discovered, made a wonderful change
in the school life of Templeton. The Fifth, who always made the best
use of their two day's authority while they had it, retired almost
mysteriously into private life in favour of their betters. All school
sports, and gatherings, and riots had to depend no longer upon the sweet
will of those who sported, or gathered, or rioted, but on the pleasure
of the monitors. The school societies and institutions began to wake up
after their holiday, and generally speaking the wheels of Templeton
which, during the first two days had bumped noisily over the cobbles,
got at last on to the lines, and began to spin round at their accustomed
pace.

In no part of the school was this change more felt than among the
juniors. They liked being off the line now and then, and they always
rebelled when the iron hand of the law picked them up and set them back
on the track. It wasn't only that they couldn't run riot, and make
Templeton a bear-garden. That was bad enough. But in addition to that,
they had to fag for the Sixth, and after a week or two of liberty the
return to servitude is always painful.

"You kids," said Raggles, two days after the return of the Sixth, "mind
you show up at Den after Elections this evening."

"What is Den, and who are Elections?" asked Dick.

"What, don't you know? Awful green lot of new kids you are. Elections
is after tea in the hall, and Den's directly after that."

Raggles was very much affronted, when, after this lucid explanation,
Dick again enquired--

"What do you mean by Den and Elections?"

"Look here, what a howling idiot you must be if you've got to be told
half a dozen times. I'll spell it for you if you like."

"All serene," said Heathcote. "Two to one you come a cropper over
Elections."

"Who do they elect?" asked Dick.

"Why, everybody, of course. The captains of the clubs, and all that.