nstead.

"Oh, all right," replied Dick, showing unmistakeable signs of
intoxication.

"Capital run you made," said the other. "Middling," said Dick,
deprecatingly. "I hadn't my shoes, that makes a difference."

"It does," said the two elders.

"Rather a nice turf track you've got," said the boy presently, by way of
filling up an awkward gap.

"Glad you like it. Some of the fellows growl at it; but we'll tell them
you think it good."

It was rather an anxious moment to see how the fish would take it. But
he swallowed it, hook and all.

"We used to run a good deal at our old school, you know," said he.
"Some of us, that is."

"Ah, you're just the man we want for the Harriers. They're badly off
for a whipper-in; and we had to stop hunting all last term because we
hadn't got one."

"Oh!" said Dick.

"Yes. But it'll be all right if you'll take it--won't it be, Birket?"

"Rather!" said Birket. "He'd be a brick if he did."

"I don't mind trying," said Dick modestly.

"Will you really? Thanks, awfully! You know Cresswell? No, by the
way, he's not here yet. He's in the Sixth, and has been acting as
whipper-in till we got a proper chap. He'll be here in the morning.
Any one will tell you where he hangs out. He'll bless you, I can tell
you, for taking the job out of his hands. You never saw the pace he
goes at when he tries to run, eh, Birket?"

"Rather not," said Birket. "It's a regular joke. A snail's nothing to
him."

"How has he managed to whip in?" asked Dick, rather amused at the idea
of this Sixth-form snail.

"Bless you, we've had no runs lately, that's why. But we shall make up
now you've come."

Dick heartily wished he _had_ run in his shoes that afternoon. He was
sure he could have done the distance two or even three seconds better if
he had.

"If you'll really go in for it," said Birket, "go to him early to-
morrow, and tell him who you are; and say you are going to act as
whipper-in, and that you have arranged it all with us."

Dick looked a little concerned.

"Hadn't you better come with me?" he asked, "I don't know him."

"We shall be in class. But he'll know if you mention our names. Say we
sent you, and that you won the new boys' race. Do you twig?"

"All right," said Dick, beginning to feel he had something really big on
hand.

"You're a young trump," said Birket, "and, I say don't forget to ask him
to give you the whip. We might manage a run to-morrow. Good-