p their plans for the eventful emigration of the coming spring.

The three last elected members of the band had fallen in promptly with
the scheme, and were not a little elated at the honour conferred upon
them. Crashford became quite mellow towards his old enemy Gayford, and
actually paid back Bowler a half-crown which he had borrowed three terms
ago. Tubbs, though less demonstrative, was equally delighted, and upset
the inkpot over the chart, in his eagerness to exhibit to Wester their
new home. [It was hardly worth noticing that Tubbs put his finger not
on New Swishford at all, but into the centre of Peru, which he said he
believed was one of the healthiest countries in all Asia.] Wester, who
always made a point of agreeing with the majority, found no difficulty
in rejoicing, wherever the place might be, and only wished they had not
to wait so long as next spring.

"Why should we wait till then?" asked Crashford.

"Oh, it's better weather," said Gayford; "besides, Wallas is in for his
Oxford local."

"Oh, that doesn't matter tremendously," said Wallas, who was beginning
to think the world might after all go on if he did not pass.

"We can give him an exam, on the ship going out," said Bowler, "a
Swishford local exam., you know, and offer a slice of the island if he
passes."

"It strikes me," said Braintree, "a square mile of tewwitowy is warthah
a wum pwize for a chap."

"But, I say," said Wester, "isn't our winter the same as their summer?
so if we start now, we shall just get out in the warm weather."

"Never thought about that," said Bowler; "what do you say, Gay?"

"I know my uncle generally likes those parts not in the warm weather,"
said Gayford. "But then, he's been at sea all his life."

"By the way, when does his ship start?" inquired Wallas; "something
depends on that, doesn't it?"

"So it does," said Gayford. "I forgot that. He got home a fortnight
ago, and he gets six weeks at home. That'll bring it to the end of
November."

"Just the very ticket; we must start then, I say."

"But how about my wifle if we don't go home at Cwistmas?" asked
Braintree.

"Oh, bother! Couldn't you get it sent up somehow, or couldn't you fetch
it next Monday?--that's the term holiday, you know."

"Hold hard," said Bowler, "I've got another plan for Monday. You know
we ought to get our hands in a bit before we start, and try and find out
what we really want and all that sort of thing. Now, my idea is