inguishing himself during the
half-year: however hard a 'reported' boy might work, he could gain no
prize that term. So no wonder that poor Carlo repeated in amazement,

"'_Report_ me?'

"'Yes,' said Sawyer. 'I don't want to do it, but if you continue to
disobey me, I must,' and he turned away.

"Off went Carlo to his cronies with his tale of wrongs. The general
indignation was extreme.

"'I'd like to see him dare to do such a thing,' said one.

"'I'd risk it, Berkeley, if I were you,' said another. 'Anything rather
than give in to such a cowardly sneak.'

"In the midst of the discussion up came Jack, to whom, with plenty of
forcible language, his brother's woes were related. Jack's first impulse
was to discredit the sincerity of Mr. Sawyer's intention.

"He'd never _dare_ do such a thing as report you for nothing worse than
bar-jumping,' he exclaimed.

"But Carlo shook his head.

"'He's mean enough for anything,' he replied. 'I believe he'll do it fast
enough if ever he catches me bar-jumping again.'

"'Well, you'll have to give it up then,' said Jack. 'It's no use hurting
yourself to spite him,' and as Carlo made no reply, the elder brother
went away, satisfied that his, it must be confessed, not very exalted
line of argument, had had the desired effect.

"But Carlo's silence did _not_ mean either consent or assent. When Jack
had left them the younger boys talked the whole affair over again in
their own fashion and according to their own lights--the result being
that the following morning, with the aggravation of a whoop and a cry,
Carlo defiantly jumped the bar on his way to chapel for prayers.

"When Jack came to hear of it, as he speedily did, he was at first very
angry, then genuinely distressed.

"'You will only get what you deserve if he does report you,' he said to
Carlo in his vexation, and when Carlo replied that he didn't see that he
need give up what he had always done 'for a cad like that,' Jack retorted
that if he thought Sawyer a cad he should have acted accordingly, and not
trusted to _his_ good feeling or good nature. But in his heart of hearts
Jack did not believe the threat would be carried out, and, unknown to
Carlo, he did for his brother what he would never have done for himself.
As soon as morning school was over he went to Mr. Sawyer to beg him to
reconsider his intention, explaining to the best of his ability the
extenuating circumstances of the case--the tacit indulgence so long