end of term,
he was shamefully mishandled by some members of Randall's the
Berneyites were furious and Gideon became temporarily a martyr and a
hero. He had kicked a football into Randall's yard: then, having
shouted "Thank you" in vain, he had climbed over the wall to look for
it. Shouts of "Gideon," "Berney's Yiddisher," "Jew-beak," "Back to
Joppa you dirty Jew-ew," and lastly a great roar of "Stone the dirty
Semite" had been heard. And Gideon had not returned. He had, it
turned out, been ceremoniously stoned--that is to say, he had been
lashed to a pillar in Randall's house gym, and pounded with footballs
thrown hard from a distance of five yards. Then he had been stripped
and thoroughly washed in cold water: they had, he said, made jokes
about Jordan and total immersion. He reappeared just before tea,
raging and very battered. All through the meal his nose bled profusely
and it was a sign of the times that no one made jokes, the old,
inevitable jokes, about Gideon's 'konk.'

Berney's discussed the affair with animation. Jew or no Jew, Gideon
was of Berney's and as such he deserved respectful treatment. The
workroom seethed with wrath and Gideon revelled in hospitalities
hitherto undreamed of. Even Cullen and Neave stooped from their
heights and actually led the wail of sympathy.

"The swine," said Neave. "Forty of 'em lamming into one poor devil."

"Jaundiced Bible-bangers," said Cullen. "I suppose they're praying now
for that mangy pot."

It was a traditional jest that Randall's had house prayers before cup
matches to invoke heavenly aid for their team.

"Let's hope Smith puts it across them."

There was a chorus of approval.

"My sainted aunt," Neave went on. "Can't we do something?"

"What?"

"Can't we avenge our Gideon?"

It was then that Martin, standing timidly on the outskirts of the crowd
and drinking in every word of the great ones, remarked boldly:

"For Gideon and the Lord."

He raised a roar of laughter. The school had been working at Judges
that term in divinity and the story of Gideon was familiar to all.
Martin's allusion to the Israelites' act of revenge was distinctly
opportune. The ringing of the prep bell abruptly ended the
conversation.

On the following day Randall's put it across Smith's, scoring
twenty-eight points to nil. Again the victory was due to forward
rushes.

"Not a decent movement in the match," said Spots angrily to Martin.
"It's scandalous that t