have, and I hoped Morrison would persuade his pater to
do the job for us, as he brought him in; but it don't seem as though
he was going to move in the matter, and so _I_ shall, and little
Morrison must help me.'

'But what are you going to do?' asked Leonard.

'That's my business. All you've got to do is what I tell you, and to
ask no questions.'

Curtis lifted his sleepy eyes and looked at Taylor with a little more
interest.

'What is it to be?' he asked.

'Well, I mean to stink him out; it will all be done up in the
stinkery.'

'The stinkery'--or stink-room, to give it its proper title--was a small
slip-room divided from the laboratory by a close wooden partition with
several ventilating shafts, under which noisome-smelling chemicals could be
used without causing any annoyance to the students working in the general
laboratory.

'That scholarship boy shall have enough of his precious slops. I'll
let Skeats know whether he shall favour a fellow because the rest of
us have sent him to Coventry!'

'Why, what has Skeats done?' asked one of the lads; for the science
master was a favourite among most of the boys.

'Can't you see what he's doing every day? That sneak from the board
school pretends to have "an idea," whatever that may be, and goes
talking to old Skeats about it, and so he lets him go up to the "lab."
every dinner-time to work at it. Don't you see the little game? We
can't make him feel he is in Coventry, if he is taken out of our way.
But I am going to upset this family party, and I mean little Morrison
shall help me. It's only fair, as his father brought the fellow here,
that he should be used to get rid of him.'

'What do you want me to do?' asked Leonard, turning pale, and
heartily wishing himself out of the way.

'Why, you shall get the stuff we want. Your father is a doctor, and so
it will be easy enough.'

'But the pater does not keep a store of chemicals,' said Leonard.

'Who said he did? I said he was a doctor, and I suppose you can't deny
that, can you?'

Leonard looked offended, and was turning away, but Taylor soon fetched
him back. 'Look here, little Morrison, it's no good funking. You can
do this job better than anybody else, and you've got to do it. I don't
want you to steal your father's stuff, but you must get two of his
bottles, and go to get what I shall tell you, and if the people at the
drug store ask you whether it is for your father, why, of course you
must say, "Yes.