FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29  
30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   >>   >|  
nexpected, their leaving. They would have made all the difference to the forwards. You must have somebody to lead the pack who has had a little experience of first fifteen matches." "But even then," said Clowes, "they oughtn't to be so rank as they were this afternoon. They seemed such slackers." "I'm afraid that's the failing of the school just now," agreed Mr Seymour. "They don't play themselves out. They don't put just that last ounce into their work which makes all the difference." Clowes thought of saying that, to judge by appearances, they did not put in even the first ounce; but refrained. However low an opinion a games' master may have--and even express--of his team, he does not like people to agree too cordially with his criticisms. "Allardyce seems rather sick about it," said Trevor. "I am sorry for Allardyce. It is always unpleasant to be the only survivor of an exceptionally good team. He can't forget last year's matches, and suffers continual disappointments because the present team does not play up to the same form." "He was saying something about rows with the town," said Trevor, after a pause. "Yes, there has certainly been some unpleasantness lately. It is the penalty we pay for being on the outskirts of a town. Four years out of five nothing happens. But in the fifth, when the school has got a little out of hand--" "Oh, then it really _has_ got out of hand?" asked Clowes. "Between ourselves, yes," admitted Mr Seymour. "What sort of rows?" asked Trevor. Mr Seymour couldn't explain exactly. Nothing, as it were, definite--as yet. No actual complaints so far. But still--well, trouble--yes, trouble. "For instance," he said, "a boy in my house, Linton--you remember him?--is moving in society at this moment with a swollen lip and minus a front tooth. Of course, I know nothing about it, but I fancy he got into trouble in the town. That is merely a straw which shows how the wind is blowing, but if you lived on the spot you would see more what I mean. There is trouble in the air. And now that this election is coming on, I should not wonder if things came to a head. I can't remember a single election in Wrykyn when there was not disorder in the town. And if the school is going to join in, as it probably will, I shall not be sorry when the holidays come. I know the headmaster is only waiting for an excuse to put the town out of bounds.' "But the kids have always had a few rows on with
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29  
30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

trouble

 
school
 

Seymour

 
Trevor
 

Clowes

 

remember

 
Allardyce
 

matches

 

election

 

difference


complaints

 
admitted
 

society

 

Between

 

moment

 

moving

 

instance

 
explain
 

Nothing

 

definite


Linton

 

actual

 

couldn

 

Wrykyn

 

disorder

 
single
 
things
 

excuse

 
bounds
 

waiting


headmaster
 

holidays

 

coming

 

blowing

 
swollen
 

forget

 

appearances

 

thought

 
agreed
 

refrained


However

 
express
 

people

 

master

 

opinion

 
failing
 

afraid

 
forwards
 

nexpected

 

leaving