"You! What do you know of Rollitt? Why should he play to oblige you?"

Fisher minor, wishing he had not mentioned Rollitt's name, related,
somewhat apologetically, the story of the adventure on the Shayle.

"Why," said the elder brother, "you saved his life, young 'un. No
wonder he's civil to you!"

"Oh, please don't tell him I told you."

"All right; but what about the boat? It must have been smashed to bits.
What did Mrs Wisdom say?"

"Oh, Rollitt was very honourable and bought her another. She told me
so--and I've seen the new boat."

"Rollitt bought it! Why, he's as poor as a church mouse. How could he
get the money, I'd like to know?"

"He got it the very next day," said Fisher minor. "I suppose he had
some; but promise you won't say anything."

"What's the use of making a secret of it? I won't say anything unless
you like. But I must go to Yorke."

The captain was quite prepared for the action of the Moderns.

"They've struck," said he. "Now the question is, shall we play on
Saturday, or scratch the match?"

The unanimous verdict was in favour of playing, whatever the result.

"Of course we are never sure of Rollitt until we've got him," said he,
"so we may have to play without him."

"Would Stratton play for us?" asked some one.

"No, don't let's go outside and ask masters. We're in for a licking;
but we'll make the best fight we can."

So yet another notice appeared on the board before nightfall.

"The School team on Saturday will consist of the following." (Here
followed the names, all, of course, on the Classical side.)

"A meeting of the clubs is summoned for October 3, at four p.m., in
Hall."

Of these two announcements the first amused, the second perplexed the
good young men of the Modern side. The new fifteen consisted half of
raw outsiders who had never played in a first-class match before, and
were utterly unknown to fame on the football field. But the summons for
October 3 was puzzling. Did it mean a general row, or was the captain
going to resign, or was an attempt to be made to expel the mutineers?

Clapperton did not like it. He had expected Yorke would have come to
terms before now, and it disconcerted him to see that, on the contrary,
the captain seemed determined to carry the thing through.

The only thing, of course, was for the Moderns to abstain in a body from
the meeting. But could they depend on their forces to obey their
leaders? It was all very