As it
was, everybody there seemed to follow his own sweet will without a
single thought for the good of the school or the welfare of his fellows.
The heads of the house, Tucker and Silk, did not even attempt to set a
good example, and that being so, it was hardly to be expected those
below them would be much interested to supply the deficiencies.

On the very afternoon when Pilbury and Cusack had been sitting at the
feet of the learned Philpot in the laboratory, Silk, a monitor, had,
along with Gilks, of the schoolhouse, a monitor too, gone down to
Shellport, against all rules, taking Wyndham junior, one of their
special _proteges_, with them.

They appeared to be pretty familiar with the ins and outs of the big
town, and though on this occasion they occupied their time in no more
disgraceful a way than waiting on the harbour pier to see the mail
steamer come in, they yet felt, all three of them, as if they would by
no means like to be seen by any one who knew them.

And it appeared as if they were going to be spared this embarrassment,
for they encountered no one they knew till they were actually on their
way home.

Then, just as they were passing the station door, they met, to their
horror, a boy in a college cap just coming out with a parcel under his
arm. To their astonishment, it proved to be no other than Riddell
himself.

Riddell, who had come down by a special "permit" from the doctor to get
a parcel--containing, by the way, his new boating flannels--at first
looked as astonished and uncomfortable as the three truants themselves.
He would sooner have had anything happen to him than such a meeting.
However, as usual, his sense of duty came to his rescue.

He advanced to the group in a nervous manner, and, addressing Wyndham,
said, hurriedly, "Please come to my room this evening, Wyndham," and
then, without waiting for a reply, or staying to notice the ominous
looks of the two monitors, he departed, and proceeded as fast as he
could back to Willoughby.

CHAPTER TEN.

WYNDHAM JUNIOR AND HIS FRIENDS.

Wyndham, the old captain, just before leaving Willoughby, had done his
best to interest Riddell in the welfare of his young brother, a Limpet
in the Fourth.

"I wish you'd look after him now and then, Riddell," he said; "he's not
a bad fellow, I fancy, but he's not got quite enough ballast on board,
and unless there's some one to look after him he's very likely to get
into bad hands."

Riddell prom