e.

"Who's in!" shouted Parson from the school gate, the moment Brown
appeared about a quarter of a mile down the road.

Brown, of course, could not hear.

The question was repeated with greater vehemence as he approached, until
at last he had no excuse for not hearing.

"Do you hear, you old badger, who's in?" yelled Parson and Telson.

"Look here, you kids," said Brown, loftily, "who are you calling a
badger? I'll knock your cheeky heads together if you don't look out."

"Oh I say, who's in! can't you speak?" reiterated the youths, who at
this moment possessed only one idea between them.

"Who is it? Who's got in?" repeated some Limpets, who were as eager
every bit to hear as the juniors.

"In where?" replied the aggravating Brown, shouldering his way in at the
gate and intoxicated with his own importance. "What are you talking
about?"

"Why, who's been elected for Shellport? Is Pony in?" shouted the boys,
impatiently.

"Pony!" rejoined Brown, half-contemptuously, "do you suppose they'd have
an old stick like him!"

"What," exclaimed Merrison. "Is Cheeseman in after all, then?"

"Eh?"

"Is Cheeseman in, can't you hear?"

"I never said he was," replied Brown, majestically.

This was rather too much, and a simultaneous rush was made for the
pompous town boy, and the secret forcibly extracted in double quick
time.

"Now," cried one of the Limpets, giving his arm a premonitory screw,
"out with it, or I'm sorry for you."

"Here, let go my arm, you cad, I say; oh! you hurt! let go, I--oh! oh!
Cheeseman's in!"

The arm was flung away in disgust as a simultaneous groan greeted the
announcement.

"How much by?" demanded the inquisitors, once more preparing to apply
the screw.

But Brown had had quite enough of it, and answered glibly, "Eight
hundred and twenty-five majority!"

This was a terrible blow, and in the general dismay which followed,
Brown was temporarily overlooked.

"Eight hundred and twenty-five!" exclaimed Merrison. "Why, it's an
awful licking. Every one was sure Pony would be five hundred ahead."

"It's foul play and bribery, depend on it," said another.

"Or they've counted wrong."

"Or Brown is telling lies!"

Now, if Brown had been a wise boy he would have taken advantage of the
excitement which immediately followed his announcement to retreat
quietly and rapidly up to the school, and he reproached himself greatly
that he had not. For the ill-temper of the assembly