tried to get at us we hit out with
rulers, and they couldn't do it. You never saw such a lark!"

"And presently Crossfield turned up," said Telson. "My eye! you should
have seen how yellow and green they looked when he dropped in and walked
up to his usual place! We shut up for a bit as soon as he came--and,
you know, I fancy they'd have sooner we kept it up. They were bound to
say something when the row stopped. So Game tried to rush the thing
through, and get the fellows to vote before Crossfield knew what was up.
But he wasn't to be done that way."

"`I didn't quite hear what the motion was?' says he, as solemn as a
judge.

"`Oh! it's about the honour of the school. Riddell--'

"`Excuse me, Mr Deputy-Chairman and ex-monitor,' says Crossfield, and
there was a regular laugh at that hit, because, of course, Game had no
more right in the chair, now he's not a monitor, than I had. `If it's
anything to do with the honour of the school, of course it couldn't be
in better hands than yours, who have summoned the meeting on the sly,
and taken such care to select a nice little party!'

"They tried to stop him at that.

"`You can't stop the business now. We were just going to take the vote
when you came in,' said Game.

"`Exactly!' says Crossfield, propping himself up comfortably against the
back of the form as if he was going to stay all night; `that's just why
I came, and that's just why Bloomfield, and Porter, and Coates, and
Fairbairn, and a few other gentlemen who have a sort of mild interest in
the honour of the school--although it's nothing, of course, to yours--
are coming on too. They'll be here before I've done my speech. By the
way, one of you kids,' said he, with a wink our way, `might go and fetch
Riddell; he'd like to be here too.'

"We shoved young Wakefield out of the door to make believe to go and
fetch you. But they'd had quite enough of it, and shut up the meeting
all of a sudden.

"`I adjourn the meeting!' cried Game, as red as a turkey-cock.

"`All right! that will suit me just as well,' says Crossfield, grinning.
`Is it to any particular day, or shall we get notice as before?'

"Of course they didn't stop to answer, and so we gave no end of a cheer
for old Crossfield, and then came on here."

And having delivered themselves of this full, true, and particular
account of the afternoon's adventures, these two small heroes continued
their trot down to the river to refresh their honest