unlucky race. Now, however, the
clearing up of that mystery, and, still more, the new alliance, rumours
of which were spreading fast, between the two captains, opened new hopes
for the old school.

There were not a few who at first treated the rumours of the new
alliance with sceptical derision, but they had soon cause to discover
that it was more than a joke.

Stutter and Wibberly, two of the sceptics, happened to be caught that
very afternoon by Bloomfield in the act of "skulking" dinner--that is,
of answering to their names at the call-over, and then slipping off
unobserved to enjoy a rather more elaborate clandestine meal in their
own study. It was not a very uncommon offence, or perhaps a very
terrible one, but it was an offence which monitors were bound to report.

"Where are you off to?" demanded Bloomfield, encountering these two
deserters.

"Oh, it's all right," said Wibberly, "we've been called over. We're
only going to Stutter's study."

"Go back at once," said Bloomfield, "and go to the captain after six."

Wibberly laughed.

"You're joking surely," said he; "you usen't to mind the extra feeds now
and then."

"If I shirked my duty once it's no reason I should do it for ever. Go
back, do you hear? at once."

"What, won't you let us go this time?" said Wibberly, quite bewildered
by this unexpected sternness on the part of his old patron.

"Do you hear what I say?" thundered Bloomfield. "Do you want to be
licked into the bargain?"

"Oh, very well," said Wibberly, with a last fond thought of Stutter's
good bill of fare. "But, I say, you needn't give us lines, Bloomfield."

"I've nothing to do with giving you lines. That's the captain's
affair."

"What do you mean? Do you mean to say you'll report us to Riddell?"

"Of course. He's the captain."

"Oh, look here!" cried Wibberly, quite convinced now that the rumours
were no joke. "We'll go back, and we'll do lines for you, but for
goodness' sake don't send us up to him."

"We had no warning, you see," said Stutter, "that things were changed."

"Go back, then," said Bloomfield, "and make up your minds unless you
keep rules you'll get treated just the same as any other rowdies. I
won't report you this time, but you'd better take care what you do."

This little incident made a remarkable impression, not only on the two
boys immediately concerned, but on the school generally. For it soon
got noised about, and no public proclamation co