e than
useless--no dignity or anything else; Kenrick (for Kenrick had so far
kept the advantage of his original start that, much as he had fallen off
in work, Walter had not yet got above him)--well, you know what Ken is!"

"Yes, I know what Ken is now--_Hespemor en phthimenoir_--he's our chief
danger--a doubtful general in the camp. Hullo, Flip, _you_ here?" said
he, as Henderson came up and joined them.

"Myself, O Evides; who's the doubtful general in the camp?--not I, I
hope."

"You, Flip? no; but Kenrick. We're talking about the monitors."

"A doubtful general!--a traitor, you mean, an enemy, a spy," said
Henderson, hotly. "There, now, don't stop me, Power; abuse is a good
safety-valve; the scream of the steam-engine letting off superfluous
vapour. I should dislike him far worse if I bottled up against him a
silent spite, hated him in the dark, and didn't openly abuse him
sometimes."

Power's large and gentle mind, and Walter's generous temper prevented
them from joining in Henderson's strong language; but they felt no less
than he did that, if they were to work for the good of the school,
Kenrick would be their most dangerous, though not their declared,
opponent. A monitor who seemed to recognise none of a monitor's duties,
who openly broke rules and defied discipline, who smoked and went to
public-houses, and habitually associated with inferiors, and those the
least creditable set in the school, did more to damage the authority of
the upper boys than _any_ number of external assaults on them if they
were consistent and united among themselves.

"I foresee storms ahead," said Power, with a sigh. "Flip, you must
stand by me as well as Walter."

"Never fear," said Henderson; "but remember I'm only the junior monitor
of the lot, and I'm so quick-tempered, I'm always afraid of stirring up
a commotion some day with the Harpoons"--as Henderson had christened the
Harpour lot.

"You must be like the lightning-kite then," said Power, "and turn the
flash away from us."

"`And dash the beauteous terror to the ground,
Smiling majestic,'"

observed Henderson, parodying the gesture, and making the others laugh.

"Do you remember Somers, and Dimock, and Danvers? What big fellows the
monitors used to be then!" said Power.

"And do you remember certain boys whom Somers, and Dimock, and Danvers
praised on a certain occasion?" said Walter. "Come, Rex, don't despond.
We weren't afraid then, why should we b