interest to make us feel
they knew us to be gentlemen, who were at some time or other sure to pay,
and thus also they operated on our consciences. From which it followed
that one title of superiority among us, ranking next in the order of
nobility to the dignity conferred by Mr. Rippenger's rod, was the being
down in their books. Temple and I walked in the halo of unlimited credit
like more than mortal twins. I gave an order for four bottles of
champagne.

On the Friday evening Catman walked out with us. His studious habits
endeared him to us immensely, owing to his having his head in his book on
all occasions, and a walk under his superintendence was first cousin to
liberty. Some boys roamed ahead, some lagged behind, while Catman turned
over his pages, sounding the return only when it grew dark. The rumour of
the champagne had already intoxicated the boys. There was a companion and
most auspicious rumour that Boddy was going to be absent on Saturday. If
so, we said, we may drink our champagne under Catman's nose and he be
none the wiser. Saddlebank undertook to manage our feast for us. Coming
home over the downs, just upon twilight, Temple and I saw Saddlebank
carrying a long withy upright. We asked him what it was for. He shouted
back: 'It's for fortune. You keep the rear guard.' Then we saw him
following a man and a flock of geese, and imitating the action of the man
with his green wand. As we were ready to laugh at anything Saddlebank
did, we laughed at this. The man walked like one half asleep, and
appeared to wake up now and then to find that he was right in the middle
of his geese, and then he waited, and Saddlebank waited behind him.
Presently the geese passed a lane leading off the downs. We saw
Saddlebank duck his wand in a coaxing way, like an angler dropping his
fly for fish; he made all sorts of curious easy flourishes against the
sky and branched up the lane. We struck after him, little suspecting that
he had a goose in front, but he had; he had cut one of the loiterers off
from the flock; and to see him handle his wand on either side his goose,
encouraging it to go forward, and remonstrating, and addressing it in
bits of Latin, and the creature pattering stiff and astonished, sent us
in a dance of laughter.

'What have you done, old Saddle?' said Temple, though it was perfectly
clear what Saddlebank had done.

'I've carved off a slice of Michaelmas,' said Saddlebank, and he hewed
the air to flick deli