e the thing to time. Time, the Great
Healer. In a year or two he'll fade to a delicate pink. I don't see why
you shouldn't have a pink bull terrier. It would lend a touch of
distinction to the place. Crowds would come in excursion trains to see
him. By charging a small fee you might make him self-supporting. I think
I'll suggest it to Comrade Downing."

"There'll be a row about this," said Stone.

"Rows are rather sport when you're not mixed up in them," said Robinson,
philosophically. "There'll be another if we don't start off for chapel
soon. It's a quarter to."

There was a general move. Mike was the last to leave the room. As he was
going, Jellicoe stopped him. Jellicoe was staying in that Sunday, owing
to his ankle.

"I say," said Jellicoe, "I just wanted to thank you again about that--"

"Oh, that's all right."

"No, but it really was awfully decent of you. You might have got into a
frightful row. Were you nearly caught?"

"Jolly nearly."

"It _was_ you who rang the bell, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was. But for goodness' sake don't go gassing about it, or
somebody will get to hear who oughtn't to, and I shall be sacked."

"All right. But, I say, you _are_ a chap!"

"What's the matter now?"

"I mean about Sammy, you know. It's a jolly good score off old Downing.
He'll be frightfully sick."

"Sammy!" cried Mike. "My good man, you don't think I did that, do you?
What absolute rot! I never touched the poor brute."

"Oh, all right," said Jellicoe. "But I wasn't going to tell anyone, of
course."

"What do you mean?"

"You _are_ a chap!" giggled Jellicoe.

Mike walked to chapel rather thoughtfully.

18

MR. DOWNING ON THE SCENT

There was just one moment, the moment in which, on going down to the
junior day room of his house to quell an unseemly disturbance, he was
boisterously greeted by a vermilion bull terrier, when Mr. Downing was
seized with a hideous fear lest he had lost his senses. Glaring down at
the crimson animal that was pawing at his knees, he clutched at his
reason for one second as a drowning man clutches at a life belt.

Then the happy laughter of the young onlookers reassured him.

"Who--" he shouted, "WHO has done this?"

"Please, sir, we don't know," shrilled the chorus.

"Please, sir, he came in like that."

"Please, sir, we were sitting here when he suddenly ran in, all red."

A voice from the crowd: "Look at old Sammy!"

The situation was impossible. There was no