t the Exhibition first?" suggested the baronet.

"Of course I mean to get it," said Arthur, rather nettled; "I fancy
Ainger's as good a judge of what a chap can do in that line as you are."

"I don't know," replied Dig; "he said _I_ was going to get the History
Medal, but I'm not so sure if I shall."

"Well, I did think he was letting out a bit when he said that," replied
Arthur, with a chuckle. "Never mind, we'll go halves in the
Exhibition."

It must be admitted that the prospect of his coming academical success
did not appreciably affect Arthur Herapath's studies during the present
term. Four-and-a-half months is a long time to look ahead in a
schoolboy's career; and, as it happened, the captain's speech had
suggested other matters in the immediate future, which for the time
being absorbed not only Arthur's attention but everyone else's.

That evening, a list of events for the House sports was exhibited on the
common room door, with space below each for the names of intending
competitors. It was noticed that the list corresponded in every
particular with the list of the School sports to be held a week earlier,
and that the compiler (who was detected by the handwriting to be
Barnworth) had already written in brackets the names of those who had
entered for each of the events in the School sports. Every one,
therefore, in Railsford's, could see, not only what he was going in for,
but who the competitors were whom he was expected to beat.

A good beginning had already been made before the list came under the
notice of the juniors. For the High Jump, which this year, for some
reason or other, had been looked forward to as one of the principal
events, the signature of Barnworth stood boldly underneath the dreaded
names of Smedley and Clipstone. More than that, Wake, too, had entered
himself in the lists against these great competitors. The entries for
the Mile were scarcely less interesting. Smedley was to run for the
School, and, still more formidable, the long-legged Branscombe. Against
them now appeared the names of Ainger and Stafford, and the plucky
Ranger of the Fifth, and so on down the list, for all the big events,
the prefects and the redoubtable Fifth-form "muggers" of Railsford's had
set their challenge, and the hearts of the juniors swelled big within
them as they crowded round the board to write their names against the
lesser contests.

Arthur and the baronet adopted the simple and modest metho