tter put it back before I get my monkey
up--Indian monkey, I mean--for if I do there's going to be
head-punching, and no mistake."

"Come on, Singh," said Glyn quietly, as he slipped his arm through his
companion's and tried to lead him away. "Don't take any notice of the
malicious brute."

But Singh's feet seemed to be shod with something magnetic which made
them cling to the ground, and he stood fast.

"Come on, I say," cried Glyn. "No nonsense! Do you hear?"

Singh turned upon him quickly with an angry flash in his eyes, and he
was about to burst out with some fierce retort; but in those brief
moments it seemed to him that it was not Glyn's but the Colonel's
masterful eyes that were gazing down into his, as, truth to tell, they
had more than once looked down upon his father in some special crisis
when in the cause of right the brave English officer had with a few
words mastered the untutored Indian chief, and maintained his position
as adviser as well as friend.

The next minute Singh was walking quietly away by his companion's side;
but his arm kept giving a sharp jerk as Slegge went on speaking more and
more loudly, uttering words so that the friends might hear.

"I don't care," said Slegge; "you fellows can do what you like, but I am
not going to believe it. It's all a got-up thing. I don't believe
there ever was any precious belt, or, if there was, it was only a green
glass sham. Emeralds set in gold, indeed! Whoever heard of a fellow
coming to school with a thing like that in his box? Bah! Yah! It
isn't likely that even a nigger would do it." And as the companions
passed out of earshot, Slegge continued, "It doesn't matter to me; my
time's nearly up at school, thank goodness! and I shall finish with the
next half. But I do pity you poor beggars who have got to stay. I
don't know what the place is coming to. It seems to me that old
Bewley's head's getting soft, unless he's getting so hard-up that he's
glad to take anybody's money to keep the old mathematical musical-box
going, or else he wouldn't have taken a nigger to be put in the same
rank with English gentlemen."

"Here, you had better mind," said Burney.

"Why?" snapped out Slegge.

"Because you will have old Glyn hear you."

"Pooh! What do I care for Glyn?"

"Ever so much," said Burney. "I don't suppose you want another
licking."

"Look here, Burney, none of your cheek, please, or else somebody else
will get a licking. None