'll
do your sums and look over your exercises for you like one o'clock.
Ugh! though, I suppose every man Jack of you is a Tadpole or a Pig?"

Tadpoles and Guinea-pigs, I should say, were the names given to two
combinations or clubs in the clannish Junior School, the mysteries of
which were known only to their members, but which were not regarded with
favour by the older boys.

As no one answered this charge, Ricketts indulged in a few general
threats, and a few not very complimentary comments on the clubs in
question, and then returned to the notice board, which contained two
more announcements.

"Cricket Notices. To-morrow will be a final big practice, when the
elevens for the `A to M _versus_ N to Z' match on the 25th will be
chosen. `Sixth _versus_ School' will be played on the 1st proxo. The
School Eleven will be selected from among players in the two above
matches."

"A private meeting of the Fifth will be held this afternoon at 4.30 to
discuss an important matter."

"Hullo!" said Bullinger, looking up at the clock, "it's half-past now!
Come along, Rick."

And the two demagogues disappeared arm-in-arm down the passage, followed
by the admiring glances of the juniors, who spent the next half-hour in
wondering what could be the important matter under consideration at the
private meeting of the Fifth. The universal conclusion was that it had
reference to the suppression of the Tadpoles and Guinea-pigs--a
proceeding the very suggestion of which made those small animals tremble
with mingled rage and fear, and sent them off wriggling to their own
quarters, there to deliberate on the means of defence necessary to
protect themselves from the common enemy.

The meeting in the Fifth, however, was to consider a far more important
subject than the rebellious clubs of the Junior School.

The reader will doubtless have inferred, from what has already been
said, that the young gentlemen of the Fifth Form at Saint Dominic's
entertained, among other emotions, a sentiment something like jealousy
of their seniors and superiors in the sixth. Perhaps Saint Dominic's is
not the only school in which such a feeling has existed; but, at any
rate during the particular period to which I am referring, it was pretty
strong there. Not that the two Forms were at war, or that there was any
fear of actual hostilities. It was not so bad as all that. But the
Fifth were too near the heroes of the top Form to consent to submit to
th