seems to me to be cleverly managed,
though perhaps a little personal."

"Ah, only natural with schoolboys," said the Doctor. "I should like to
see it. Can you fetch it, Rastle?"

"It is nailed to the wall," said Mr Rastle, smiling, "like Luther's
manifesto; but I can get one of the boys, I dare say, to unfasten it for
you."

"No, do not do that," said the Doctor. "If the mountain will not come
to Mahomet, you know, Mahomet and his disciples must go to the mountain,
eh, Mr Harrison? I think we might venture out and peruse it where it
hangs." So half-stealthily, when the whole school was falling asleep,
Dr Senior and his colleagues stepped out into the passage, and by the
aid of a candle satisfied their curiosity as to the mysterious
_Dominican_.

A good deal of its humour was, of course, lost upon them, as they could
hardly be expected to understand the force of all the allusions it
contained. But they saw quite enough to enable them to gather the
general tenor of the paper; it amused and it concerned them.

"It shows considerable ability on the part of its editor," said the
Doctor, after the masters had returned to his study, "but I rather fear
its tone may give offence to some of the boys--in the Sixth for
instance."

"I fancy there is a considerable amount of rivalry between the two head
forms," said Mr Harrison.

"If there is," said Mr Jellicott, "this newspaper is hardly likely to
diminish it."

"And it seems equally severe on the juniors," said Mr Rastle.

"Ah," said the Doctor, smiling, "about that `strike.' I can't
understand that. Really the politics of your little world, Rastle, are
too intricate for any ordinary mortal. But I gather the small boys have
a grievance against the big ones?"

"Yes, on the question of fagging, I believe."

"Oh!" said the Doctor. "I hope that is not coming up. You know I'm
heretic enough to believe that a certain amount of fagging does not do
harm in a school like ours."

"Certainly not," said Mr Jellicott. "But these small boys are really
very amusing. They appear to be regularly organised, and some of them
have quite a martyr spirit about them."

"As I can testify," said Mr Rastle, proceeding to recount the case of
Stephen Greenfield and his sore cheek. The Doctor listened to it all,
half gravely, half amused, and presently said:

"Well, it is as well the holidays are coming. Things are sure to calm
down in them; and next term I dare say we shall