to a small knot of his class-fellows, "he
could finish him up easily in one round."

"Yes," chimed in another knowing one, "Loman's got such a wretched knack
of keeping up his left elbow, that he's not a chance. A child could get
in under his guard, I tell you; and as for wind, he's no more wind than
an old paper bag!"

"I wish myself it was a closer thing, as long as our man won," said Tom
Senior, with a tinge of melancholy in his voice. "It will be such a
miserably hollow affair I'm afraid."

"I'm sorry it's not Wren, or Callonby, or one of them," said another of
these amiable warriors; "there'd be some pleasure in chawing them up."

At this moment up came Pembury, with a very long face.

"It's no fight after all, you fellows," said he. "Loman funks it!"

"What! he won't fight!" almost shrieked the rest. "It must be wrong."

"Oh, all right, if it's wrong," snarled Pembury. "I tell you there's no
fight; you can believe it or not as you like," and off he hobbled, in
unusual ill-humour.

This was a sad blow to the Fifth. They saw no comfort anywhere. They
flocked to Oliver's study, but he was not there, and Wraysford's door
was locked. The news, however, was confirmed by other reporters, and in
great grief and profound melancholy the Fifth swallowed their tea, and
wondered if any set of fellows were so unlucky as they.

But their rage was as nothing to that of the Guinea-pigs and Tadpoles.

These amiable young animals had of course sniffed the battle from afar
very early in the evening, and, as usual, rushed into all sorts of
extremes of enthusiasm on the subject. A fight! A fight between Fifth
and Sixth! A fight between Greenfield senior and a monitor! Oh, it was
too good to be true, a perfect luxury; something to be grateful for, and
no mistake!

Of course a meeting was forthwith assembled to gloat over the auspicious
event.

Bramble vehemently expressed his conviction that the Sixth Form man
would eat up his opponent, and went the length of offering to cut off
his own head and Padger's if it turned out otherwise.

Paul and his friends, on the other hand, as vehemently backed the Fifth
fellow.

"When's it to come off, I say?" demanded Bramble.

"To-night, I should say, or first thing in the morning."

"Sure to be to-night. My eye! won't Greenfield senior look black and
blue after it!"

"No, he won't," cried Paul.

"Turn him out!" shouted Bramble. "No one wants you here; do we, Padge