wide; and as "The Happy Family" mustered in force, the place was
crowded to overflowing. The door having been closed, Fletcher Two
mounted a low stone sink which ran along the end wall, and from this
ready-made platform commenced to address the assembly :--

"Gentlemen,--We've met here, as you know, to talk over starting a fresh
magazine. _The Ronleian_ is a beastly swindle, and it's high time we
had something different." (A voice, "No, 'tisn't," and the bursting of
a paper bag.) "You shut up there! I say it is a swindle: they didn't
give any account of that fourth eleven match against Robertson's second,
and they made fun of us in the 'Quad Gossip,' and said that in
'The Happy Family' there was a preponderance of monkey." ("So there is,
and you're it!" Laughter and another explosion.)

"What I propose is that we start a manuscript magazine for the Third
Form, and that every fellow promise to take that, and never to buy a
copy of the other. We might pass it round, and charge a penny each to
look at it. Will you all subscribe?"

No one spoke, the silence only being broken by the sound of "Rats"
blowing up another bag, which caused a fresh burst of laughter.

"Will you all subscribe?" once more demanded the speaker.

There were mingled cries of "Yes!" and "No!" and a stentorian yell of
"No, you cuckoo! of course we won't," from Maxton, and another
explosion.

"Look here, young 'Rats,' if you burst any more of those bags I'll come
down and burst your head.--I forgot to say, gentlemen, that Mr. Bibbs
has promised to assist in editing the paper; and I will now call upon
him to give you an account of what it will contain."

Bibbs, the Third Form genius, was regarded by every one as a huge joke,
and the very mention of his name caused a fresh burst of merriment.
He was a sad-faced, untidy-looking boy, quick and clever enough in some
things, and equally dull and stupid in others. The announcement that he
would address the meeting had no sooner been made than half a dozen
willing pairs of hands seized and hoisted him on to the platform; though
no sooner had he attained this exalted position than two or three voices
ordered him in a peremptory manner to "Come down!"

The greater part of the audience not caring the toss of a button whether
Fletcher started his magazine or not, but thinking that it was rather
good fun to interrupt the proceedings, now joined the opposition, and
the unfortunate Bibbs was subjected