best halfback; but
altogether the Sixth breathed more freely for what had been done and
were glad Mansfield had taken upon himself a task which no one else
would have cared to undertake.

Meanwhile, our three heroes were spending an agitated Saturday half-
holiday.

For Dick had decided two days ago that his "Firm" would have to look
after Tom White.

"You know, you fellows," said he, "we're not exactly in it as far as his
pawning the boat goes, but then if we hadn't lost her, the row would
have never come on."

"And if he hadn't robbed us, we should never have interfered with the
boat."

"And if we hadn't gone to the Grandcourt match," said Dick, who was fond
of tracing events to their source, "he wouldn't have robbed us."

Whereat they left the pedigree of Tom White's "row" alone, and turned to
more practical business.

"What can we do?" said Georgie. "We can't get him off."

"We're bound to back him up, though, aren't we?"

"Oh, I suppose so, if we only knew how."

"Well, it strikes me we ought to turn up at the police court to-morrow,
and see how things go," said Dick.

The "Firm" adopted the motion. The next day was a half-holiday; and a
police court is always attractive to infant minds. And the presence of
a real excuse for attending made the expedition an absolute necessity.

As soon as Saturday school was over, therefore, and at the very time
when the Sixth were considering Pledge's "resignation," our three
heroes, having taken a good lunch, and armed themselves each with a
towel, in case there might be time for a "Tub" on the way back, sallied
forth arm-in-arm to back up Tom White.

They found, rather to their disgust, on reaching the police court, that
they were not the only Templetonians who had been attracted by the
prospect of seeing the honest mariner at the bar. Raggles and Duffield
were there before them, waiting for the public door to open, and greeted
them hilariously.

"What cheer?" cried Raggles. "Here's a go! Squash up, and we shall bag
the front pew. Duff's got five-penn'orth of chocolate creams, so we
shall be awfully snug."

This last announcement somewhat mollified the "Firm," who made up
affectionately to Duffield's. "Old Tom will get six months," said
Duffield, as soon as his bag of creams had completed its first circuit.
"Rough on him, ain't it?"

"I don't know. I say, it'll be rather a game if it turns out he stole
his own boat, won't it? Case of picking your