long with Moncrief here, to keep
up the best traditions of Garside. You see our motto for the year"--he
pointed to the motto as he spoke--"'Be ye stedfast, unmovable.'"

"Yes, sir."

"Keep to that, and you won't go far wrong."

When he had given this advice, the master left the dormitory with
Hibbert, who, occupied in observing his new quarters and companions, had
not spoken during the interview.

"A queer sort of chap, our new bedfellow, isn't it, Freddy?"

"And Weevil's a beastly fraud!" said Plunger, with a shrug of the
shoulders. "But, come, we must hurry up! You haven't yet been introduced
to good old Bax."

Soon they were in the grounds again. The same crowd of boys that had
followed them to the matron's was hanging about the door as they went
out, and began tittering again as Harry came in sight.

Harry did not notice them, nor did he notice the wink that Plunger gave
them as he glanced in their direction.

"Great Scott!" he suddenly exclaimed. "There's Bax! Hurry up, Hal!"

And, linking his arm in Harry's, he hurried him in the direction of a
short, somewhat corpulent man in buttons, who was just coming from the
lodge.

"Is it the porter?" asked Harry.

"Yes, the porter. You haven't forgotten the rules? Hurry up!"

CHAPTER VII

A BAD COMMENCEMENT FOR THE TERM

No need to tell Harry to hurry up. He was as anxious to introduce
himself to the porter as Plunger could have been. So, running forward,
he quickly gained the porter's side, and brought his hand down twice,
vigorously, upon that worthy's shoulder, and, before Bax had recovered
from his astonishment, dug the forefinger of his right hand sharply into
his side, exclaiming:

"How do you do, Mr. Bax? Age, twelve--just turned; weight, five stone
ten; biceps, eight inches; chest, twenty-eight; vaccinated, three
places!"

The little porter grew purple in the face. He gasped for breath. When he
had recovered, he returned the vigorous slaps he had received upon the
back by a still more vigorous slap upon the head of Harry.

"Vaccinated in three places, are you, young gent. That will vaccinate
you in four. Don't get practising any of your larks on Bax. He's not the
one to stand it, young gent."

And, so saying, the porter strutted indignantly off. Harry had reeled
under the vigorous blow of the porter; but just before he recovered, a
hand came down on his top-hat, and crushed it over his ears, while a
voice cried, amid roars of laughte