contemptuously; 'getting along is all very
well; but when you're swimming where a lot of people see you, you like
to be able to do the fancy strokes. You need to have lessons for these
things though.'

Reggie's dark, serious eyes exchanged a glance with Allan's amused ones.

'Good thing Marjorie isn't here,' observed Allan in an aside; and the
other boys grinned as they thought of the way in which Marjorie always
had a reply ready for Harry when he was caught boasting.

'What's that?' said Harry, his head popping out of the opening of his
shirt.

Allan was saved from the necessity of replying by the reappearance of
Duncan, to say that 'The young gentlemen wass to please mek haste and
come at once, as effery one wass waiting for them.'

During the walk from the bathing-place Allan was very silent, and all
tea-time he watched Reggie and Harry thoughtfully, and was evidently
revolving something in his mind.

After tea he took an opportunity of saying to Marjorie, 'Now, Marjorie,
remember that we've got to make the _Kelpie_ late.'

'I'll try to get lost,' said Marjorie. 'I hope they won't go off
without me though. You'd better lose yourself too, with one or two of
the others; and they'll notice if so many are absent.'

'I'll do my best,' said Allan. 'I think we'll manage to keep them back
an hour or so. You might come this way, Reggie, will you?'

Allan walked for some distance in silence, and Reggie began to wonder
what was coming.

'Reggie,' began Allan, rather absently, 'have you been thinking that
you're going to school next term?'

'Yes,' answered Reggie, wondering what this was going to lead to.

'Well,' resumed Allan, 'you'll need to have some fights, you know,
almost as soon as you get there.'

'I suppose so,' said Reggie.

'I mean,' said Allan, 'even supposing that no one challenges you,
you'll have to fight some of the fellows at the very commencement,
don't you see, just to show that you're not the sort to be put upon.'

Reggie listened attentively, but said nothing.

'You haven't had much opportunity of practising yet, of course, and it
won't do, if you want to make a position for yourself in the school,
just to begin upon some of the new fellows, kids of your own size or a
little bigger; any one can do that. What you want is to challenge some
of the older fellows at the very beginning, and then, no one will try
humbugging you, as they do with the new fellows.'

Reggie looked doubtful