were played in large groups or by teams. This occurred particularly when
echoes from some war abroad caused the whole school to divide into rival
armies for the staging of regular battles, as during his second year,
when all had to be Turks or Russians. But Keith didn't like battles
except in books, and mostly the pauses broke up the class communities
into small coteries or pairs. And the moment this happened, Keith found
himself outside. He belonged to no special group. His appearance in the
yard raised no delighted hails. He had no chum of his very own with whom
to exchange secrets or lay plans for common adventures. And but for
Dally, he would probably have spent most of his free time in the
classroom.

It was worse when the big pause came at eleven and every one went home
for lunch, or when three o'clock brought school to a close for the day.
Going to school alone was an experience shared by all, but on leaving
it, the hurrying horde of youngsters, exuberant with freedom as so many
colts, broke into little groups of two or three that had homes in the
same neighbourhood. Now and then Keith would join a couple of other boys
headed for the old City like himself, and they would not refuse his
company, but there always was something between him and them that
precluded real fellowship, and so he trudged his way homeward, alone
most of the time. Then he was also sure of reaching home in the shortest
possible time, so that his mother had no chance to become worried
over him.

It happen now and then that a larger group was formed for some unusual
exploit and that Keith became part of it by chance rather than choice.
Once he accompanied such a group to that part of the harbour where
tall-masted fullriggers with foreign flags lay nose by stern in unbroken
line along the quay. Strange odours, fragrant or repulsive, filled the
air. Jolly, loud-voiced men toiled mightily or lounged like monarchs
among piles of casks and bags and boxes. For once Keith lost his usual
timidity under such circumstances and threw himself whole-heartedly into
anything the gang suggested. He even ventured to climb the mast of a
ship as far as the foretop. When at last reluctantly he turned homeward,
he felt like a hero, but when he caught sight of the tear-stained,
fretted face of his mother, he knew at once that even such exaltation
was not worth the price to be paid for it.

Unfortunately he had made himself popular that afternoon, and the next
t