to let it go to a trial, I expect."

"Hurrah for injured innocence," said Fullerton; "it's the best paying
thing I know."

The result of this conference was, that Dangle went across after school
next morning to the captain's study where Fisher and Ranger happened to
be calling at the same time.

"Look here, Yorke," said the secretary, adopting his most civil tones,
"you quite misunderstood my letter to Fisher major. We don't want
another election. We'd just as soon let things stop as they are. It
was rough on us, of course; but it divides the offices up more fairly to
have them as they are."

"Thanks," said Yorke, "that's not good enough. We'll have another
election on Friday."

Dangle's face fell.

"You're fools if you do," said he. "Those five votes will make all the
difference."

"I don't care if they've five hundred," said Yorke.

"Oh, all right. You've no message about the cheats who kept our men
out, have you? Probably they've been promoted to prefects!"

"You took care not to commit yourself to any names; but, as you wrote to
Fisher major, you probably include him as one of the cheats. If so, I
dare say he'll be glad to discuss the matter with you outside."

"I never said it was he," said Dangle hurriedly.

"But I know who it was."

"Three of our juniors, I understand?" said Yorke. "The fags of three of
your prefects, yes."

"Fisher," said the captain, "will you fetch Ashby, D'Arcy, and Fisher
minor here?"

The young gentlemen in question were not far away busily engaged in
their joint study, with Wally's assistance, in getting up a stock of
impositions, which should serve as a common fund on which to draw daring
the term.

The idea was D'Arcy's.

"You see," he had said, "we're bound to catch it, some of as, and it's a
jolly fag having to do the lines just when they're wanted. My notion
is, if we just keep a little stock by us, it'll be awfully handy. Why,
suppose young Ashby were to get fifty lines at morning school next
Saturday, what about his chance of getting into the 58th fifteen?"

"It's the 6th fifteen, not the 58th," said Ashby.

"Well, there's not much difference."

"It would be jolly awkward," said Ashby.

"Yes; and you always do get potted just when it is jolliest awkward,"
said D'Arcy. "That's why it's such a tip to have your impots written
before you get them. Penny wise, pound foolish, you know."

It was not at all clear what this valuable aphorism had to