t disgusted them somewhat to find that Wally and his friends--also in
flannels--were on the spot before them, and, having surveyed the new
acquisitions, had calmly bagged the four front central seats in the
pavilion reserved by courtesy for the head-master and his ladies.

Since the tea at Mr Stratton's, the juniors had abated somewhat of
their immemorial feud, although the relations were still occasionally
subject to tension.

"Hullo, you kids," cried Wally, as his brother approached, "how do you
do? Pretty well this morning? That's right--so are we. Have a seat?
Plenty of room in the second row."

Considering that no one had yet put in an appearance, this was strictly
correct. Yet it did not please the Modern juniors.

"You'll get jolly well turned out when Ringwood comes," said Percy.
"Come on, you chaps," added he to his own friends. "What's the use of
sitting on a bench like schoolboys an hour before the time? Let's have
a trot."

"Mind you don't dirty your white bags," cried D'Arcy.

"No, we might be mistaken for Classic kids if we did," shouted Cottle.
"Ha, ha!"

Whereupon, and not before time, the friends parted for a while.

When Percy and Co. returned, they found the pavilion was filling up,
and, greatly to their delight, the front row was empty. The enemy had
been cleared out; and serve them right.

"Come on, you chaps," said Lickford; "don't let's get stuck in there.
Come over to the oak tree, and get up there. It's the best view in the
field."

Alas! when they got to the oak tree, four friendly voices hailed them
from among the leaves.

"How are you, Modern kids? There's a ripping view up here. Have an
acorn? Mind your eye. Sorry we're full up. Plenty of room up the
poplar tree."

The Moderns scorned to reply, and walked back sulkily to the pavilion,
not without parting greetings from their friends up the oak tree, and
squatted themselves on the steps.

The place was filling up now. Mrs Stratton was there with some
visitors. All the little Wakefields were there, of course--"minor,
minimus, and minimissima," as they were called--uttering war-whoops in
honour of their house. And there was a knot of Rendlesham fellows
talking among themselves and generally taking stock of the Fellsgarth
form. Mr Stratton, in civilian dress, as became the umpire, was the
first representative of the School to show up on the grass. A distant
cheer from the top of the oak tree hailed his arrival,