ur mercy; and if they want us to play
again they'll have to ask us properly."

"Meanwhile Fellsgarth will get on splendidly," said Fullerton.

"Shut up. Don't you see it will be all the better for everybody in the
long run?"

"I can't say I do at present. It may come by and by--"

"We must see that everybody backs up in this," said Brinkman. "One
traitor would spoil everything."

"That's what Yorke said on Saturday, wasn't it?" asked Fullerton
innocently, "At least, he said two traitors. Yorke will not see that
what's right for one fellow is naughty for another."

"Look here, Fullerton," said Clapperton, who was sensitive enough to
feel the sting of all this, "you don't suppose we're doing this for fun,
do you? Will you promise not to play on Saturday, even if you are
asked?"

"What if I don't?" said Fullerton.

"You won't find it particularly comfortable on this side of the School,
that's all," said Brinkman.

Fullerton meditated and turned the matter over.

"I think on the whole," said he, mimicking Clapperton, "that as this is
for the highest good of the School, and as everybody is to be all the
better in the long run, and as we're all going to be noble and sacrifice
ourselves together, you may put me down as not playing on Saturday.
_Dulce et decorum est pro patria_--I beg pardon, I'm not on the Classic
side yet."

The other players named on the list consented more or less reluctantly
to follow the same example. After morning school, therefore, when the
fellows looked at the notice board, they saw, to their bewilderment, the
names of the four Modern fellows struck out and the following note
appended to the captain's list--

"Notice.

"The following players protest against the exclusion of two names from
the above list, and decline to play on Saturday, viz., Brinkman,
Fullerton, Ramshaw major, and Smith."

Underneath this, a juvenile hand had carefully inscribed in bold
characters--

"Jolly good riddance of bad rubbish." Signed, "Wheatfield, W., D'Arcy,
Ashby, Fisher minor."

Fisher minor, who signed this latter manifesto by proxy had hastened to
carry the news of it to his brother.

"The cads!" said the junior. "We are sure to be beaten; I shall never
dare to get Rollitt twice running."

"What do you mean?" asked the elder brother, turning round.

"Oh, don't tell," said Fisher minor, "I didn't mean to say anything; you
see, I thought he wouldn't fly out, so I asked him last time."