factory piece of business accomplished, we
adjourned to our own studies, and finally to bed.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL.

It was plain to be seen that Tempest, although he had borne his
humiliating penalty like a man, had been badly bruised by it. Not that
he broke out into any wild rebellion, or tried to make for himself a
party to avenge his wrongs; but he seemed to have either lost interest
in his work as house captain, or to enjoy disturbing the sensibilities
of his friends by a reckless indifference to its affairs.

The story of his "extra drill" had become public property in Low Heath.
Most of the fellows sympathised with him, but could not understand why
he had not appealed to the head master. A few, a very few, suggested
that he had come badly out of the business; but no one particularly
cared to discuss the matter with him.

To Pridgin and Wales he insisted that it was no use referring to Dr
England. The Head was bound to support his policeman.

"Why not get Redwood to take it up?" suggested Pridgin.

"Redwood! He wouldn't go a yard out of his way. What does it matter to
him--a day boy? No, old chap, we can take care of ourselves. There'll
be a return match one day!"

It concerned me to hear my old friend talk like this; still more to
notice how he began to lose grip in Sharpe's house. No news flies so
fast in a school as that of a responsible head boy being slack or "out
of collar." And when once it is known and admitted, it takes a good
deal to keep the house from going slack and "out of collar" too.

In our particular department the relaxing of authority was specially
apparent. It destroyed some of the interest in our philosophical
extravagances; for the dread of coming across the powers that be lends a
certain flavour to the routine of a junior boy. It also tended to
substitute horseplay and rowdyism for mere fun--greatly to the detriment
of our self-respect and enjoyment.

On the whole, then, Sharpe's house had a heavier grudge against Mr
Jarman than it suspected.

The worst of the whole business was that Tempest himself seemed not to
see the effect of his attitude on the house at large. He did not
realise how much the juniors were impressed by what he said and how he
looked, or how much his example counted with others of a less imitative
turn. He looked upon his grievance as his own affair, and failed to
give himself credit for all the influence he really possessed