m alone," said Coxhead. "What's he got to do with us?
When does he come across us? Only when there's a row on. He's got
nothing at all to say to us at other times."

"You mean, if we want to let him alone we shall have to shut up rows?"
inquired Langrish. "Rather rough, isn't it?"

"Not if he knows the reason," suggested I. "Let's send him a round-
robin and let him know."

"Not half a bad idea."

Whereupon the following candid epistle was concocted and signed by all
present:--

"To T. Crofter, Esquire, Captain Sharpe's _pro tem_., etcetera,
etcetera, etcetera.

"Dear Crofter,--We the undersigned Philosophers wish to say we're going
steady this term on our own hooks, and hope you will not think it's
because of you. We don't want to be interfered with by any chap except
old Tempest, who ought to be cock of Sharpe's, so we've decided to go
steady, so as not to be interfered with, because we would rather not you
interfered with us, because we're all serene and are backing up Tempest,
and hope he'll pull off the Mile that you've not entered for. We aren't
down on you, because you pulled Tempest through last term, but it's
rough you're cock of the house instead of him, and therefore on that
account we are going steady, so as not to give you the fag of
interfering with us, which we don't mind Tempest doing because we
consider he has more right to interfere with us than you. Hoping you
are well and in good health, as this leaves us, Believe us, with kind
regards to all at home, Yours very kindly and in alphabetical order, so
that you needn't know who started this letter. Samuel Wilberforce
Coxhead, Thomas Jones, Everard Langrish, Jonathan T. Purkis, Alfred
James Remington Trimble, Percy Algernon Warminster, and others."

This important document, the writing of which, I grieve to say,
necessitated frequent reference to the English Dictionary, Langrish, as
Crofter's fag, undertook to deliver, and faithfully discharged his
mission by leaving it on the captain's table when he was out of his
study.

It was decided to resist the temptation of sending Mr Jarman a similar
explanatory letter, for fear it might lead to a row which would call for
interference. Nor was it deemed prudent under the circumstances to
commit ourselves in writing to Tempest, whom we hoped to convince of our
loyalty by cheering him on every possible occasion and otherwise making
things pleasant for him.

How Crofter enjoyed his letter we