ur line we'll go out on the river again."

"Yes; we don't mean to row you till that's done," said Ashley.

"How on earth are we to find out who cut your line any more than you?"
said Fairbairn, losing his temper.

"There's no doubt he must be a schoolhouse fellow," said Bloomfield, who
but for his friends would have been disposed to accept the challenge.

"I'm afraid he is," said Riddell.

"Well, I won't row again till we know who he is," repeated Ashley.

"Do you suppose _we_ know who he is?" demanded Fairbairn.

"You're the proper people to find out, that's all I know," said Ashley.

"Then you mean to say you won't row again?" asked Fairbairn.

"No, if it comes to that," said Bloomfield.

"Why," said Game, "the same thing might happen again."

"If you'd looked to your lines before you started," said Fairbairn,
hotly, "it wouldn't have happened."

"We shall certainly make a point of looking at them again when next we
row you," said Ashley, with a sneer.

Fairbairn seemed inclined to retort, but a look from Riddell deterred
him.

"Then you won't row again?" he repeated once more.

"No."

"Then we claim to-day's race," said Fairbairn.

"You can claim what you like," said Game.

"And our boat remains at the head of the river."

"It doesn't matter to us where it remains," replied Ashley. "You may
think what you like and we'll think what we like."

It was evidently useless to attempt further parley, and the two
schoolhouse boys accordingly retired, bitterly disappointed to be
thwarted of their only chance of righting themselves and their house in
the eyes of Willoughby.

It soon got to be known there was to be no second race, and, as usual,
all sorts of stories accompanied the rumour. The enemies of the
schoolhouse said openly that they had refused Bloomfield's demand for a
new race, and intended to stick to their ill-gotten laurels in spite of
everybody. On the other side it was as freely asserted that Parrett's
had funked it; and some went even so far to hint that the snapping of
the rope happened fortunately for the boat, and saved it under cover of
an accident from the disgrace of a defeat. The few who knew the real
story considered Bloomfield was quite right in refusing another race
till the culprit of the first should be brought to justice.

But the two fellows on whom the announcement fell most severely were
Gilks and Silk. For if the race of that day was to stand, the
schoolhouse boat