Jones, who, after a few
flounderings, lay down in the fish-basket. As this did not in the least
surprise any of them, and excited no remark whatever, they set to work
again, and Kenrick had a bite this time, which proved to be Howard
Tracy, whom they laid quietly in the bottom of the boat, Jones
assisting. The third time Walter himself had a tug, and was in the act
of hauling up Dubbs, when he became conscious that the boat was rocking
very violently, and he felt rather surprised that he was not seasick.
This seemed to give a new current to his thoughts, for all of a sudden
he was out riding with someone, and his horse began to rear in the most
uncomfortable manner, right on his hind legs. He kept his seat
manfully--but no! that last rear was too much, and, suddenly waking, he
was at once aware that his bed was rising and falling in a series of
heavy shakes and bumps, whereby he was nearly flung off the mattress.
He instantly guessed the cause, for indeed, Kenrick had given him a hint
of such a possibility. He knew that someone, wishing to frighten him,
had got under the bed, and was heaving it up and down with his back.
All that he had noticed when he undressed was, that there were several
big fellows in the dormitory, and he knew that the room had rather a bad
reputation for disorder and bullying.

Being a strong little fellow, brave as a lion, and very active, Walter
was afraid of no one; so springing up during a momentary cessation of
the mysterious upheavals, he instantly made a dash under the bed, and
seized someone by the leg. The leg kicked violently, and as a leg is a
particularly strong limb, it succeeded in disengaging itself from
Walter's hands, not, however, till it had left a slipper as a trophy;
and with this slipper Walter pursued a dim white figure, which he could
just see scuttling away through the darkness to the other side of the
room. This figure he overtook just in time to give it some resounding
smacks with the sole of the slipper; when the figure clutched a
counterpane off the nearest bed, flung it over Walter, and made good an
escape, while Walter was entangled, Agamemnon-like, in the voluminous
folds. Walter, however, still kept possession of the slipper, and was
determined next morning to discover the owner. He knew that it was
probably some bigger fellow who had been playing this game, and his
common sense told him that it was best to take it good-humouredly as a
joke, and yet at the