A Dog with a Bad Name | Page 2

alone, but this beast Frampton's
smashing the place up. What do you think?--you'd never guess, he's
made a rule the fellows are all to tub every morning, whether they like
it or not. What do you call that? I know I'll get my governor to make a
row about it. It won't wash, I can tell you. What business has he to
make us tub, eh, do you hear? That's only one thing. He came and
jawed us in the big room this morning, and said he meant to make
football compulsory! There! You needn't gape as if you thought I was
gammoning. I'm not, I mean it. Football's to be compulsory. Every man
Jack's got to play, whether he can or not. I call it brutal! The only thing
is, it won't be done. The fellows will kick. I shall. I'm not going to play

football to please a cad like Frampton, or any other cad!"
What Benjamin says is, for a wonder, the truth. A curious change had
come over Bolsover since the end of last term. Old Mr Mullany, good
old fossil that he was, had resigned. The boys had heard casually of the
event at the end of last term. But the old gentleman so seldom appeared
in their midst, and when he did, so rarely made any show of authority,
that the school had grown to look upon him as an inoffensive old fogey,
whose movements made very little difference to anybody.
It was not till the holidays were over, and Mr Frampton introduced
himself as the new head-master, that Bolsover awoke to the knowledge
that a change had taken place. Mr Frampton--he was not even a
"Doctor" or a "Reverend," but was a young man with sandy whiskers,
and a red tie--had a few ideas of his own on the subject of dry-rot. He
evidently preferred ripping up entire floors to patching single planks,
and he positively scared his colleagues and pupils by the way he set to
work. He was young and enthusiastic, and was perhaps tempted to
overdo things at first. When people are being reformed, they need a
little breathing time now and then; but Mr Frampton seemed to forget
it.
He had barely been in his post a week when two of the under-masters
resigned their posts. Undaunted he brought over two new men, who
shared his own ideas, and installed them into the vacancies. Then three
more of the old masters resigned; and three more new men took their
places. Then the "experienced matron" resigned, and Mrs Frampton
took her place. No sooner was that done than the order went out that
every boy should have a cold bath every morning, unless excused by
the doctor. The school couldn't resign, so they sulked, and gasped in the
unwelcome element, and coughed heart-rendingly whenever they met
the tyrant. The tyrant was insatiate. Before the school could recover
from his first shock, the decree for compulsory football staggered it.
Compulsory football! Why, half the fellows in the school had never put
their toes to a football in their lives, and those who had had rarely done
more than punt the leather aimlessly about, when they felt in the
humour to kick something, and nobody or nothing more convenient

was at hand. But it was useless to represent this to Mr Frampton.
"The sooner you begin to play the better," was his reply to all such
objections.
But the old goal posts were broken, and the ball was flabby and nearly
worn-out.
"The new goals and ball are to arrive from London to-day."
But they had not got flannels or proper clothes to play in.
"They must get flannels. Every boy must have flannels, and meanwhile
they must wear the oldest shirts and trousers they had."
Shirts and trousers! Then they weren't even to be allowed to wear coats
and waistcoats this chilly weather! Hadn't they better wait till next
week, till they could ask leave of their parents, and get their flannels
and practise a bit?
"No. Between now and Saturday they would have two clear days to
practise. On Saturday, the Sixth would play the School at three
o'clock."
And Mr Frampton, there being nothing more to say on this subject,
went off to see what his next pleasant little surprise should be. Bolsover,
meanwhile, snarled over the matter in ill-tempered conclaves in the
play-ground.
"It's simple humbug," said Farfield, one of the Sixth. "I defy him to
make me play if I don't choose."
"I shall stand with my hands in my pockets, and not move an inch,"
said another.
"I mean to sit down on the grass and have a nap," said a third.
"All very well," said a youngster, called Forrester; "if you can get all
the other fellows