The Pothunters | Page 7

up at Aldershot.'
'Good man. I didn't hear about that. What time? Anything good?'
'Nothing special. 2-7 and three-fifths.'
'That's awfully good. You ought to pull off the mile, too, I should
think.'
'Yes, with luck. Drake's the man I'm afraid of. He's done it in 4-48
twice during training. He was second in the half yesterday by about
three yards, but you can't tell anything from that. He sprinted too late.'
'What's your best for the mile?'
'I have done 4-47, but only once. 4-48's my average, so there's nothing
to choose between us on paper.'
'Well, you've got more to make you buck up than he has. There must be
something in that.'
'Yes, by Jove. I'll win if I expire on the tape. I shan't spare myself with
that quid on the horizon.'
'No. Hullo, there's the bell. We must buck up. Going to Charteris' gorge
tonight?'
'Yes, but I shan't eat anything. No risks for me.'
'Rusks are more in your line now. Come on.'
And, in the excitement of these more personal matters, Tony entirely
forgot to impart the news of the Pavilion burglary to him.

[3]
AN UNIMPORTANT BY-PRODUCT
The news, however, was not long in spreading. Robinson took care of
that. On the way to school he overtook his friend Morrison, a young
gentleman who had the unique distinction of being the rowdiest fag in
Ward's House, which, as any Austinian could have told you, was the
rowdiest house in the School.
'I say, Morrison, heard the latest?'
'No, what?'
'Chap broke into the Pav. last night.'
'Who, you?'
'No, you ass, a regular burglar. After the Sports prizes.'
'Look here, Robinson, try that on the kids.'
'Just what I am doing,' said Robinson.
This delicate reference to Morrison's tender years had the effect of
creating a disturbance. Two School House juniors, who happened to be
passing, naturally forsook all their other aims and objects and joined
the battle.
'What's up?' asked one of them, dusting himself hastily as they stopped
to take breath. It was always his habit to take up any business that
might attract his attention, and ask for explanations afterwards.
'This kid--' began Morrison.
'Kid yourself, Morrison.'
'This lunatic, then.' Robinson allowed the emendation to pass. 'This
lunatic's got some yarn on about the Pav. being burgled.'
'So it is. Tell you I saw it myself.'
'Did it yourself, probably.'
'How do you know, anyway? You seem so jolly certain about it.'
'Why, there's a pane of glass cut out of the window in the First room.'
'Shouldn't wonder, you know,' said Dimsdale, one of the two School
House fags, judicially, 'if the kid wasn't telling the truth for once in his
life. Those pots must be worth something. Don't you think so, Scott?'
Scott admitted that there might be something in the idea, and that,
however foreign to his usual habits, Robinson might on this occasion
be confining himself more or less to strict fact.
'There you are, then,' said Robinson, vengefully. 'Shows what a fat lot
you know what you're talking about, Morrison.'

'Morrison's a fool,' said Scott. 'Ever since he got off the bottom bench
in form there's been no holding him.'
'All the same,' said Morrison, feeling that matters were going against
him, 'I shan't believe it till I see it.'
'What'll you bet?' said Robinson.
'I never bet,' replied Morrison with scorn.
'You daren't. You know you'd lose.'
'All right, then, I'll bet a penny I'm right.' He drew a deep breath, as
who should say, 'It's a lot of money, but it's worth risking it.'
'You'll lose that penny, old chap,' said Robinson. 'That's to say,' he
added thoughtfully, 'if you ever pay up.'
'You've got us as witnesses,' said Dimsdale. 'We'll see that he shells out.
Scott, remember you're a witness.
'Right-ho,' said Scott.
At this moment the clock struck nine, and as each of the principals in
this financial transaction, and both the witnesses, were expected to be
in their places to answer their names at 8.58, they were late. And as
they had all been late the day before and the day before that, they were
presented with two hundred lines apiece. Which shows more than ever
how wrong it is to bet.
The news continuing to circulate, by the end of morning school it was
generally known that a gang of desperadoes, numbering at least a
hundred, had taken the Pavilion down, brick by brick, till only the
foundations were left standing, and had gone off with every jot and
tittle of the unfortunately placed Sports prizes.
At the quarter-to-eleven interval, the School had gone en masse to see
what it could see, and had stared at the window with much the same
interest as they were wont to use in