The Cock-House at Fellsgarth Part 36

"Shan't we, that's all! To-morrow's exeat day, and no school. Next day's Sunday, and next day exeat doesn't end till twelve. We may have to stick out three days."

"Whew! we _shall_ want a lot of grub," said Cash.

"You young pig; that's all you think about. You'll have to go on jolly short rations, I can promise you. Do you know what we're going to do?"

No one had an idea what they were going to do.

"Do you know those four Cla.s.sic kids," said Percy, "my younger brother and his lot? They've not been quite such cads lately as they used to be, have they?"

"They've been a bit more civil," said Cottle. "I suppose that's because of the shop."

"What about them?" asked Ramshaw.

"Why, I fancy if we asked them, they might come over and back us up. Of course they'd have to bring their own grub; and we'd kick them out if they weren't civil. What do you say?"

"Rather a lark," said Lickford.

"All serene. I'll go and see about it. Keep it dark, whatever you do, and mind you sc.r.a.pe up all the grub that's owing us. There's no time to lose, I say; Clapperton expects us in half an hour. Wire in!"

By the end of half an hour the larder had been fairly well replenished.

Lickford and Cash had gone round on a general raid; recovering by force, where persuasion failed, their outstanding loans, and in other cases borrowing additional supplies in the same genial manner. Among other booty, they secured a tin of pressed beef from Spanker, who had to be clouted on the head before he would "lend it," and some sardines from another boy, who was thankful to find any one to take them off his hands at any price.

Cottle and Ramshaw, acting on sealed orders from their leader, had been round borrowing a screw-driver and screws, a few yards of rope, and other material of war, among which was a squirt belonging to Reynolds, who had been pleased to "swap" it for a couple of Greek stamps which Cottle had to dispose of.

Many were the fears lest not only should Percy fail to secure the services of the Cla.s.sic juniors, but should himself be too late to take part in the siege. However, much to their relief, this was not so; as presently he came over arm in arm with Wally (who carried a parcel under his arm), followed at a respectful distance by D'Arcy, Ashby, and Fisher minor, the bulkiness of whose pockets gave promise of a further addition to the sinews of war.

By general consent the visitors slipped in, not in a body, but casually one by one, and so escaped special observation. As soon as they were all a.s.sembled, Percy gave the order to screw up, and pile on the barricades.

_Wally_, who was disposed to be patronising, snuffed up somewhat at his brother's calm a.s.sumption of the command.

"Why didn't you say you wanted screws?" said he; "we've got one or two long ones. That's not the way to stick it in, young Lickford; make the hole more sideways. Here, I'll do it for you."

"I'll tell you what," said D'Arcy, "you chaps had better begin to move up the bed against the door, in case they come before we're fast in.

Fire away. Stick it close up, and young Lickford can stand on to it to put in the screw."

"Come on, Cash; stick these parcels out of the way," said Ashby, handing out the provender; "they'll be better in the cupboard. Mind how you put them in."

"You've got a knife, Cottle," said Fisher minor. "Cut these bits of wood into wedges to go under the door. They'll make it pretty secure."

In this manner the Cla.s.sic auxiliaries coolly took charge of the arrangements before ever their hosts had time to realise that they had been relegated to a back seat.

However, just now there was no time for arguing questions of precedence and authority. The enemy might be upon them at any moment, and they had a lot to do before their outworks could be said to be in a proper state of defence.

The screws in the door were driven hard home into the wainscot; the wedges underneath were tightly fixed. The bed, with bedding complete, was drawn against the entry. A second line of defence was thrown up of chairs, chest of drawers, book-case, and wash-stand. Beyond that were stacked against the wall cricket bats, stumps, boxing-gloves, and other dangerous-looking implements, for use in a last emergency. At Percy's suggestion, and under Wally's direction, an additional loophole was bored in the panel of the door (in flagrant forgetfulness of the rights of School property), through which, as well as through the ventilating holes above, the enemy might be reconnoitred and operated on.

These preliminaries being complete, and Fisher minor having been perched on the table (which was on the bed), with his eye to the loophole, the company, to pa.s.s the time, resolved itself into a committee on the School shop, and waited anxiously for the attack.

Percy was specially anxious, for he had enlisted his four recruits on the distinct understanding there would be a row, and all the blame would fall on his head if by any ill-luck the evening pa.s.sed off quietly.

Already the Cla.s.sic juniors were beginning to get impatient, and hinting that they saw no fun in the proceeding so far, when Fisher minor scrambled down from his perch and cried:

"s.h.!.+--here comes somebody."

"About time," said Wally, taking possession of the squirt.

As he spoke, the footsteps halted at the door, and the handle turned.

"Lie low, you chaps," whispered Percy. "Don't let them know you're here to begin with. Hullo! who's that?"

"Let me in!" cried Gamble, outside.

"Can't; we're busy," replied Lickford.

"We've got a committee meeting, and you'd better cut," cried Percy.

"Do you hear?" replied the amba.s.sador; "let me in."

"There's plenty of room in your own study, ain't there? Why don't you go there? We don't want you here."

"Cut your sticks, and learn your rotten Modern lessons," shouted Wally, who began to be tired of being a listener.

Luckily, Cottle knocked over one of the chairs at this juncture, which served to conceal the voice of the speaker from the ears outside.

"All right," said Gamble; "you'll catch it. Clapperton sent me to tell you if you don't come to his room directly, he'll come and fetch you himself. There!"

"Good evening," cried Ramshaw. "Our love to them all at home."

D'Arcy, meanwhile, had mounted the bed, and by means of a pea-shooter materially a.s.sisted in the departure of the discomfited envoy.

"Now we're getting livery," said Wally, proceeding to load his squirt out of the jug. "Better light the candle, one of you, and have some light on the subject."

A terrible discovery ensued. Neither candle nor matches could be found!

In a quarter of an hour daylight would depart, and after that--well, the prospect was not brilliant, at any rate. However, there was no time to do anything but recriminate, which the company industriously did until the sentinel again gave the signal to stand by.

"Look here," said Percy, "we'd better keep him jawing as long as he'll stand it, and not let fly till he begins to get violent--eh?"

"All serene," said Wally; "that won't be long."

"No; and he'll bring the whole kit of prefects with him. What a high old time there'll be!" chuckled D'Arcy.

"There's one lucky thing," said Cash. "Forder and his dame have gone out for the evening; so we shan't hurt _their_ feelings."

"Look out--it's Clapperton," whispered the sentinel.

Clapperton tried the door, and on finding it fast, gave it a kick.

"h.e.l.lo! who's there?"

"Open the door; let me in!"