The Cock-House at Fellsgarth Part 8

"Ranger one hundred and twenty-three. Hands up for Dangle; and if the youngsters down there don't make less noise, I'll adjourn the meeting,"

said the captain. This awful threat secured silence while the counting proceeded. D'Arcy's face grew longer and longer, and Wally at the back began to breathe vengeance on the world at large.

"Hands down."

The captain turned and said something to Clapperton; and Fisher major, who overheard what was said, looked very glum. Every one knew what was coming.

"Ranger one hundred and twenty-three votes, Dangle one hundred and twenty-four. Dangle is--"

The shouts of the Moderns drowned the last words, and the captain had to wait a minute before he could finish what he had to say.

"The votes are very close," said he. "If any one would like, we can count again."

"No, no!" cried Ranger. "It's all right. I don't dispute it."

"That concludes the elections," said the captain.

And amid loud cheers and counter-cheers the meeting dispersed.

The prefects of Wakefield's house met that evening in Yorke's study to talk over the events of the afternoon.

The captain was the only person present who appeared to regard the result of the elections with equanimity.

"After all," said he, "though I'm awfully sorry about old Ranger, it seems fairer to have the officers evenly divided. There's much less chance of a row than it we were three to their one."

"That's all very well," said Fisher, whose pleasure in his own election had been completely spoiled by the defeat of his friend, "if we could count on fair play. You know Dangle as well as I do. I'd sooner resign myself than have him secretary."

"What rot!" said Ranger. "You'd probably only give them another man.

No, we shall have to see we get fair play."

"And give it, too," said the captain.

"They simply packed the meeting," said Dalton, "and fetched up five juniors at the very end, who turned the scale. If our fellows had done the same, we should have been all right."

"I don't see the use of growling now it's well over," said Yorke; "the great thing is to see we get the best men into the teams, and that they play up."

"We hardly need go outside Wakefield's for that," said Fisher major; "they've not a man worth his salt in a football scrimmage."

"Look out that they haven't more than we have, that's all," said the captain, gloomily. "I tell you what, you fellows," added he, with a touch of temper in his voice, "if our house is to be c.o.c.k-House at Fellsgarth, we can't afford to make fools of ourselves. The School's a jolly sight more important than any one house, and as long as I'm captain of the School clubs I don't intend to inquire what house a man belongs to so long as he can play. We can keep all our jealousy for the House club if you like; but if it's to be carried into the School sports we may as well dissolve the clubs and scratch all our matches at once."

"I wonder if Clapperton is giving vent to the same patriotic sentiments to his admirers," said Ridgway, laughing. "Fancy him, and Dangle, and Brinkman conspiring together for the glory of the School."

"Why not!" said the captain, testily. "Why won't you give anybody credit for being decent outside Wakefield's?"

"I'm afraid old Yorke hardly gives any one credit for being decent in it. For pity's sake don't lecture any more to-night, old man," said Dalton. "I'll agree to anything rather than that."

"There's just one more thing," said Yorke, "which you may take as lecture or not as you like. Clapperton said something about helping out the clubs with money. Fisher major, you are the treasurer; don't have any of that. Don't take more than the regular subscription from anybody, and don't take less. If there's a deficit let's all stump up alike. We don't want anybody's charity."

This sentiment was generally applauded, and restored the captain in the good opinion of every one present. After all, old Yorke's bark was always worse than his bite. He wasn't going to be put upon by the other side, however much he seemed to stick up for them.

Ranger waited a few minutes after the others had gone.

"Look here, Ranger," said the captain, "you must back me up in this.

You can afford to do it, because you've been beaten. I only wish you were in my place. I know you hate those fellows, and are cut up to have lost the secretarys.h.i.+p."

"I'm not going to break my heart about that," said Ranger.

"Of course not. You're going to do what will be a lot more useful.

You're going to work as hard for the School as if you were secretary and captain in one; and you're going to back me up in keeping the peace, aren't you?"

"Would you, if you were in my shoes?" said Ranger.

"I might find it hard, but I almost think I should try. And if I had your good temper, I should succeed too."

Ranger laughed.

"I didn't think you went in for flattery, Yorke. Anyhow, I believe you are right. I'll be as affectionate as I can to those Modern chaps.

Ugh! good night."

After the day's excitement Fellsgarth went to bed early. But no one dreamed, least of all the heroes of the exploit themselves, how much was to depend during the coming months on those five small voters who had waited patiently in Wally Wheatfield's study that afternoon to hear the clock strike 5:30.

CHAPTER FIVE.

PERCY WHEATFIELD, ENVOY EXTRAORDINARY.

The misgivings of the Cla.s.sics were justified. The Moderns did not accept their victory at Elections with a meekness which augured harmony for the coming half.

On the contrary, they executed that difficult acrobatic feat known as going off their heads, with jubilation.

For many terms they had groaned under a sense of inferiority, partly imagined but partly well founded, in their relations with the rival side. The Cla.s.sics had given themselves airs, and, what was worse, proved their right to give them. In its early days the Modern side was not "in it" at Fellsgarth. Its few members were taught to look upon themselves as altogether a lower order of creation than the pupils of the old foundation, and had accepted the position with due humility.

Then certain rebellious spirits had arisen, who dared to ask why their side wasn't as good as any other? The answer was crus.h.i.+ng. "What can you do? Only French, and book-keeping and `stinks'"--(the strictly Cla.s.sical nickname for chemistry). "You can't put a man into the cricket or football field worth his salt; your houses are rowdy; your men do nothing at the University; two out of three of you are not even gentlemen." Whereupon the Moderns went in desperately for sports, and claimed to be represented in the School clubs. They maintained that they were as good gentlemen as any who talked Latin and Greek; and to prove it they jingled their money in their trouser-pockets, and asked what the Cla.s.sics could do in that line. The Cla.s.sics could do very little, and fell back on their moral advantages. By degrees the new side grew in numbers, and made themselves heard rather more definitely.

They put into the field one or two men who could not honestly be denied a place in the School teams; and they began to figure also among the School prefects. The present seniors, Clapperton and his friends, carried the thing a step further, and insisted on equal rights with their rivals in all the School inst.i.tutions. To their surprise they found an ally in Yorke, who, as we have already said, hurt the feelings of many of his admirers by his Quixotic insistence on fair play all round.

The proceedings yesterday had been the most recent instance of the flow in the tide of Modern progress at Fellsgarth. Reinforced by an unusual influx of new boys, they had aimed at, and succeeded in winning, their level half of the control of the School clubs; and Yorke had looked on and let them do it!

No wonder they went off their heads as they discoursed on their triumph, and no wonder they already pictured themselves masters of Fellsgarth!

It never does occur to some people that the mountain is not climbed till the top is reached.

"Really, you know," said Brinkman, "I felt half sorry for those poor beggars; they did look so sick when Dangle was elected."

"It's my opinion," said Clapperton, "you'd have been in too, if all our fellows had turned up. I saw four or five of our youngsters come in at the last moment."

"Yes--by the way," said Dangle, "that ought to be looked into. It's fishy, to say the least of it, and would have made all the difference to Brinkman's election."

"Do you know who the fellows were?" asked Clapperton.