"It seems to me," sneered Elgert, "that this school is to be run by Rexworth and Co. You look here, Warren. It is out of school hours; and if you think that we are all going to stand being ruled by you especially when you are under the thumb of such a fellow as that—well, all I have to say is that you are jolly well mistaken."
"I mean to say," was Warren's calm reply, "that there is not going to be any fighting here; and I mean to say that we have the Head's own orders to stop any more bullying of juniors. There has been a great deal too much of it in the past."
"And if we don't obey, you will run sneaking to the Head?"
"Oh, no, I won't," came the answer. "I will give you a jolly good licking myself. If it has got to come, let us get it over. Here are I and Rexworth—Charlton don't count. If you want to see which side is the best, just you——"
"Just you all clear off; and you, Warren, don't make an ass of yourself," said a pleasant voice; and Kesterway, the head monitor of the school, appeared upon the scene. "Off you go, now! And you look here, Elgert. You may be an honourable, and a lord's son, but that is no reason why you should behave like a prig. You keep a civil tongue in your head, or you may get into trouble."
Elgert and his companions turned away, for it did not do to defy the authority of Kesterway; but he muttered as he went—
"Only wait a little while. I will get some of my own back. If I don't make Ralph Rexworth suffer for it, I will know the reason why."
But two youthful individuals, as they also walked away—Tinkle and Green to wit—discussed darkly the chances of getting equal with Dobson and Elgert.
"I vote we tell about that note," said Tinkle; but Green shook his head.
"What is the good? Suppose they denied it, how could we prove it? You bet, there would be no chance of old Brown owning up. And besides, wouldn't it be telling that we had broken bounds? No; we had best wait a while, Tinkle, and presently the chance will come."