“Of course I shall,” said Penn, edging uneasily away to try if possible to get rid of the unlucky bottle, which now felt as if it burned his pocket.
“Stay, my friend,” said Whalley, collaring him; “no shuffling away, if you please.”
“What the devil is your right to search me?” said Penn, struggling in vain under Whalley’s grasp; “don’t you fellows let him search me.”
The attention of all was now fairly diverted from the fight, which, therefore, remained undecided; while the boys, especially the Noelites, formed an angry group round Henderson and Whalley, to prevent them, if possible, from any attempt to search Penn. Meanwhile, seeing that something was going on, other boys came flocking up until a large number of the school were assembled there, while Whalley still kept tight hold of Penn, and Henderson watched that he should play no tricks; the Noelites meantime exclaiming very loudly against the supposed infringement of their abstract rights.
Kenrick was one of those who had now come up; and as several fellows entreated him to stick up for his own house, and not to let Penn be searched, he worked himself into a passion, and pushing into the circle, said loudly, “You’ve no right to search him; you shan’t do it.”
“Here’s the head of the school, he shall decide,” said Henderson, as Power and Walter approached. “State your own case, Kenrick.”
“Well, the case simply is, that a scent-bottle has been taken from Mrs Hart; and Penn doesn’t see—nor do I—why he should be searched.”
“You haven’t mentioned that young Evson says he saw him take it.”
“Why, Charlie, what have you been doing?” said Walter, looking at his brother’s bruised and smeared face in surprise.
“Only a fight,” said Charlie; “I couldn’t help it, Walter; Wilton struck me because I charged Penn with taking the bottle.”