"Brady, have you heard that they've dragged us into this row? That our half's stopped along with the boarders'? Though none of us ever saw or tasted so much as a drum-stick!"
"None of you? Ever?" put in Jack. "That's a big order, Piggy-wig."
"You know what I mean," rejoined Bacon. "They might have had a swan or a peacock for all we knew about it."
"But, my dear fellow, it's West you must blame. No one mentioned you."
"No, but not one of them had the honesty to stand out and clear us—to assure him we'd nothing to do with it," said Mason. "Instead of that they are careful to turn it into a mystery, on purpose that we may all be suspected."
"Well, well, it's only just a single half that's lost. It'll soon be over and forgotten."
"Will it?" cried Simmons indignantly. "I fancy it will be remembered longer than you think by some. We mean to pay them in full for their mean spite. We're going to unite and fight."
"Oh, challenge them to a cricket match instead! I'll play for you. Think how much more sportive that will be! Not to say, sensible."
"Come, Brady, we're not babies. We mean to make them sorry by force."
"Take care you're not made sorry by force, Lucy!"