******
On the road they met Brown and Smith. Brown and Smith were swinging happily along the road carrying fishing-rods and jars of minnows.
“I say, we’ve had a topping time,” they called. “Have you? But you were rotters not to have told us.”
“Told you what?” said the Outlaws.
“That there was going to be a half-holiday.”
“What?” said the Outlaws.
“They sent us all away as soon as we got there. Said they’d forgotten to give it out in the morning. We were jolly surprised to meet you going away from school, but when we got there we knew why but we thought you jolly well might have told us.”
“Why was there a half-holiday?” gasped William.
“Oh, some old josser or other coming to give some old jaw or other to some old society or other,” said Smith vaguely, “but we’ve had a topping afternoon, have you?”
In bitter silence the Outlaws walked on. They hadn’t had a topping afternoon. At the end of the road a prefect was putting a letter into a pillar-box. Another prefect stood by.