“Kind of you. Has he apologised?”
“Oh, never mind,” said Dick, forgivingly, “it doesn’t matter.”
“Tut! do you suppose he’s got to apologise to you? I was there to see fair play, and he’s to do it to me.”
At any other time Dick might have felt snubbed; but now he failed to see the rebuke, and gave order grandly that Culver should be brought.
“There he is,” said he, as the unhappy ex-president of the Den was conducted into his presence.
“Culver,” said Birket, “you are a cad; you hit below the belt.”
“No, I didn’t, it was an accident,” pleaded the culprit. “Please, Birket, I’ve been licked already.”
“Stand up on that form, and tell all the fellows you apologise for doing a cowardly action and disgracing Templeton.”
Culver promptly obeyed, and repeated the apology word for word.
There were loud cries for Gosse at this point, and Birket yielded to the popular demand, and ordered the ex-secretary to go through the same ceremony. Which the ex-secretary cheerfully did.