“It’s bad enough,” said Dangle, “to have the fifteen packed with Classic fellows; but when they take to attacking us before the whole field, it’s time something was done. I’m as certain as possible that Rollitt deliberately knocked me over that time.”
“It was rather warm measures, though,” said Brinkman, “to walk off the field. We might have got licked.”
“I’m not at all sure if it wouldn’t have been a very good thing if we had,” said Clapperton. “At any rate, it will be a lesson to them what it might come to.”
“Nothing like scuttling a ship in mid-ocean if you want to be attended to. The only awkward thing is, you are apt to go down with it,” said Fullerton.
“Do shut up, and don’t try to be funny,” said Clapperton. “Of course no one wants to wreck the clubs. We shall play up hard next time, and then they’ll see it’s worth their while to be civil to us.”
“Yes,” said Brinkman, “it won’t do to let them say we aren’t the friends of the School.”
“There’s not the least fear of any one thinking that now,” gibed Fullerton.
“Well,” said Dangle, “as we are to play the return with Rendlesham this day week, we shall have a chance of letting them see what we can do. Only if that cad Rollitt plays, it won’t be easy to be civil.”
These patriotic young gentlemen were a good deal disconcerted next morning to find that they had been reckoning without their host. The captain had posted up the fifteen to play next week. The list contained the names of Fullerton, Brinkman, and two others on the Modern side, but omitted those of Clapperton and Dangle.
In their wildest dreams the malcontents had never reckoned on the captain taking such a step as this. They knew that they were necessary to the efficiency of any team, and that without them, especially against Rendlesham, it would be almost a farce to go into the field at all.