“What would you do?” said Yorke, testily. “Isn’t it bad enough to be in a fix like this without being asked hopeless questions? I’m sorry, old man, I’ve lost my temper; and as it’s not come back I vote we say no more on the subject at present.”
The evening wore on, and still the truants did not return. At ten o’clock Yorke reported their absence to Mr Wakefield, and Mr Wakefield reported it to the head-master. A similar report reached him from the matron of Mr Forders house with regard to the missing ones there; and presently, further report was made that Rollitt was not in the school.
No one could give any account of their probable whereabouts. Rollitt had been seen going out with a rod early in the day, but no one had seen any of the juniors since last night, when they had prematurely gone to bed in their own dormitory. A consultation was held, in which all sorts of conjectures were put forward, the most plausible of which was that the juniors had organised an expedition to Seastrand, a fashionable watering-place an hour distant on the railway, which both Wally and Lickford had separately been heard to express a desire to visit. It seemed probable that they had lost the last train back, and would literally “not come home till morning.”
In which case warm things were promised to be ready for my gentlemen.
As to Rollitt, his vagaries were consistent with any explanation. He may have gone to Penchurch in mistake for Fellsgarth, and curled himself up in the church porch, mistaking it for his bed.
In any case the general impression was that nothing could be done till morning, and that the juniors at least were making themselves pretty comfortable, wherever they might be.
Still, Fisher major felt a vague uneasiness. Had he been quite sure his brother was in the capable company of his fellow-fags, he would have been comparatively comfortable. But the possibility of the feckless youngster wandering about benighted somewhere on his own account added a new weight to the burden which already lay on the spirit of the luckless treasurer of the School clubs.
“I’ve a good mind to turn out and look for my minor,” said he to Denton.
“What could you do? He’s all right. You couldn’t do anything in the dark, and on a night like this. I’m game to turn out any hour you like in the morning, if he’s not come by then. I bet you the four young scamps will all stroll in for call-over, and wonder whatever the fuss was about.”
There was nothing to be done, and Fisher lay awake all night, listening to every sound, and reproaching himself over and over again (as one will do when everything goes wrong) that he had made such a mess of everything this term.