“I expect it will be all right,” persisted the dogged Ashby, venturing on a further remark. “They won’t let him in, if he’s not Wally; or if they do, they’ll go for him.”
“I hope they will. Anyhow we’ve done our best. Stick near the door. We may be able to bundle a few of ’em out before the voting comes on. Look out, Yorke’s speaking. Yell as hard as you can.”
Whereupon Ashby lay his head back and yelled until D’Arcy kicked him and told him it was time to shut up.
Yorke was moving a resolution that the captains, vice-captains, secretaries, and treasurers of each house should form the School sports committee, whose business it would be to arrange matches, keep the ground, make rules, and generally organise the athletics of Fellsgarth. He hoped every one would agree to this.
Clapperton, the Modern captain, and head of Forder’s house, rose to second the motion.
“Howl away!” said D’Arcy, nudging his protégé. Whereupon Ashby held on to a desk and howled till the windows shook.
“That’ll do,” shouted D’Arcy in his ear after a moment or two, and Ashby, thankful for the relief, shut off steam and awaited his next orders.
Clapperton was a big, smirking fellow, rather loudly dressed, with a persuasive voice and what was intended to be a condescending manner. Some fellows could never make out why Clapperton did not go down in Fellsgarth. He tried to be civil, he was lavish with his pocket-money, and always disclaimed any desire to quarrel with anybody. And yet no one oared for him, while of course the out-and-out champions of the rival side hated him. He seconded with pleasure the motion of “his friend Yorke,”—(“Cheek!” exclaimed D’Arcy, sotto voce; “what business has he to call our captain his friend!”) This was the old rule of Fellsgarth, and a very good rule. It meant hard work, but he was always glad to do what he could for the old School. (It always riled the Classics to hear a Modern talking about “the old School,” and their backs went up at this.) He had been on this committee two years now, and had had the pleasure in a humble way of helping the clubs through one or two of their financial difficulties, and he should be glad to serve again. He seconded the motion.
It was a trial to one or two who had listened to see that the names were being put to the vote by Yorke en bloc, without giving them the chance of voting against anybody. Never mind, their chance for that would come!
The next business was the election of captain of the clubs; and of course Yorke was chosen by acclamation. No one dared oppose him. Even “his friend Clapperton,” who had the pleasure of proposing him, was sure every one would be as glad as he would to see “his fellow-captain” (oh, how the Classics squirmed and ground their teeth at the expression!) at the head of the clubs.