Cusack was somewhat taken aback by this unexpected outbreak, but was inclined, nevertheless, to accept the challenge. Parson, however, interfered peremptorily.
“Look here,” he said, “we’re in quite enough row for one day, without wanting any more. So shut up, you fellows, do you hear?”
“Make him apologise, then,” said Telson, wrathfully.
“Oh, all serene. Nobody was hurting you,” said Cusack.
“Do you apologise, or do you not?” demanded Telson.
“I didn’t say I didn’t, did I?”
This was as much as the irascible schoolhouse fag could expect, so he sat down again.
“You know,” said Pilbury, anxious to make things quite pleasant again, “a lot of the fellows say the schoolhouse would have won in any case.”
“I’d like to know who says that,” demanded Parson, whose turn it now was to be angry.
“Oh, everybody in our house. They looked like winning, you know, from the very start, didn’t they, Pil?”