His guests laughed. It was notorious that Pridgin when he did bring himself to “sit up” was a person worth reckoning with.
“For the matter of that,” said Wales, “Redwood’s not likely to trouble himself much. He’ll take all the glory and do none of the work. The captain of Low Heath ought to have his hand in everything, and not let everything slide.”
“You’ll find Redwood can be awkward enough when he chooses. You can never tell how far he’ll let things go on. But when his back once gets up he’ll stiffen pretty hard.”
“All I can say is,” said Tempest, “if I’m to be cock of this house this term—and I’ve no right to be—”
“Yes, you have, old chap,” said Pridgin.
“You know you purposely ran for second place last term, so as to get out of the fag of cocking the house,” retorted his friend. “Anyhow, if I am to be cock, I mean to stand up for our rights, and see we’re not done out of them by town-boys, of all people.”
“Hear, hear,” said Pridgin; “stick up for your rights. I don’t exactly know what rights we’re got more than any other Low Heathens, but stick up for them certainly. Nothing like having a grievance, if you can only find one.”
“What do you say to Jarman for one?” said Wales.
The faces of all three clouded at the mention of this name.
“Ah, I’d forgotten about that. Is it true he’s to be a sort of general discipline master, and have the right of pulling up any fellow, senior or junior, without even saying a word to his house prefects?”