The Hero of Garside School Page 7

  CHAPTER VI

  HARRY MONCRIEF ARRIVES AT GARSIDE

  Well might Stanley ask the question. His young cousin had attiredhimself in the most extraordinary fashion. His trousers--plaidones--were turned up three or four inches at the bottom, as though forthe purpose of displaying to the utmost advantage the white spats on hispatent shoes, while surmounting the lower half of him was a gorgeouswhite waistcoat, cutaway jacket, and tall hat. Paul could not helpsmiling, for he at once saw the reason of this remarkable attire. YoungMoncrief had followed out precisely the instructions sent him by hisfriend Plunger.

  "He seems to have got himself up regardless of expense, Stan," smiledPaul. "He means making an impression on the school. But you needn'tscowl so, old fellow. It's all done for your sake. He thinks it thecorrect form, and doesn't want to let you down."

  "Correct form--don't want to let me down!" repeated Stanley, bewildered."What on earth are you driving at?"

  Thereupon Paul related to Stanley the conversation he had had with Harryon the day he had visited Oakville, and the mysterious document he hadshown him from Plunger as to the correct way to dress, and what to do onentering Garside.

  "And the little soft has nibbled at Plunger's bait," laughed Stanley."It isn't a bad joke, and I suppose I mustn't spoil it."

  So Stanley and Paul kept out of the way of the throng of boys who, withHarry Moncrief in their midst, were making their way across the groundsin the direction of the schoolhouse. Harry, with his arm linked inPlunger's--a dark boy, with mischief-sparkling eyes--seemed quiteunconscious of the fact that the boys were laughing at him.

  "Bax is busy with some of the other freshers," Plunger was saying; "soyou'd better get over your introduction to Mrs. Trounce, and we'll huntup old Bax after."

  "All right, Freddy," answered Harry, quite elated at the thought that hehad at last entered a public school where there were boys bigger andolder than himself, and that he was being initiated into its mysteriesand ways. "After that I suppose I can find my cousin?"

  "Oh, yes!"

  "And there's a chum of his I met at home during the vac.--Paul Percival.Do you know him?"

  "Ra-ther. He's one of the seniors--in the same form as your cousin. Ididn't know that you knew him."

  "I've only met him once, but I should like to meet him again. Paterthinks no end of him."

  "Oh, you'll see plenty of him at Garside--a good deal too much. ThoseUpper Form fellows think no end of themselves, I can tell you. This wayto the divine Trounce. You haven't forgotten?"

  "Of course not; I've got all the rules by heart. See, here's the photo."

  He drew from his pocket a photograph of himself as he spoke, with somewriting on the bottom, which he handed to Plunger. The boys followingbehind grew black in the face trying to choke down their laughter.

  "Jolly good of you, Harry!" exclaimed Plunger, regarding the photographadmiringly. "I didn't know you were such an awfully good-looking fellow.Trounce will think a lot of it, I can tell you."

  The matron's rooms were a modern addition to the school, at the end ofthe building. Mrs. Trounce, who was at heart rather an amiable woman,was busily engaged in her room sorting out an endless array of boys'wearing apparel. Her motherly face, therefore, wore an unusually severeand worried expression as the boys entered the room. The windows outsidewere suddenly darkened with innumerable faces peering through thewindow.

  "I have the honour--the distinguished privilege," said Plunger, with anelaborate bow to the matron, "of presenting to you Master HenryMoncrief, of Oakville."

  Upon this he gave Harry a nudge, and Harry promptly fell on his rightknee before the matron, and drawing from his pocket the photograph hehad just shown to Plunger, presented it to Mrs. Trounce with a bow, and"Allow me, madam."

  A titter came from the faces pressed against the windows outside. Mrs.Trounce took the photograph. The severity of her face did not relax, nordid it soften when, looking from the photograph, she saw the wordsbeneath it, "With love and kind regards."

  She looked for the moment as though she were about to administer toHarry a sound box on the ears, but, altering her mind, she bestowed itinstead on the ears of Master Plunger.

  "With my love and kind regards, Master Plunger!" she exclaimed.

  The titters outside grew louder.

  "Oh, thanks--so much!" said Plunger, with his hand to his ear at thistotally unexpected reception, which he had anticipated to be the portionof his chum. "Come along, Harry; we won't waste any more of Mrs.Trounce's time. She's very busy. I'll show you your sleeping quarters,and then we'll hunt up Bax."

  He beat a hasty retreat from the room, half anticipating that if hestayed longer the matron might seek to balance matters by boxing theother ear.

  "Why did she do that, Freddy?" asked Harry, when they had got safelyfrom the room.

  "It was your photo that did it, Hal; that's quite certain. I noticed howshe changed colour when she looked at it. It must have reminded her ofsome unhung scoundrel she's met with in the course of her career, andshe took it out of me. She knows I like to suffer for my friends. That'smy great weakness. I hope you'll make a better impression on Bax."

  He led the way as he spoke through a winding passage and up thestaircase to the dormitories. He entered one on the door of which waspainted "E." It was a good-sized room, with six cubicles, side by side,with their heads to the windows. Over each was a text of Scripture,while on a larger card, at one end of the dormitory, in illuminatedletters, were the words, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet." At the otherend was a corresponding card, on which was printed, "Motto for the year,'Be ye stedfast, unmovable.--1 Cor. xv. 58.'"

  "There's your cubicle--next to mine; so that'll be jolly," said Plunger,pointing to a couple of beds at the end of the room. "The other fellowsin the dorm. are Baldry, Sedgefield, and Viner."

  "But that only makes three. There are four beds."

  "Oh, yes! The fourth bed was Mellor's, but his pater took him away forsome reason or other last term. He's gone over to the enemy."

  "The enemy?"

  "Don't you know who the enemy is? The Beetles--the bounders at St.Bede's. Pretty saints they are, too! You'll know enough of them beforeyou've finished here, I warrant. They call us 'Gargoyles.' Cheekybounders, aren't they?"

  Before Hal had finished there! Lightly the words were spoken. Neitherpaid much heed to them. But how much was to happen before Hal Moncriefhad finished at Garside. Neither could see into the future--behind thatveil which young and old are ever trying to peer through, but which Godin His infinite love and mercy keeps ever close drawn. That lamp ofHis--the lamp of which the card spoke at the end of the dormitory--isfor ever burning, however, and there is no fear of our footstepsstumbling so long as we walk by its light. Then the dark veil whichhides the future need have no terror for us, boys and girls; for we knowthat when it is at last lifted it will only reveal to us the stillgreater light beyond.

  "Baldry and Sedgefield are decent fellows. I don't care much for Viner.He's rather deep, and does fagging now and then for Newall--a chap inthe same form as your cousin. By the by, don't mention Newall to yourcousin. It's like waving a red flag before a mad bull. They're thisway."

  He crossed his two forefingers as he spoke, as an indication of Stanleyand Newall's attitude to each other.

  Hal pondered over this information for a moment. His cousin, then, hadhis enemies? By the brief glimpse which Plunger had given him of thelife at Garside, he could see that it was not all plain sailing. Therewere deeper currents than any he had seen at Gaffer Quelch's school. Thewaves beat with stronger force, and there were shoals and rocks.

  "Who'll take the empty bed? Will it be left empty?"

  "There's not much fear of that. I wish there would, but they're sure toput some fresher in it. I hope he's a decent chap, that's all! If heisn't, we must make it warm for him. But come along, let's get outside!"

  They turned to the door, but as they did so it opened, and Mr. Weevilentered, followed by Hibbert, the weak lit
tle hunchback, whom we havealready met with in the grounds. The deep-set eyes of the science masterwent to Plunger, from Plunger to Hal, whom he had never seen before.

  "Who are you? What are you doing here, sir?"

  He spoke in a sharp, quick voice, and Harry knew at once that he was inthe presence of one of the masters, and the same instinct somehow toldhim that the master was Mr. Weevil, of whom he had heard, but neverseen.

  "I'm Harry Moncrief, cousin of Stanley Moncrief, sir."

  "Oh!" The master half closed his eyes as he spoke. Hal thought that hewas going off to sleep as he stood there. Plunger knew better. He knewthat Mr. Weevil had the habit of seeing a good deal more through hishalf-closed eyes than when they were wide open, and that he was taking"full stock"--a mental inventory--of Harry. He kept them closed for solong that Harry felt more and more certain that he was going to sleep.When he thought he was right off, the master startled him by openingthem to their widest extent, as much as to say, "Thought me napping, didyou? But I'm not! I'm awake!--wide awake!--very much awake!"

  "Glad to meet you!" he said in a softer voice. "Trust you will get onwell at Garside. Your father is a gentleman of some distinction. I hopeyou will follow in his footsteps. This is Hibbert"--introducing thehunchback. "He also is a new boy. I trust you will be friends--closefriends. He has no friends or relatives in England. His father is abroadon foreign service. That appeals to your sympathy, as it has appealed tomine--does it not?--and will draw you closer to Hibbert. He will occupythis dormitory--the bed vacated by Mellor." Then, turning to Hibbert: "Ihope you will prove more loyal to Garside than your predecessor--Mellor,I mean--and that you will endeavour, along with Moncrief here, to keepup the best traditions of Garside. You see our motto for the year"--hepointed to the motto as he spoke--"'Be ye stedfast, unmovable.'"

  "Yes, sir."

  "Keep to that, and you won't go far wrong."

  When he had given this advice, the master left the dormitory withHibbert, who, occupied in observing his new quarters and companions, hadnot spoken during the interview.

  "A queer sort of chap, our new bedfellow, isn't it, Freddy?"

  "And Weevil's a beastly fraud!" said Plunger, with a shrug of theshoulders. "But, come, we must hurry up! You haven't yet been introducedto good old Bax."

  Soon they were in the grounds again. The same crowd of boys that hadfollowed them to the matron's was hanging about the door as they wentout, and began tittering again as Harry came in sight.

  Harry did not notice them, nor did he notice the wink that Plunger gavethem as he glanced in their direction.

  "Great Scott!" he suddenly exclaimed. "There's Bax! Hurry up, Hal!"

  And, linking his arm in Harry's, he hurried him in the direction of ashort, somewhat corpulent man in buttons, who was just coming from thelodge.

  "Is it the porter?" asked Harry.

  "Yes, the porter. You haven't forgotten the rules? Hurry up!"