THE STORM BREAKS
Ten of the Brincliffe boys passed a very bad night. The nightmare, at
which Jack had jokingly hinted, was unpleasantly real; there was no
dispelling it. Everybody knew that everybody around him was wide awake,
but nobody felt inclined to speak.
By and by the daylight came, and brought a little more courage with it.
"After all, I don't care two straws!" exclaimed Cadbury abruptly.
"Who do you suppose does?" said Trevelyan.
Vickers raised himself on his elbow.
"I suggest, Cadbury, that you give us no more information than you have
done (which is practically nothing) regarding the source of the supper."
"It should have been bread-sauce," put in Cadbury.
"This isn't the time for puns," said Vickers severely. "I was going to
add that in our ignorance lies our only chance of safety. There is
certain to be trouble over this affair, and there are three or four
points about it which seem to aggravate our case. You see,
first"--bringing his fingers into action--"it was Pepper who caught us,
and he's a Tartar at all times. Would that it had been Andy! Second,
West may take it as a reflection on his table. Third--"
"Would you mind going on talking for an hour or two, Vick?" interrupted
Cadbury in a drowsy voice. "I find it very helpful and soothing. Of
course, if you could sing the words it would be a still more perfect
lullaby."
Vickers, mistaking the voice for Jack's, flung a sponge at the wrong
head, and relapsed into silence. Jack, roused at this injustice, dipped
the sponge into his water-jug, and returned it with force. Vickers
ducked, and it exploded against the wall above his head. Cadbury watched
and chuckled. The shadow cast by coming events had not quite overwhelmed
the boys' spirits.
When they were called, the boot-boy laid a book on Cadbury's bed as he
passed. The inside of the cover was found to contain the following words
in Grey's handwriting:--
_Dear C.,--For pity's sake, dress quick, and meet me 5' before the
bell in the housemaid's cupboard. There's standing-room.--E. G._
Now, though they had been thrown together in the chicken incident,
Cadbury and Grey were not bosom friends, and Cadbury did not feel
particularly eager for this interview. But he good-naturedly did as he
was asked, and sneaked out of his room five minutes before the bell had
rung which formally permitted the boys to leave.
He found Grey already awaiting him in the chosen rendezvous among
brooms, dusters, and pails. It is true there was standing-room, but it
was dangerous to move. As the cupboard door opened to admit him, it let
in enough light to reveal Grey's white, frightened face, and as he
pulled Cadbury inside the latter noticed the clammy "frogginess" of his
hands. He drew the door to very carefully.
"Good-morning!" said Cadbury. "This is a pleasant spot to meet in. So
romantic!"
"Cadbury, how can you joke, when it's all up with us?" Grey's voice was
quite hoarse.
"What's the good of looking forward? Seize the flying moment, and suck
honey while you may. That's my motto."
"But you think with me; it _is_ all up with us?"
"I'm afraid that's about the long and the short of it. Pepper was very
hot and red last night,--regular Cayenne, in fact; and I have noticed
that Cayenne at night spells Cane in the morning."
"Cadbury, please stop making fun! I--can't bear it. You don't care, but
I do. I haven't slept a wink all night."
"Pick up your spirit, then, and pocket your fears. I'll stand by you,
and take my full share. We'll brace ourselves together and face the
music."
"Oh no, I can't! I can't! I'm younger than you. I never asked the woman
for the chicken, and I begged you to let me off fetching it. You can
call me a coward if you like; I don't care! I am afraid!"
There was silence for a moment, and then Cadbury spoke, but in an
altered voice.
"Do you mean to say that you want me to leave your name out entirely?"
"Y--yes. If I get in a row it'll be mentioned in my report, and I shall
catch it at home. I don't believe you feel things like I do. And it was
all your doing, wasn't it?"
"Mostly. Very well, I sha'n't mention you, Grey."
And with that Cadbury marched out of the housemaid's cupboard with his
hands in his pockets.
Prayers were followed by early prep., and early prep., by breakfast,
without a word on the subject uppermost in the minds of so many. The
day-boys arrived, and saw at once that something was up, though what
they could not make out. But at ten minutes to nine Mr. Peace entered
the room with an excited air, and announced that all the boys were to
stand together as at drill. Mr. West wished to speak to them.
[Illustration]
The head appeared almost immediately, and ordered the occupants of the
two rooms, headed by Hallett and Trevelyan, to stand in front.
He began with a short, studied preface about "an unpleasant duty" and
"flagrant breach of rules"; then gave a brief _résumé_ of what had taken
place, and proceeded to personal enquiries.
"Where did the chicken come from? Who brought it into the house?"
Cadbury stood forward.
"So you are responsible for this, Cadbury? Anyone else?"
"No, sir."
"How did you obtain possession of the chicken?"
"It--got run over--and killed--in bicycling. I mean, I was bicycling."
"Did you steal it, then, or buy it?"
"The woman it belonged to gave it to me, sir."
"After you'd run over it?"
"After it was dead, sir."
"And who cooked it?"
"She did, sir."
"Cadbury, Cadbury! how dare you put forward such a story as this? I
can't believe a word of it."
"It's true, sir."
"True! that after you had killed a chicken, the owner not only presented
you with it, but undertook to cook it for you?"
"Yes, sir."
Mr. West's only comment on this affirmation was a deep sigh.
Further examination failed to make Cadbury contradict himself; but to
certain enquiries he politely declined to furnish an answer.
"Was any boy with you at the time who can bear witness to your story?
"Will you give me this woman's address, that I may send for her?
"How did you manage to get the chicken after it was cooked?"
Such questions as these drew forth nothing.
At length Mr. West, without expressing any opinion, passed on to the
subject of the cracked window, but he could not persuade any of
Hallett's room to own to the accident. He threatened, he even
entreated,--in vain. The clock ticked on; it was a quarter past nine,
and everyone was very tired of standing, when the enquiry was brought to
an end, and sentence pronounced.
Green and another boy named Buckland were complimented on having "wisely
and most properly" kept themselves and their respective rooms entirely
outside the affair. Cadbury, on his own confession--"an extraordinary,
and, I am bound to say, improbable tale"--was to suffer first and worst,
and had the doubtful distinction of accompanying Mr. West there and then
to his study. Next, the inmates of Hallett's and Trevelyan's rooms were
doomed to forego supper for three days, Hallett's room being sentenced
in addition to pay for the mending of the cracked pane. Lastly, and this
was the part of the sentence that roused the whole school, all--boarders
and day-boys alike--were to forfeit the next half-holiday.
The day-boys looked so exceedingly blank at the news that Mr. West added
that he included them because, "as long as I can obtain no full
confession, I am compelled to regard you, with all your opportunities
and freedom, as being as much under suspicion as the rest". He wound up
by observing that no doubt it was "the old, hard case of the many
suffering for the few", but this did not afford much consolation to his
aggrieved pupils.
Of course there was nothing to be said at the time, but as soon as they
were alone they fell into clusters, and gave vent to their opinions by
storming at one another.
"Abominable!"
"Beastly unfair!"
"The meanest thing I ever heard!"
These were the kind of expressions that floated about the room.
But one small group, of which Hallett was the principal member, instead
of reviling the head-master, was expending its wrath upon a fellow-boy.
"The cowardly young toad! Had to do with it, you say? I should think he
had, indeed! A good deal more than we've any idea of."
"Well, we know he did the window."
"We do, and he shall have the pleasure of paying for that. He shall, if
it empties his cash-box for a year following. Those members of the room
who yearn to subscribe may do so."
"He was on the outlook for the chicken, you remember. Of course he must
have known all about it. Cadbury can confirm that."
"_Can_, but you don't know Cadbury if you think he will. What I say is,
ask the young sneak himself. Put it to him straight, and let's see that
we get the truth. Why, we should never have lost our half if he had
owned up with Cadbury."
"And it's so jolly rough on Cadbury too! Why should one be licked and
not the other?"
"Oh, we'll see to the other if necessary. But let's hear what he says
for himself. By the way, where is he?"
Where indeed? A careful search revealed the hapless Grey huddled up in
the book-room, terrified and miserable.
"Here he is! Hoping to be taken for the _Treasury of Knowledge_," cried
his discoverer, and straightway dragged him into the light. There was a
rush to the book-room.
Grey was put to the question, failed to clear himself, found guilty--and
licked.
Jack Brady was the centre of another group, which seemed inclined to be
angry with him.
"Brady's no business to have his supper stopped," said Trevelyan. "He
never touched a morsel of that wretched fowl."
"He ought to have told West so."
"Such nonsense!" exclaimed Jack. "I could have eaten some if I'd wanted
to. Now, Toppin's case is different. He wasn't allowed to have any. I
vote we sign a petition in favour of him. It will really be hard cheese
if he's made to suffer."
"Toppin, here!"
The boy was chanting over his spelling, but he hopped up promptly at his
elder brother's call.
"They say they are going to get up a petition to have you let off the
sentence for our room, because you didn't eat any chicken."
"Oh, I'd hate to be let off!" exclaimed Toppin. "I know it's because I'm
little, and I want to be treated as if I was big like the rest. I'd
heaps rather! 'Sides, I would have eaten some chicken if you'd have let
me, so it's same as if I had done, isn't it?"
"You hear, Brady?" said Trevelyan with a laugh. "A nice pair of lawyers
you'd make! Two exactly contrary arguments are used to persuade us of
the very same fact."
"Well, it comes to this, that we want all to share and share alike.
Isn't that it, Top?"
Jack tweaked the defiant tuft as he put the question, and Toppin laughed
up at him and nodded.
The most unfortunate effect of the whole incident was the bitterness
which it revived in the day-scholars. It had almost seemed as if time
was breaking down the wall of enmity which was so strong at the
beginning. But today's work strengthened it still further. The day-boys
had congregated together, and were speaking their minds in tones that
were the more seriously angry because they were subdued.
"This is what they wanted, to bring us into trouble; and a lot they care
that they're in the same boat!" The theory was Bacon's, and he announced
it with confidence.
"It's the spirit of the thing one kicks at--the spite, the injustice!
Not the loss of the half!" declaimed Mason with warmth.
"Let's pay 'em out!" said Simmons.
"How, Lew?" Hughes put the question, but all waited eagerly for the
answer.
Simmons might be small, but he was brimful of bright ideas.
"Fight," he replied. "We're much fewer, but it would be mostly a matter
of siege and stratagem, and if we planned it out, I bet we could give
them a wipe-down."
"I mayn't fight," said Frere sadly. "They won't allow me to."
"And I'm awfully afraid I can't," added Hughes.
"What's more, you sha'n't, Ethel!" said Simmons, who was amusingly
careful of his friend's health. "There'll be lots of quiet work for you
and Frere--scouting and so forth."
"I'm nuts on fighting," put in Armitage.
"As for me, I'm spoiling for the fray," laughed Mason, exhibiting the
muscle of his arm with great pride.
"Oh, well, it will teach them to respect us anyway. And that will be
something gained," said Simmons. "Mason, will you captain us?"
"Not much! No, I'll do my duty as a lieutenant, but I am no commander.
Nor are you. You're too little."
"Napoleon--Nelson!" muttered Simmons. He would have liked the offer of
the post, and his size was a sore point with him.
"Jack Brady must be captain," said Bacon firmly, and all agreed with
him.
"However could we have forgotten him?" exclaimed Hughes.
"He's the right man, if he'll consent," remarked Mason. "But I wish I
felt sure about that."
[Illustration]
"Well, I see at the present moment he's hobnobbing with the enemy," said
Hughes doubtfully.
"Oh, but he's really one of us, he has been all along," cried Simmons.
"Here, Brady, you're wanted."
"At your service," said Jack merrily, and, breaking off his conversation
with Trevelyan and Vickers, he joined the group of day-boys.
"Brady, have you heard that they've dragged us into this row? That our
half's stopped along with the boarders'? Though none of us ever saw or
tasted so much as a drum-stick!"
"None of you? Ever?" put in Jack. "That's a big order, Piggy-wig."
"You know what I mean," rejoined Bacon. "They might have had a swan or a
peacock for all we knew about it."
"But, my dear fellow, it's West you must blame. No one mentioned you."
"No, but not one of them had the honesty to stand out and clear us--to
assure him we'd nothing to do with it," said Mason. "Instead of that
they are careful to turn it into a mystery, on purpose that we may all
be suspected."
"Well, well, it's only just a single half that's lost. It'll soon be
over and forgotten."
"Will it?" cried Simmons indignantly. "I fancy it will be remembered
longer than you think by some. We mean to pay them in full for their
mean spite. We're going to unite and fight."
"Oh, challenge them to a cricket match instead! I'll play for you.
Think how much more sportive that will be! Not to say, sensible."
"Come, Brady, we're not babies. We mean to make them sorry by force."
"Take care you're not made sorry by force, Lucy!"
"Oh, never fear! The masters won't know anything at all about it if we
can help it. We shall pick our opportunity. But look here, Brady, you've
got to captain us!"
"Bothered if I do!" said Jack.
"Very well, don't! Go over to the boarders instead, as you want to, and
repeat everything we've told you." Bacon spoke angrily.
"Piggy-wig, don't be a fool! If you want me to quarrel either with your
set or with the other chaps, I say I won't, and that's flat! You must
take me as you find me, and if you're all bent on fighting and making
geese of yourselves, I shall just stay as I am--once for all--Jack of
Both Sides."