On the Monday before Railsford's sports, Ainger and Barnworth sat rather
dismally conning a document which lay on the table between them.
It was Smedley's report of the School sports held the Saturday before,
and was sufficiently alarming to dishearten any ordinary reader.
"`The Mile Race. Smedley 1, Branscombe 2. Time 4 minutes 50 seconds.'
Whew!" said Ainger, "I can't beat that; 4.52 is the shortest I've done
it in, and I doubt if I could do that again."
"Fiddlesticks! If you don't do it in 4.48 you deserve to be sent home
to the nursery. But do you see Branscombe gave up before the end?
That's odd. I rather thought he was the better man of the two."
"Branscombe seems to be down on his luck altogether this term," said
Ainger. "I fancy he hasn't a very sweet time at Bickers's."
"But he ought to have won the mile, for all that. He's got the longest
legs in Grandcourt, and used to have the best wind."
"Gone stale," said Ainger, "and growing too fast. Why, he must be as
tall as Railsford already; and he's good for an inch or so more."
"Poor beggar! But what about the high jump?"
"High jump? Smedley and Clipstone a tie, 5 feet 4½."
"Thank you," said Barnworth. "I may as well scratch at once. I once
jumped that, but that was in the days of my youth."
"Fiddlesticks! If you don't clear 5 feet 5, you deserve to be sent home
to a daily governess," said Ainger, laughing. "And, by the way, I hear
Wake has been jumping finely lately. Mind he doesn't do it for you."
"Wake had better mind his own business," responded Barnworth. "I, a
prefect and a very great person in this house, should greatly resent it
if a Fifth-form fellow beat me at the jump. Upon my word I'd give him
100 lines."
"`Cricket-ball. Clipstone 77 yards.' What a poor throw! Felgate is
sure to beat that, at any rate."
"Not if he can help," said Barnworth. "In fact, if I were you, I would
either scratch him, or see someone else is in too, to make sure of it.
Unless you do, we lose it."
"Do you mean he'd throw short on purpose?"
"My dear fellow, you are just beginning to perceive what anybody who
isn't a born simpleton would have seen for himself a week ago."
Ainger's brow clouded. "I'll enter myself, then," said he.
"No you won't; enter Stafford. Stafford won't get the mile, which you
will. A little success may keep him with us; otherwise the odds are he
may go over to the enemy--_alias_ your friend Felgate."
Ainger wrote Stafford's name down there and then.
In this way the two friends went through the list. It was a strong
record to beat, and if they were doubtful of themselves they were still
more doubtful of some of their juniors.
For instance, Arthur, if he meant to win the long jump under sixteen,
would have to clear 15 feet 8 inches; and Dimsdale, to secure the 100
yards under fifteen, would have to do it in 13 seconds. Tilbury was
safe for the cricket-ball in his class; and Arthur, if he took care,
might beat Smith's record for the Shell half-mile. Most of the other
events were decidedly doubtful, and it was evident the week which
remained would need to be used well, if the ambitious attempt of
Railsford's house was to succeed. By no means the least interested
peruser of the list when presently it was posted up on the common room
door Railsford himself.
For a week or two past he had been as nearly happy as he could be in the
congenial work of training and encouraging the youthful athletes of his
house. He had felt drawn to them and they to him by quite a new bond of
sympathy. He spared himself in nothing for the common cause, and his
enthusiasm was, as might be expected, contagious.
"There are one or two of these records we shall not beat," said the
master to Ainger; "but the majority of them we should be able to
manage."
He spoke so hopefully that Ainger's spirits went up decidedly. A final
overhaul of the list was made, and the times registered compared with
the times on the School list. In one or two cases Railsford advised
that a second man should be run with a good start, in order to force the
pace, and through one or two names belonging to hopeless triflers or
malcontents he quietly passed his pencil.
"I see Stafford has entered for the cricket-ball," said he, "as well as
Felgate; how is that?"
"We should lose the cricket-ball otherwise," said Ainger. "Felgate may
do his best if someone is against him, but he won't if he's the only man
in for us. He has no interest in sports."
Railsford's face clouded.
"Is Stafford the best man to enter? Should not you or Barnworth go in?"
"I think not, sir. Stafford made some good practice yesterday, and can
beat the School record as it is."
During the next few days every spare moment at Railsford's house was
used in preparing for the great trial of Saturday. Nor, strange to say,
did the school-work suffer in consequence. The idlers in the Shell,
being in the way of spurts, took a sudden spurt of interest in class--
partly for fear of being excluded by detention or otherwise from
Saturday's celebration, and partly because the healthy condition of
their bodies had begotten for the time being a healthier condition of
mind. Arthur and the baronet actually knew their syntax for two days
running, and the astounding phenomenon of a perfectly empty detention-
room occurred on both the Friday and the Saturday. The latter event was
specially satisfactory to Railsford, as he was able to secure the
services of Monsieur Lablache as assistant-judge--not exactly a popular
appointment, but, failing any better, one which fellows had to make the
best of.
The house rose that Saturday morning with a full sense of the crisis
which was upon it. Despite Felgate's sneers, and the jealous ridicule
which floated in from outside on their efforts, they felt that they
stood face to face with a great chance. Their reputation as a house was
on its trial; they were boycotted by the doctor, and held up as a
warning to evil-doers. They resolved to make themselves a warning to
good and evil-doers alike that day, and show the doctor and everyone
else that the spirit was not yet knocked out of them.
The half-holiday at Railsford's, as we have said, began under the new
_regime_ immediately after breakfast, and ended at one o'clock, so that
the farce of morning school did not interpose to chill the ardour of the
combatants. The whole house assembled in flannels in honour of the
occasion. The weather was very much like what the School had had a week
ago; if anything, the ground was hardly in quite as good condition. At
any rate, it was felt that, as far as externals went, the test between
the two days' performances would be a fair one. True, there was
something a little chilly about the empty field. The usual inspiriting
crowd of partisan spectators was absent, and the juniors of Railsford,
who usually had to fight for front places, felt it a little dismal when
they discovered that they could occupy any position they liked--even the
ladies' stand.
Arthur was very angry with himself for not getting Daisy down for the
occasion. Her presence would have lent undoubted prestige both to
himself and Dig, as well as to Railsford; and if she could have given
the prizes afterwards it would have been a magnificent family affair.
He bemoaned this omission to Railsford himself as he walked down with
him to the fields. However, just before proceedings begun, the wished-
for excitement was supplied by three most unexpected arrivals on the
course. The first was that of the doctor's niece, who, having watched
the School sports a week ago with great interest, and being secretly
rather sorry for the misfortunes which had over taken Railsford's house,
saw no reason why she should not take her accustomed place in the stand
to-day. The boys were just in the mood to appreciate this little act of
chivalry, and as she shyly walked up to the pavilion, they welcomed her
with a cheer which brought the blushes to her cheeks and a smile of
half-frightened pleasure to her lips. Boys who had seen her every day
for the last three months in chapel suddenly discovered that she was
simply charming; they greeted her much as mortals in distress would
greet the apparition of the good fairy, and fifty champions there and
then were ready to do battle for her, and only wished they had the
chance.
The excitement of this arrival was hardly passed when another figure
appeared on the scene, hardly less important or less popular. This was
no other than Smedley, the School captain, who had asked and obtained
special leave from Mr Roe to be present as representing the school on
the occasion. He was still indignant at the disabilities imposed upon
the rival house; and though he by no means wished it success in its
ambitious project of beating the School record, his sense of fair play
told him that if no one was on the ground to represent the other houses,
they would compete at a disadvantage. If it went out that the School
captain had been present, everyone, at any rate, would have to admit
there had been fair play and no opening for dispute, whatever the result
might be. So Smedley, although it might be to see his own record
beaten, came down to the fields that morning. There was a little
uncertainty as to his reception at first, for Railsford's was in an
Ishmaelitish mood, and was ready to call everybody an enemy who wasn't
on its side.