THE HELSTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Three weeks elapsed and Master Ande Trembath had entered upon a new
life. He was enrolled upon the list of the scholars of Helston Grammar
School.
For four centuries the school had been the centre of education for the
west of Cornwall. Gentlemen can point to it with pride this day, as they
could then, as the birthplace of their early efforts and the inspiration
of their ambitions. At the time of Ande's entrance it had emerged from
the obscurity of the past into the foremost school of Cornwall. This
result was due much to the energetic labours and talents of the head
master, Rev. Mr. Trewan, M. A., a scholar of Oxford. Stern, yet kind and
affectionate to the youths under his charge, he was universally beloved
by his pupils. In his dealings with his pupils of whatever age, he was
of the same opinion as Quintilian that "a child too disingenuous to be
corrected by reproof, like a slave, will only be hardened by continuous
blows."
Though the scholars loved and revered the head, yet the under-master, a
certain Mr. Sherwood, received little or no affection from them. He was
sharp-featured as a weasel, sarcastic in speech, a scholarly egotist,
with the garment of dignity and a predilection to the use of euphonious
words.
The new scholar, entering in the midst of the year, found himself sadly
handicapped. In age and size, he should have been enrolled among the
fifth form. His withdrawal from the parish school after the lamentable
affair of the stocks placed him in no higher position than near the head
of the fourth.
The head of the sixth, a certain William Jordan, a great scholar--almost
a demigod--in the estimation of the lesser forms, and one of the school
monitors, took Ande in charge after his examination, and courteously
showed him around the school. The schoolroom with its row of desks and
forms, the cloakroom, the dining hall, the library, the dormitory, all
were successively inspected.
"This will be your sleeping apartment," said Jordan, as he opened a
green baize door on the second floor. Within were several beds and other
bedroom furniture. A few windows that opened toward the playground gave
abundance of light.
The new scholar soon became accustomed with his new surroundings and set
in to study with a zeal that surprised masters and pupils. He won the
hearts of his fellows of the fourth by setting out a feast for them that
first night in the fourth form dormitory. Mrs. Trembath had not
forgotten a hamper of good things, among them several bottles of mild
herby beer. These she had sent in with his luggage. The feast was spread
on one of the beds, and his fellows, after it was terminated, promptly
voted him a trump and proclaimed him, then and there, "King of the
Fourth Form."
The king accepted his title by giving an entertainment that night in a
noiseless manner. With the aid of a little phosphorus he caused many
uncouth and laughable figures to appear upon the wall, to the great
wonder of the smaller fourth form boys.
Before he had been in the fourth a month he had made such progress that
Master Sherwood entertained seriously the thought of his promotion, and
indeed, did promote him at the opening of spring. There was great sorrow
among the fourth when the news became known, as he had been of great
assistance to them in difficult points in the various lessons. A fifth
form scholar was not so accessible as one in their own form.
The fifth were not near so desirable a set of fellows as those he had
left. There was a difference between being king of the fourth, both in
learning and strength, and occupying the lowest position in the fifth
form. There were two in the form that were prominent, but in a different
degree. One, a certain Albert Tenny, the head of the form, who made
particularly bright recitations; the other, Richard Thomas, the one who
was stationed next to him, the son of a well-to-do farmer of the Lizard
Point. Thomas was heavy set, elephantine in size and strength, and on
account of the latter and a dulness in study was named by the boys King
Dullhead, although they never mentioned the latter in his presence, or
dire would be his vengeance.
There was not much of a contest between Dick, as he was called, and
Ande, to see which should be the head of the tail end of the form. The
very first lesson Ande went above Dick.
"I see," said Mr. Sherwood, with a sarcastic smile on his sharp
features; "I see, Master Thomas, you are resolved to maintain your old
position."
There was a slight laugh on the part of the rest of the form. Dick
squirmed under the sarcasm and half audible laughter of his fellows, and
looked down in dogged silence, growling something under his breath.
Sarcasm and taunts had made him sullen and revengeful, and the laughter
at his mistakes had made him more stupid and awkward. He would sit at
his desk in an idle manner with his large flat feet sprawling over the
floor in different directions. Ambition had left his features, if,
indeed, he ever had any. How he ever made the fifth was a wonder. He had
tried year after year, but never succeeded in raising himself above the
foot of the fifth.
The crisis between Dick, Tenny, and Ande came about in this way. The
form had started in on the study of Virgil, and thought it exceedingly
hard after the simple, narrative discourse of Caesar's Commentaries.
Master Sherwood was not sparing in his assigning of lessons, and had
assigned a few lines in addition to the regular, allotted portion. There
was much secret dissatisfaction, and especially from Dullhead Dick. The
thing had occurred once before and they had universally decided not to
read more than the generally allotted portion. Ande had been the soul of
honour on that occasion, had refused to read, and the Master had passed
him over lightly as he was a new fifth form lad. To his surprise several
of the fifth arose when called upon and recited the extra portion. Now,
disgusted with the whole fifth, he refused to assemble with them to
consider their grievances. The secret conclave was called and the
decision made, but they stupidly said nothing to their absent member.
The eventful recitation came, and the close of the allotted portion read
by Ande himself. Then he paused.
"Proceed," said Sherwood.
"If you do," growled Dick, who was next in line, "you'll take a licking
after school."
The whispered threat exasperated the reader, and he proceeded resolutely
on. Dick gave him a sly kick under the bench in his rage.
"Aeolus, haec contra; Tuos, O regina, quid optes
Explorare labor; mihi jussa capessere fas est.'"
"Stop there," said the master. "You may begin, Richard Thomas."
"We haven't got any farther," blurted out Dick.
"Ah! I thought I assigned to the eightieth line."
"We only take thirty-five lines," persisted Dick.
"Master Thomas, will you recite?" sternly asked the master.
Dick made no movement, but sat in dogged and sullen silence.
"Very well," said Mr. Sherwood, "you may write out the next thirty lines
and commit them to memory."
"I'll pay you back," growled Dick to Ande, as he gave him a fierce
nudge.
"Tenny, you may scan and translate."
Tenny, the head, did not dare disobey, although he had promised with the
others not to read the extra portion, and even had not studied it. He,
however, trusting in his natural ability, thought he could weather
through. He began, but stumbled lamentably until Mr. Sherwood, incensed,
gave his lines to the next, who made as bad a failure of them; and so it
continued until Ande was again reached. Mr. Sherwood compressed his
lips.
"Well, Trembath, we'll try you again."
Ande arose and scanned and translated in a truly commendable manner.
"Master Trembath, you have done credit to those lines," said Mr.
Sherwood, well pleased. "You have saved the credit of the form; you may
take your place at the head of the fifth."
The lads above were furious with jealousy, and burly Dick vowed threats
of vengeance for his thirty lines.
The meeting was not long in appearing. Ande was on the Bowling Green
that same evening, when Dick and a crowd of the fifth met him. The
stupid and the bright had clasped hands against him; the bright ones out
of jealousy, the dull ones out of revenge.
"Here's the red 'eaded Deane," said Dick, insultingly.
"I would just as soon be a descendant of the red-headed Danes, as an
offspring of the Lizard[6] barbarians, who, if history is correct,
didn't know enough to walk upright, but travelled on all fours like a
donkey," said Ande, coolly surveying the crowd.
[6] Lizard Barbarians.--An old legend of the Lizard Point states
that its inhabitants were so ignorant in olden times that they
walked on hands and knees until some shipwrecked sailors taught them
the art of standing.
Dick was in a fury of rage. The legend had been frequently poked at him
and it always reached a sore part.
"Wilt fight," he roared, "and I'll show 'ee a donkey's heels." Dick,
before the masters, tried the best English he could use, for he had
tasted the scorn of Sherwood often, but in a rage, and before the lads,
the dialect was good enough for him. Now, I suppose he meant that he
would make Ande feel the weight of his shoes, but that worthy responded
in sarcastic vein.
"No need to fight for that, for I see them already," and he gazed
contemplatively at Dick's large feet.
Even the duller ones could not refrain from a grin of delight, but they
were determined to have Ande whipped, and so arrangements having been
made, they wandered out some distance from the Bowling Green to secure a
place. The news had been carried to the fourth form, and the whole form
came as his supporters. Now, the fifth were certain of Dick's victory,
for in size, age, and strength he seemed superior to Ande. The fourth
were exceedingly anxious, while Ande himself had no doubts of the
outcome. Dullhead, though heavier and larger than the redoubtable Bully
Bob Sloan, had nothing but brute strength, and even Bully Bob would have
made short work of him.
"Art ready?" said Dick, and an affirmative answer being given, "then
come on," and with a bellow, Dick lowered his great head and charged
like an enraged bull. His antagonist caught his head in a vice-like
chancery grip, and hitting him a playful tap, released him with a spin
that sent him some distance back. Dullhead shook his head, as if he
wondered what had happened, and then again charged. This time Ande
side-stepped, and tapping Dick with his right, and crooking his foot,
sent him head over heels.
"Dost see the donkey's heels, lads?"
The fourth roared, and shouted their applause.
Then was Dick's blood at fever heat. He must get the desired underhold
for a wrestle, of which he knew some tactics, and so again came the
charge, which was met with no love-taps this time. A straight, hard,
left-hander caught Dick full upon the nose, and then, crash, another
upon the eye. Dick, dazed, still came on, for he was the soul of
courage. This kind of fighting was new to him, however. To be hit again
and again, without being able to get a grip on his foe, was maddening.
Meantime, Ande's hands were playing a lively tattoo upon Dick's eyes,
ears, and nose. At last, fairly unable to stand the punishment, Dick
broke for his corner, but it was not in retreat; it was but to gain the
impetus for a new rush, by which he sought to gain the desired grip for
a throw. On he came, like a whirlwind, and then, no one knew how it
happened, but there was a quick flash of an extended arm, and burly Dick
went down as if he was shot, and laid motionless.
Some of the fifth rushed forward to assist Dick, but were withheld by
the voice of his antagonist, who wished to know if any of the fifth
desired to take up Dick's cause.
Not a one responded, and then he did a thing for which he was always
admired, and rightly so. He had not forgotten his knighthood. He came
forward and was the leader in bringing Dick to consciousness. Some, at
his word, brought water from the river Cober and tenderly he chafed
Dick's hands and forehead, until the unconscious fellow was fully
restored.
"Much hurt?" said Ande.
"Hah--hah!" gasped Dick, as he opened his eyes, and caught his breath in
gasps. "Not much--all right, soon."
Then followed more chafing and Dick was at length slowly assisted to his
feet.
"No offence," said Ande, as he held out his hand, "you know I had to
fight."
Dick took the outstretched hand, a little sheepishly, and shook it
gingerly.
"No offence. Better luck next time."
"Come, now. Is there going to be a next time? I don't want to
permanently cripple my hands by hitting such an ironsides as you are,"
laughingly.
Dick rubbed his great head tenderly, felt of his battered features, and
then, with a slight smile: "No, I guess we've satisfied the code of
honour."
Together, fourth and fifth, wended their way amicably back to the school
grounds. Ande continued to hold his position as head of the fifth, and
won the regard of all by championing the cause of the school against all
outsiders. In the latter he was ably assisted by Dick, who, strange to
say, became his most devoted and attached friend. Dick was a magnificent
fellow physically, and there was a good bit of fine principle about him,
but his strength, dulness, and awkwardness had made him heretofore a
bully. Under the warm glow of Ande's friendship, new life and hope was
implanted within him; he applied himself with diligence to his studies,
and under his chum's fostering care, made progress. The two were now
partners in the same study.
One night, when they were preparing the coming day's lessons, Dick
looked up from his book.
"Ande, remember the fight we had?"
"Yes."
"Did you 'ave anything in your hand when you struck me that last time?"
"No. Why?"
"'Cause, I thought it was a club," and Dick grinned.
"I hated to hit so hard. But it seemed none of my former blows were
having much effect. It was like hitting an elephant."
There was silence in the study room for the space of half an hour, and
then Dick asked his companion to review him o'er his lesson. Ande did
so, and was agreeably surprised; it was the best lesson that Dick had
ever prepared.
"I'm much obliged," said Dick. "This hearing of a lesson helps
wonderfully."
"Dick," said Ande, "a red-headed Dane is a pretty-fair sort of a fellow,
after all. I say, he has some redeemable virtues."
"Yes, and I 'ave discovered something else."
"What's that?"
"A donkey has a head as well as a pair of heels," whereupon they both
laughed heartily.