The Gold Bat

the days were short andlock-up early. In the summer term there were other things to do--nets,which lasted till a quarter to seven (when lock-up was), and thebaths--and brewing practical

e were Drummond and hisfriend De Bertini. In study seven, which was a smaller room and onlycapable of holding one person with any comfort, one James RupertLeather-Twigg (that was his singular name, as Mr Gilbert has it) hadtaken up his abode. The name of Leather-Twigg having proved, at anearly date in his career, too grea

o get thingsready. They were not high enough up in the sch

forefortunate that, when he upset the kettle (he nearly always did at someperiod of the evening's business), the contents spread themselves overBarry, and not over himself. Football clothes will stand any amount ofwater, whereas M'Todd's "Youth's winter suiting at for

g when that ass M'Todd plungedagainst the table and upset the lot over my bags. Lucky the beastlystuff wasn't boiling. I'm soaked.""While we wai

at De Bertini was so very fixed in his determination to speakEnglish. He was a trier all the way, was De Bertini. You rarely caughthim helping

as interpreter. Occasionally therewould come a linguistic effort by which even he freely confessedhimself b

o spill it coming upstairs andhave to go back again. Let's get on with the sausages."The pan had just been placed on the fire when M'Todd returned with thewater. He tripped ove

d, who was kneeling before thefire and keeping an excited eye on the spluttering pan, "_you_see. He'll come just as we've finished cooking them. I believe the manwaits outside with his ear to the keyhole. Hullo! Stand by with theplate. They'll be done in half a jiffy."Just a

e. Can I be of any use?""We've

ago," sa

rm appeared on Shoeblos

the occasion. He felt like a successful general. There mustbe _something_ he could do to show that he regarded the situationwith approval. He looked round the study. Ha! Happy thought--thefrying-pan.

re any one could stop him, he had turned it upsidedown over the fire. As has been already r

. Thefat was in the fire with a vengeance. A great sheet of flame rushed outand up. Shoeblossom leaped back with a readiness highly cr

piece to beat out the fire with a football shirt. Bertiewas talking rapidly to himse

antelpiece, Barry had alsodone good work by k

in the far corner of theroom, gaping vaguely

t of it overthe glowing, blazing mass in the grate, the rest over Barry. One of thelargest and most detestable smells the study had

out from Milton's dormitory window. And takecare not to chuck it down the wrong chimney."B

It was Mr Seymour. Most of his face was concealedin a large handkerchief, but by the look of

etious sportsman had oncemade a rule of setting

(by request), but

on fire?""Yes, s

me water on to the roofand throw it down." Herb

uld look up tosee if the fire was out. He stooped and peered into the darkness, and,even as he gazed, splash came the contents of the fourth pail, togetherwith some soot with which they had

a hollow, sepulchral voice

ater come down then,

sed into a chair, an

_up_, Leather-Twigg ... not tobe trusted ... _b

ised ... ought to be a

..--"Such were the main heads of Mr Seymour's speech on the situation

ut. Not even the thought of sixhundred l

oenter them till further notice. It is disgraceful that such a thingshould happen. Do you hear, Barry? And you, Drummond? You are not toente

"we saved thesausages."It is this indomitable gift of look