Jack of Both Sides | Page 3

therefore no credit to him; but still, he did grin."
At this moment the discussion in both camps was brought to a sudden finish by the return of the masters. The chief himself, Mr. West, was the first to enter, and his eye was immediately caught by the bread basket, which lay dejected on its side in a little pool of crumbs. He looked suspiciously at it.
"Who threw the basket on the floor?"
Dead silence.
"Come, speak out! Someone must have done it; baskets don't jump off tables by themselves."
After another short silence, one of the young day-pupils, who happened to be standing close beside it, picked up the basket and placed it on the table.
"Did you knock it down, Frere, my boy?" asked Mr. West.
"No, sir. It was one of the boarders; I don't know his name. I think he aimed it at some of us, and it fell on the floor instead."
Frere spoke innocently. He had never been to school before, and it did not occur to him that he was doing any harm by his frankness--least of all, to himself! The eyes of his friends and enemies alike glared reproachfully at him, but he did not notice them. It was Jack Brady who broke in.
"We threw the basket at them first, sir, and it did hit them!"
"Well, never do it again, Brady. Look what a mess it's made on the floor! And you others, you have been in the school longer; you ought to have known better than to throw it back. You might have broken something."
That was all. But the bitterness between the two camps was not lessened by the incident, and Frere was liked none the better for it.
However, now work began again, and ill-feeling was shelved perforce for the time. The sarcastic Green, for instance, found himself required to read the part of "Nerissa" to Mason's "Portia"; and Hughes was set to sketch Africa on the board in company with Vickers. The boys did not know that Mr. West had given a hint to the masters to mix the new and old element well together.
That opening day was a weary one to the nine town boys, and all but Jack Brady, the "weekly", scampered off with boisterous delight when school was dismissed at four o'clock.
The two chums, Ethelbert Hughes and Lewis Simmons, had been quickly dubbed "Ethel" and "Lucy", and they did not at once appreciate their new names. But Jack Brady, when he found himself hailed indiscriminately as "Apple" and "Grinner", answered and laughed without a trace of resentment. Perhaps that was why neither title stuck to him, while Hughes and Simmons became Ethel and Lucy to everyone, and even at last to each other.
Jack was standing at the window, watching his friends disappear in the direction of the town, and whistling softly to keep up his spirits, when Hallett approached him.
"Hullo, Red-cheeks, they say you're not a day-boy. I think myself that going home once a week is a mistake; however, of course that's a matter of opinion. But why on earth do you stick by those wretched eight whom West has let in to spoil the school?"
"Fellow-feeling!" Jack's smile atoned for the shortness of his reply.
"Nonsense! I can't for the life of me see why you should connect yourself with that lot at all. We've no quarrel with you."
"Nor with the others, for the matter of that," returned Jack, looking straight into Hallett's face.
Hallett moved away with a short grunt, for want of an answer. Then, remembering one, he turned back.
"What about young Frere? What did you think of that?"
"I'd have stopped him if I could. But he didn't mean any harm. To a home-boy it sometimes comes natural to blurt out all you know when you're asked a question."
Hallett shrugged his shoulders.
"You'll make a first-rate pleader one day, Brady. If ever I want defending, I'll engage you."
"Thanks!" said Jack. "You're very kind."
CHAPTER II
TOPPIN'S DIVE
If Mr. Anderson, the junior English master, had not happened to meet some friends as he was on his way to the swimming-bath with the boys, this chapter would not have been written. But they were old friends, and very unexpected, who were only visiting Elmridge for an hour or two. So he acted as I suppose nine out of ten young men would have acted in the same circumstances.
"Look here, boys," he said, running after the nearest group. "Can I trust you to go on quietly to the baths by yourselves? I shall follow you very shortly. You can all have your dip, and dress, and by that time I shall be with you. You won't get into mischief, and play pranks, will you? Promise!"
The four boys he addressed promised readily.
"Right! Green, you're one of the seniors; I put you in charge. See that all goes on just as