Stalky Co. | Page 9

"They've got us under suspicion," said Stalky. "Hoophats is so
suspicious somehow; and Foxy always makes every stalk he does a sort
of--sort of--"
"Scalp," said Beetle. "Foxy's a giddy Chingangook."
"Poor Foxy," said Stalky. "He's goin' to catch us one of these days.
'Said to me in the Gym last night, 'I've got my eye on you, Mister
Corkran. I'm only warning you for your good.' Then I said: 'Well, you
jolly well take it off again, or you'll get into trouble. I'm only warnin'
you for your good.' Foxy was wrath."
"Yes, but it's only fair sport for Foxy," said Beetle. "It's Hefflelinga that
has the evil mind. 'Shouldn't wonder if he thought we got tight."
"I never got squiffy but once--that was in the holidays," said Stalky,
reflectively; "an' it made me horrid sick. 'Pon my sacred Sam, though,
it's enough to drive a man to drink, havin' an animal like Hoof for
house-master."
"If we attended the matches an' yelled, 'Well hit, sir,' an' stood on one
leg an' grinned every time Heffy said, 'So ho, my sons. Is it thus?' an'
said, 'Yes, sir,' an' 'No, sir,' an' 'O, sir,' an' 'Please, sir,' like a lot o'
filthy fa-ags, Heffy 'ud think no end of us," said McTurk with a sneer.
"Too late to begin that."
"It's all right. The Hefflelinga means well. But he is an ass. Andwe
show him that we think he's an ass. An' so Heffy don't love us. 'Told me
last night after prayers that he was inlocoparentis," Beetle grunted.
"The deuce he did!" cried Stalky. "That means he's maturin' something
unusual dam' mean. Last time he told me that he gave me three
hundred lines for dancin' the cachuca in Number Ten dormitory.
Locoparentis, by gum! But what's the odds as long as you're 'appy?
We're all right."

They were, and their very rightness puzzled Prout, King, and the
Sergeant. Boys with bad consciences show it. They slink out past the
Fives Court in haste, and smile nervously when questioned. They return,
disordered, in bare time to save a call-over. They nod and wink and
giggle one to the other, scattering at the approach of a master. But
Stalky and his allies had long out-lived these manifestations of youth.
They strolled forth unconcernedly, and returned in excellent shape after
a light refreshment of strawberries and cream at the Lodge.
The Lodge-keeper had been promoted to keeper, vice the murderous
fisherman, and his wife made much of the boys. The man, too, gave
them a squirrel, which they presented to the Natural History Society;
thereby checkmating little Hartopp, who wished to know what they
were doing for Science. Foxy faithfully worked some deep Devon lanes
behind a lonely cross-roads inn; and it was curious that Prout and King,
members of Common-room seldom friendly, walked together in the
same direction--that is to say, northeast.
Now, the Pleasant Isle of Aves lay due southwest. "They're
deep--day-vilish deep," said Stalky. "Why are they drawin' those
covers?"
"Me," said Beetle sweetly. "I asked Foxy if he had ever tasted the beer
there. That was enough for Foxy, and it cheered him up a little. He and
Heffy were sniffin' round our old hut so long I thought they'd like a
change."
"Well, it can't last forever," said Stalky. "Heffy's bankin' up like a
thunder-cloud, an' King goes rubbin' his beastly hands, an' grinnin' like
a hyena. It's shockin' demoralizin' for King. He'll burst some day."
That day came a little sooner than they expected--came when the
Sergeant, whose duty it was to collect defaulters, did not attend an
afternoon call-over.
"Tired of pubs, eh? He's gone up to the top of the bill with his
binoculars to spot us," said Stalky. "Wonder he didn't think of that
before. Did you see old Heffy cock his eye at us when we answered our

names? Heffy's in it, too. Ti-ra-la-la-i-tu! I gloat! Hear me! Come on!"
"Aves?" said Beetle.
"Of course, but I'm not smokin' aujourd'hui. Parcequeje jolly well
pense that we'll be suivi. We'll go along the cliffs, slow, an' give Foxy
lots of time to parallel us up above."
They strolled towards the swimming-baths, and presently overtook
King. "Oh, don't let me interrupt you," he said. "Engaged in scientific
pursuits, of course? I trust you will enjoy yourselves, my young
friends."
"You see!" said Stalky, when they were out of ear-shot. "He can'tkeep a
secret. He's followin' to cut off our line of retreat. He'll wait at the
baths till Heffy comes along. They've tried every blessed place except
along the cliffs, and now they think they've bottled us. No need to
hurry."
They walked leisurely over the combes till they reached the line of
notice-boards.
"Listen a shake. Foxy's up wind comin' down hill like