Also, he continued, he welcomed the chance of showing what his firm could do in trade rivalry4 with Greatorex & Co., who printed and published The Foxonian for "Mr. Harwood". A rough estimate of the possible cost? Certainly, if the young gentlemen wished it, but it would be rather a waste of time, as, from the standpoint of one who had the interests of Foxenby at heart, he was prepared to cut the price as low as it was possible to do it without actually losing money on the job.
Deposit? He wasn't at all concerned about that. He could take it that Mr. Forge held himself personally responsible for the cost of production? That would do, then; the word of honour of the Captain of Foxenby was good enough for him, any day.
"Send your 'copy' along in due course, gentlemen, and it shall have my personal attention from the moment it enters our doors," he declared. "I can't say fairer than that, can I?"
The two boys, who had quite anticipated some hard bargaining, were almost overwhelmed by this ready support of their optimistic plans. Their amazement6 was so obviously reflected in their faces that the manager laughed.
"Don't be alarmed, Mr. Forge—keep smilin', Mr. Cayton," he said. "I'm not givin' anythin' away! Though nominally7 manager of this place, I am, in the main, its proprietor8, and I shall not lose in chargin' you on the very lowest scale. There is somethin' in advertisement, you know."
"DON'T BE ALARMED, MR. FORGE"
"DON'T BE ALARMED, MR. FORGE"
Reassured9, Dick took away with him the cash he had come prepared to deposit, and both adjourned10 to the nearest café to celebrate their good fortune in finding so accommodating a publisher. A happy omen5, surely, for the success of the new magazine!
All that week Dick, not without a twinge of conscience, accepted help from Roger in his "prep." so that they might both give more time to the arrangement of the Rag's first number. Outsiders had not yet been invited to contribute; the first issue was to be a surprise. Every boy in the school was to receive a free copy, in the confident hope that his subscription12 would be forthcoming when he had digested the mental food afforded by its contents.
It is the way of all amateurs to be over-sure at first.
A rude awakening13 awaited Dick and Roger. Had the Thames flowed past Foxenby on the morning of publication, it would have run no risk of being set afire. Nimble youngsters aided in the distribution of the copies, and by midday every boy in the school had received The Rooke's House Rag. There was, however, no sign of anyone missing a meal to read it. Some copies, alas14, were flapping against the shrubbery trees—cast adrift, as is often the fate of literature circulated free.
Bravely pretending that their hearts were not somewhere in the region of their boots, Dick and Roger smiled at one another.
"Taken their breath away, I fancy, old chap," said Dick. "Knocked them speechless. Anyhow, the silence is uncanny."
His comment was immediately followed by the appearance of Luke Harwood, who came towards him with outstretched hand. With such a smile, too—radiantly disarming15!
"Congratulations, Forge, old man!" he said. "A clinking idea, and a topping first number. How 'squat16' you kept it, too—quite a refreshing17 surprise."
Gripping Harwood's hand hard, Dick positively18 blushed.
"You like it, Harwood?"
"Rather! It's hot stuff. The real goods!"
"Awfully19 sporting of you to say so, Harwood, old man. You're the first to congratulate us. I say 'us', because Cayton's as much an editor of the Rag as I am. Decent of Harwood to give us such a send-off, isn't it, Roger?"
"Oh—ah—to be sure!" agreed Roger, thinking something altogether different. (He would have preferred laughing sarcastically20 in the Foxonian Editor's bland21 face.)
"You've done it handsome, too—fine art paper, and all that," said Harwood appreciatively. "Always coveted22 a similar 'get-up' myself. Never had the pluck to risk it, though. Hope you'll get your subscriptions23 in all right."
"Leave that to me," Roger cut in, rather waspishly "I'm cashier."
Harwood smilingly cleared off then, and nothing further happened till afternoon school ended. Then, at Roger's suggestion, the co-editors entered the study to talk matters over. It was a warm autumn evening, and a full moon kept the darkness at bay. Consequently, the yard was thronged24 with boys, and through the study window, open at the top, it was possible at last to hear Rooke's House Rag being discussed.
"Class one, I call it. A reamer," declared a fresh young voice, raised high, as if in challenge. "Chews the ears off The Foxonian—makes a grocer's sugar-bag of it, by comparison."
Roger peered at Dick over his spectacles. "Hear that, my worthy25 editor?" he whispered. "The dulcet26 voice of Robin27 Arkness sings your praises. Bravo, Robin! Whatever lead he takes his 'Merry Men' are bound to follow. We've a doughty28 champion there!"
Sure enough, a chorus of approval followed. The Rag was spiffing, top-hole, full of ginger29, had the Foxonian skinned a mile—of such a type were the compliments that flew about for a time, making sweet music for the co-editors' ears. Then, as was perhaps inevitable30, came the jarring note.
"All rot, seems to me, bringing out another school magazine," quoth a dissentient Junior. "How many of you chaps who are cracking it up have bothered to read it? Dull as ditchwater in my opinion, and half a crown a term thrown away."
"That's the leader of the Fourth Form Opposition—young Osbody from Holbeck's House," explained Roger. "Impossible to take his criticism seriously. Matter of creed32 with him to oppose whatever Arkness says. Listen—all the 'Squirms' will back him up in slating33 us."
The title of "The Squirms" had been invented by Robin Arkness for the discomfiture34 of his rivals, and was not, perhaps, unfair to them on the whole, as they seemed to have the unhappy knack35 of drawing to their side some of the least wholesome36 of Foxenby's Juniors. Among the shortcomings of a few of them was a disregard for the laws of hygiene—in other words, a rooted dislike to soap and water. In the matter of personal cleanliness Foxenby's reputation stood high, and the small minority who fell below the standard were deservedly unpopular.
The "Squirms" justified37 Roger's inference by shrilly38 attacking the Rag—not because they had intelligent fault to find with it, but because they felt compelled to dissent31 from "Robin Hood's" views in any case. Word-thrusts were given without mercy and taken without flinching39. The Merry Men were accused of becoming subscribers only to curry40 favour with the captain; the Merry Men retaliated41 by declaring that fear of Harwood's ash-stick prejudiced the Squirms in the Foxonian's favour. All these verbal fireworks would have gone off harmlessly but for the amazing conduct of one particular Squirm, who, during a breath-taking lull43, had the nerve to speak well of the Rag.
"I say, all you chaps," he chimed in, "The Foxonian's all right, of course, but you can't help admitting that Rooke's House Rag is a jolly sight better got up—first easily in quality of paper and style of printing!"
What a set-back for the Squirms! The Merry Men uttered an ironical44 cheer at this falling away from the enemy's ranks, and Osbody rounded furiously on his weak-kneed supporter. "Shut up, Mawdster, you ass3!" he cried. "When you're asked for your opinion, give it—not sooner, unless it's a split lip you're seeking."
"Oh, please, Osbody," Robin intervened, in mock terror, "don't split poor Mawdster's lip. If you do he might have to wash his india-rubber collar before Christmas!"
Now, Osbody himself being always irreproachable45 in tidiness, Robin well knew that this exaggerated taunt46 would touch his rival's pride more than anything. But even Robin was unprepared for the speed with which Osbody leapt at him and hit him in the face. A rough-and-tumble in the "Forest", well screened by tall evergreens47, was a safe amusement compared with a free fight in the school-yard itself.
"Don't be a loon49, Osbody," he said. "Wanting to scrap50 here, right beneath the windows—it's a madman's trick. Come and settle it in the 'Forest'."
But feeling ran too high for compromise now. The swift attack on their chief had fired the blood of the Merry Men. Each selected an antagonist51 and went for him, so that Dick and Roger, peeping cautiously through the curtains, were the uncomfortable witnesses of a pitched battle, of which their editorial venture was the primary cause.
"This is an advertisement we didn't bargain for, Roger," said Dick.
"Hang it, yes! There'll be a miniature eruption52 of Vesuvius if the Old Man hears of it. Not another prefect about, of course."
"We must run downstairs and nip it in the bud, Roger."
"Most inconveniently53 for us. Can't we lie 'doggo', Dick?"
"Indeed, no. It's up to us, old man. I've winked54 at these little Donnybrooks in the shrubbery, but discipline goes overboard for 'keeps' if we let them paint one another's eyes beneath our windows."
"Stay here, Roger. No good both of us courting unpopularity," said Dick, and Roger, ever a failure as a disciplinarian, willingly remained behind. Unseen himself, he watched the captain hop11 between the infuriated combatants.
"Ease off, you hooligans!" Forge said. "This is a school-yard, not a cockpit. Boys of Rooke's House will report to me at my study after tea. The rest of you will be reported to the head prefect of Holbeck's House for—for" (he was about to say fighting, but withdrew it in favour of a softer term) "unseemly behaviour. No back talk, now, any of you; clear!"
The Juniors scattered57 sulkily and formed up again in opposite corners of the yard. In the bright light of the moon Dick watched them long enough to gather that his interference had not been taken philosophically58. One Merry Man, of whose identity he was not certain, took out a copy of the Rag and ostentatiously tore it up. It was whisked away by the warm wind to join other spurned59 copies in the bushes.
Dick mounted the stairs slowly, sick with disappointment.
"So much for our literary ambition, Roger, old pard," he groaned60. "What sort of a kick-off do you call this? Couldn't be rottener, in my opinion."
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1
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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rivalry
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| n.竞争，竞赛，对抗 | |
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omen
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| n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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nominally
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| 在名义上，表面地； 应名儿 | |
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proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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adjourned
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| （使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hop
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| n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过 | |
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subscription
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| n.预订，预订费，亲笔签名，调配法，下标（处方） | |
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awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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14
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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15
disarming
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| adj.消除敌意的，使人消气的v.裁军( disarm的现在分词 )；使息怒 | |
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16
squat
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| v.蹲坐，蹲下；n.蹲下；adj.矮胖的，粗矮的 | |
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refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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18
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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sarcastically
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| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
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bland
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| adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的 | |
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coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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23
subscriptions
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| n.（报刊等的）订阅费( subscription的名词复数 )；捐款；（俱乐部的）会员费；捐助 | |
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24
thronged
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| v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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dulcet
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| adj.悦耳的 | |
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robin
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| n.知更鸟，红襟鸟 | |
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doughty
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| adj.勇猛的，坚强的 | |
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29
ginger
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| n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气 | |
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30
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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dissent
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| n./v.不同意，持异议 | |
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32
creed
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| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
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33
slating
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| 批评 | |
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34
discomfiture
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| n.崩溃；大败；挫败；困惑 | |
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knack
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| n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法 | |
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36
wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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37
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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flinching
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| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的现在分词 ) | |
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40
curry
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| n.咖哩粉，咖哩饭菜；v.用咖哩粉调味，用马栉梳，制革 | |
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41
retaliated
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| v.报复，反击( retaliate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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retaliate
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| v.报复，反击 | |
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43
lull
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| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
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44
ironical
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| adj.讽刺的，冷嘲的 | |
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45
irreproachable
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| adj.不可指责的，无过失的 | |
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46
taunt
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| n.辱骂，嘲弄；v.嘲弄 | |
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47
evergreens
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| n.常青树，常绿植物，万年青( evergreen的名词复数 ) | |
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48
warded
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| 有锁孔的，有钥匙榫槽的 | |
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loon
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| n.狂人 | |
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50
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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51
antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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52
eruption
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| n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作 | |
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53
inconveniently
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| ad.不方便地 | |
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54
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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55
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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56
heeded
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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58
philosophically
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| adv.哲学上；富有哲理性地；贤明地；冷静地 | |
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59
spurned
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| v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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60
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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61
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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