For the remaining weeks of the winter term, things went as smoothly inKay's as Kay would let them. That restless gentleman still continuedto burst in on Kennedy from time to time with some sensational storyof how he had found a fag doing what he ought not to have done. Butthere was a world of difference between the effect these visits hadnow and that which they had had when Kennedy had stood alone in thehouse, his hand against all men. Now that he could work off theeffects of such encounters by going straight to Fenn's study andpicking the house-master to pieces, the latter's peculiar methodsceased to be irritating, and became funny. Mr Kay was always ferretingout the weirdest misdoings on the part of the members of his house,and rushing to Kennedy's study to tell him about them at full length,like a rather indignant dog bringing a rat he has hunted down into adrawing-room, to display it to the company. On one occasion, when Fennand Jimmy Silver were in Kennedy's study, Mr Kay dashed in to complainbitterly that he had discovered that the junior dayroom kept mice intheir lockers. Apparently this fact seemed to him enough to cause anepidemic of typhoid fever in the place, and he hauled Kennedy over thecoals, in a speech that lasted five minutes, for not having detectedthis plague-spot in the house.
"So that's the celebrity at home, is it?" said Jimmy Silver, when hehad gone. "I now begin to understand more or less why this house wantsa new Head every two terms. Is he often taken like that?""He's never anything else," said Kennedy. "Fenn keeps a list of thethings he rags me about, and we have an even shilling on, each week,that he will beat the record of the previous week. At first I used toget the shilling if he lowered the record; but after a bit it struckus that it wasn't fair, so now we take it on alternate weeks. This ismy week, by the way. I think I can trouble you for that bob, Fenn?""I wish I could make it more," said Fenn, handing over the shilling.
"What sort of things does he rag you about generally?" inquiredSilver.
Fenn produced a slip of paper.
"Here are a few," he said, "for this month. He came in on the 10thbecause he found two kids fighting. Kennedy was down town when ithappened, but that made no difference. Then he caught the seniordayroom making a row of some sort. He said it was perfectly deafening;but we couldn't hear it in our studies. I believe he goes round thehouse, listening at keyholes. That was on the 16th. On the 22nd hefound a chap in Kennedy's dormitory wandering about the house at onein the morning. He seemed to think that Kennedy ought to have sat upall night on the chance of somebody cutting out of the dormitory. Atany rate, he ragged him. I won the weekly shilling on that; anddeserved it, too."Fenn had to go over to the gymnasium shortly after this. Jimmy Silverstayed on, talking to Kennedy.
"And bar Kay," said Jimmy, "how do you find the house doing? Anybetter?""Better! It's getting a sort of model establishment. I believe, if wekeep pegging away at them, we may win some sort of a cup sooner orlater.""Well, Kay's very nearly won the cricket cup last year. You ought toget it next season, now that you and Fenn are both in the team.""Oh, I don't know. It'll be a fluke if we do. Still, we're hoping. Itisn't every house that's got a county man in it. But we're breakingout in another place. Don't let it get about, for goodness' sake, butwe're going for the sports' cup.""Hope you'll get it. Blackburn's won't have a chance, anyhow, and Ishould like to see somebody get it away from the School House. They'vehad it much too long. They're beginning to look on it as their right.
But who are your men?""Well, Fenn ought to be a cert for the hundred and the quarter, tostart with.""But the School House must get the long run, and the mile, and thehalf, too, probably.""Yes. We haven't anyone to beat Milligan, certainly. But there are thesecond and third places. Don't forget those. That's where we're goingto have a look in. There's all sorts of unsuspected talent in Kay's.
To look at Peel, for instance, you wouldn't think he could do thehundred in eleven, would you? Well, he can, only he's been too slackto go in for the race at the sports, because it meant training. I hadhim up here and reasoned with him, and he's promised to do his best.
Eleven is good enough for second place in the hundred, don't youthink? There are lots of others in the house who can do quite decentlyon the track, if they try. I've been making strict inquiries. Kay'sare hot stuff, Jimmy. Heap big medicine. That's what they are.""You're a wonderful man, Kennedy," said Jimmy Silver. And he meant it.
Kennedy's uphill fight at Kay's had appealed to him strongly. Hehimself had never known what it meant to have to manage a hostilehouse. He had stepped into his predecessor's shoes at Blackburn's muchas the heir to a throne becomes king. Nobody had thought of disputinghis right to the place. He was next man in; so, directly the departureof the previous head of Blackburn's left a vacancy, he stepped intoit, and the machinery of the house had gone on as smoothly as if therehad been no change at all. But Kennedy had gone in against a slack andantagonistic house, with weak prefects to help him, and a fussyhouse-master; and he had fought them all for a term, and looked likewinning. Jimmy admired his friend with a fervour which nothing onearth would have tempted him to reveal. Like most people with a senseof humour, he had a fear of appearing ridiculous, and he hid his realfeelings as completely as he was able.
"How is the footer getting on?" inquired Jimmy, remembering thedifficulties Kennedy had encountered earlier in the term in connectionwith his house team.
"It's better," said Kennedy. "Keener, at any rate. We shall do ourbest in the house-matches. But we aren't a good team.""Any more trouble about your being captain instead of Fenn?""No. We both sign the lists now. Fenn didn't want to, but I thought itwould be a good idea, so we tried it. It seems to have worked allright""Of course, your getting your first has probably made a difference.""A bit, perhaps.""Well, I hope you won't get the footer cup, because I want it forBlackburn's. Or the cricket cup. I want that, too. But you can havethe sports' cup with my blessing.""Thanks," said Kennedy. "It's very generous of you.""Don't mention it," said Jimmy.
From which conversation it will be seen that Kay's was graduallypulling itself together. It had been asleep for years. It was nowwaking up.
When the winter term ended, there were distinct symptoms of anoutbreak of public spirit in the house.
The Easter term opened auspiciously in one way. Neither Walton norPerry returned. The former had been snapped up in the middle of theholidays--to his enormous disgust--by a bank, which wanted hisservices so much that it was prepared to pay him 40 pounds a year simplyto enter the addresses of its outgoing letters in a book, and post themwhen he had completed this ceremony. After a spell of this he mighthope to be transferred to another sphere of bank life and thought, andat the end of his first year he might even hope for a rise in hissalary of ten pounds, if his conduct was good, and he had not beenlate on more than twenty mornings in the year. I am aware that in aproperly-regulated story of school-life Walton would have gone to theEckleton races, returned in a state of speechless intoxication, andbeen summarily expelled; but facts are facts, and must not be tamperedwith. The ingenious but not industrious Perry had been superannuated.
For three years he had been in the Lower Fourth. Probably the masterof that form went to the Head, and said that his constitution wouldnot stand another year of him, and that either he or Perry must go. SoPerry had departed. Like a poor play, he had "failed to attract," andwas withdrawn. There was also another departure of an even moremomentous nature.
Mr Kay had left Eckleton.
Kennedy was no longer head of Kay's. He was now head of Dencroft's.
Mr Dencroft was one of the most popular masters in the school. He wasa keen athlete and a tactful master. Fenn and Kennedy knew him well,through having played at the nets and in scratch games with him. Theyboth liked him. If Kennedy had had to select a house-master, he wouldhave chosen Mr Blackburn first. But Mr Dencroft would have been easilysecond.
Fenn learned the facts from the matron, and detailed them to Kennedy.
"Kay got the offer of a headmastership at a small school in the north,and jumped at it. I pity the fellows there. They are going to have alively time.""I'm jolly glad Dencroft has got the house," said Kennedy. "We mighthave had some awful rotter put in. Dencroft will help us buck up thehouse games."The new house-master sent for Kennedy on the first evening of term. Hewished to find out how the Head of the house and the ex-Head stoodwith regard to one another. He knew the circumstances, andcomprehended vaguely that there had been trouble.
"I hope we shall have a good term," he said.
"I hope so, sir," said Kennedy.
"You--er--you think the house is keener, Kennedy, than when you firstcame in?""Yes, sir. They are getting quite keen now. We might win the sports.""I hope we shall. I wish we could win the football cup, too, but I amafraid Mr Blackburn's are very heavy metal.""It's hardly likely we shall have very much chance with them; but wemight get into the final!""It would be an excellent thing for the house if we could. I hope Fennis helping you get the team into shape?" he added.
"Oh, yes, sir," said Kennedy. "We share the captaincy. We both signthe lists.""A very good idea," said Mr Dencroft, relieved. "Good night, Kennedy.""Good night, sir," said Kennedy.
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