White Feather

eloquently against an imaginary accuser; and he had built up avery sound, thoughtful, and logical series of arguments to show that hewas

he haddone his duty in refusing to be drawn into a fight with Albert andfriends. Besides, why should he be expected to join in whenever he sawa couple of fellows fighting? It wasn't reasonable. It was n

hen one is walkingbriskly, and that which comes when one thinks the thing over coldly. Ashe sat there, the wall of defen

. He had been afraid, and had shown it. And he hadshown it when, in a sense, he was repr

quences of that failure in the hour of need. He had disgracedhimself. H

by another. This time he took a more reasonable view of theaffair. It occurred to him that there was a chance that his defectionhad passed unnot

ity seized him to find o

the ringing of the lock-up bellhad passed.

o Drummond's study. Somebody

cked at

uth felt dry. He could not think how to begin. Henoticed that Drummond's face was unmarked. L

--"Drummond lo

calmly, as if he were makingsome convention

ask--""Get out," s

e. Drummond raised his b

left t

verley's poem, one of hisspeaking eyes was sable. The swelling of his lip was increased. Therewas a deep red bruise

inton, and went o

you. Well, we have foughtthe good fight. Exit Albert--sweep him up. You gave him enough to lasthim for the rest o

. By the way--""What's up now?""Who was that chap with you when you came up?""Which chap?""I thought I s

I met him outside.""Who?""Sheen.""Oh!""You might be sociable.""I know I might. But I want to read.""Lucky man. Wish I could. I can ha

. I'll cut out and askhim about it after prep. If he really was there, and cut off, somethingought to be done about it. Th

anything, except that long, thin bargee withthe bowler. I wish those men would hit straight. It's beastly difficultto guard a round-arm swing. My right ear feels lik

e.""Then why the dickens do you want it to get about? Surely the bestthing you can do is to dry up and say nothing about it.""But something ought to be done.""What's the good of troubling about a man like Sheen? He never was anygood, and this doesn't make him very much worse. Besides, he'llprobably be si

ith that eye and that lump on yourforehead. You ought to wear a mask.""That ear of yours," said Linto

Appleby's, who was standing athis house gate imbibin

is about your house?""What about my house?""Funking, and all that. Sheen, you know. Sta

believe him at first. You aren't going? Goodnight."So the thing was out. Linton had not count

ouse was being held up to scorn in Appleby's probably everywhere else

ent on the house for harbou

s tumult and an impromp

e, was his chance of working off his grudge against him. Allhe had to do was to spread the news abroad, and the school would do therest. On his return from the town he had mentioned the facts of thecase to one

. The senior day-room t

erent. Thedemeanour of a junior in moments of excitemen

be kicked," s

d by those kids in De

the house!" th

k things at his door

s situated,and, with divers groans and howls, the junior d

idiomatic Greekverse the words: "The Days of Peace and Slumberous calm have fled", andthis corroboration of the statement annoyed him to the extent ofcausing him to dash out and sow lines among the

d that his shortcomings were public property. The word "Funk!"shouted through

met the latter at thedoor of the study. And perhaps he was now telling it to the rest of thehouse. Of all the mixed sen

dormitory, and MrSeymour had fancied that it might, perhaps, be something of a handfulfor a single prefect. As a matter of fact, however, Drummond, who wasin charge, had shown early in the

of exhibiting his powe

was in bed, reading hisnovel. The other ornaments

e farther cornerof the room. Sheen flushed, and walked

said Drummond, without l

Only two or three of the

ked across the

, and get into bed

sed. He went on w

igned in dor