Acton's Feud: A Public School Story Read online

  CHAPTER XVI

  TODD "FINDS HIMSELF"

  Todd had found out all the unpainted beauty of public-school life withoutpocket money, and discovered that existence was just possible. A shillingon your watchchain and a shilling's worth of stamps admit of no luxuries,and Todd, through his impecuniosity, even if he had wished, could nothave done anything else but work. Taylor's house was supposed to providea fairly liberal table, but Gus really did miss his after-dinner cup ofcoffee at Hooper's, and not many fellows would regard long letters to andfrom home as being the _summum bonum_ of the week. Yet Todd had cometo regard his mamma's letters--four-paged gossip about his sisters, hisbrothers, the horses, and the dogs--in the light of luxuries.

  Consequently, with nothing to distract him, Gus really did work. Hisstanding in the Fifth sensibly increased. Merishall did not makeelaborate jokes on his Latin, and Corker not once let fall the warningeye-glass preparatory to savaging him for his Greek, formerly called soby a courtesy title. There was a world of difference between his oldhaphazard slip-slop and his present honest attempts in the ways ofscholarship.

  The half-holidays, though, dragged dreadfully, for Gus was one of thosefellows who have no natural aptitude for games, and he had a theory thathe did not care a straw about them either. Being in the Fifth he could,of course, suit himself what he did with his halfers. Sometimes, in verydesperation, he would lounge down to the Acres, and wander forlornly fromgoal post to goal post, and sometimes he spent the afternoon amusinghimself--with Lancaster's express approval--in the laboratory, and soeffaced previous bad impressions from the science master's mind. Gus,however, was honest enough with himself to own that he would rather havehad an aimless stroll with Cotton than any amount of footer-gazing or"bottle-washing." But Cotton had definitely thrown him over; they did notnod when they met, and Jim was very careful not to see Gus walking insolitary state in the roadway.

  Todd was moodily looking out of his window one halfer, and discontentedlywondering how he could exist till he should switch on the electric forthe evening grind, when a not unfamiliar knock sounded on the door. Gusfaced round wonderingly, and opened the door. The house-master droppedinto the chair which Todd hastily drew out for him.

  "I thought I should catch you in, Todd. Nothing on, have you?"

  "No, sir," said Todd.

  "No particular engagement for this afternoon."

  "No, sir," said Gus, with a half sigh merging into a half smile, "thoughI did think of going down to the Acres, and looking at the footer."

  "I'm glad of that," said Taylor, as though he really were. "I promised toreferee this afternoon--Hargon's _v_. Sharpe's--but I want to cryoff now. Neuralgia, Todd, is simply torturing me this moment, andrefereeing wouldn't improve it. Do you mind taking my place? Do pleasesay 'No' if you'd rather not."

  "Very sorry, sir," said Gus, referring to the neuralgia. "Referee!"

  "Yes," said Taylor, with a ghost of a smile at Todd's astonishment.

  "Certainly, I will, sir--I mean I'll take your place. But the fellowswill gasp when I step into the arena."

  "Thank you, Todd. Why will they gasp?"

  "Footer isn't my line, sir."

  "Hasn't been, Todd. Anyhow, they'll be delighted when you whistle themup."

  "I hope they'll be delighted when I've finished, sir," said Gus,doubtfully.

  "One side won't, of course," said Taylor, cheerfully. "That is natural,and the usual thing. Do you know, I never played football, but I likerefereeing immensely. Positive it's the best thing after playing, and Iknow that a really first-class referee is a very rare fowl. Of courseit's the off-side rule and, etc."

  Taylor delivered himself of a little homily on the subject of refereeing.He was enthusiastic almost to the point of forgetting his neuralgia, andTodd got quite interested in the theme so earnestly handled. He had notthought there was much fun in it until the house-master unfolded itspossibilities, but he took over the whistle fairly sanguine.

  "I'll do my best, sir," said Gus, in conclusion; "and if they stone meoff the Acres----"

  "I'll bury my reputation as a prophet under the missiles."

  In one thing Todd was certainly right. When he found Hargon's _v_.Sharpe's pitch and told the assembled twenty-two--rather diffidently, Imust own--that he was the deputy referee, they did gasp.

  "Show us your whistle, Gus," said Higgins, Hargon's captain, doubtfully.

  Gus held it up, with a genial and childlike smile.

  "Got the rules in your pocket, too, I suppose."

  "I have," said Todd--"for reference. But I know _now_, Higgins, thatgoal-keepers cannot take more than two steps with the ball, and----"

  Sharpe's lot guffawed at Todd's neat little thrust at Higgins's littlefailing as a goal-keeper.

  "But don't you worry, Hig; I'll see you through all right. Three-quartereach way, I suppose?"

  Todd gave his whole mind to the refereeing, and soon warmed to business.He found that there was heaps more fun in it than he had bargained for,and as he was a sharp, quick, and clever youth he came out of the ordealwith flying colours. He made mistakes, naturally, but momentous issuesdepended on none of them, and he felt he had not done so badly whenHiggins, at half-time, spoke to him as one in authority to another. ButPalmer, the captain of Sharpe's lot--the beaten side--put the copingstone to a pleasant afternoon by asking Gus to referee for them againstMerishall's. Gus walked off the field a happy man.

  From that afternoon Todd had no excuse for loafing away any halfer. Hisservices as referee were in demand, not merely as a matter of utility,but of preference. Taylor, who had watched rather anxiously Todd'sprogress, smiled easily at the success of his understudy.

  "I say," said Bourne to me, "what's come over Todd? Blessed if that usualass didn't handle the Fifth _v_. Sixth to-day simply beautifully.When you're lynched, Gus will fill your shoes completely. Talks so-so,too. Who's improving him?"

  I acted on Phil's advice, and Todd and I parcelled out the outstandingfixtures between us. Then Todd became one of the best-known fellows inthe school, and strolled up the hill with Worcester, Acton, Vercoe, andother heroes as to the manner born. The old, lazy, shallow, shifty,shiftless Gus was drifting into the background every day.

  Then Todd gave us a final shock. I was hurrying down the High when aconstable asked me if I could tell him "where a young gentleman namedTodd lived."

  "I'm passing by his house," said I, more than a trifle puzzled as to whatthe police might want with Gus. "Hope it isn't house-breaking,constable?"

  "No, sir," said he, laughing. "It is a matter of ice-breakin'."

  I expect I looked mystified.

  "Mr. Todd, sir, fished out of the water just below the Low Locks a commonordinary drunk, Robins--a bargee. That was yesterday afternoon, and thismorning the superintendent sends me to see how he is."

  I looked more blankly ignorant than before.

  "He's kept it dark, I see, sir. There isn't a bigger fool alive thanRobins when he's drunk--which he mostly--what is--and he acted yesterdayup to the usual form of drunks. He _would_ go on the ice just belowthe locks, when it would hardly bear a sparrer, let alone a drunk Robin,and he naturally goes under before he'd gone a dozen yards. Mr. Todd wentfor him without, I fancy, considering the risks. He broke the ice up tothat forsaken Robins, and waded in after him. When _we_ got there hewas up to his neck in water, and he'd got the fool by the collar; then wepulled 'em both out. Mind, up to his chin in that frozen water! Wethought Robins was a goner from cold when we landed 'im, and asked Mr.Todd's name as bein' likely to be required at the inquest. But, blessyou, sir, Robins pulled through all right; that sort generally does."

  "Was there any one to help Todd, when he went for the fellow?"

  "No, sir; he just waded in and took his chance. I wouldn't--at least notfor an ord'nary drunk. Mr. Todd just ran home as he was: said the sprintwould warm him to rights. How is he?"

  "Got a vile cold; he was barking pretty well all chapel."

  "And Robins," said the pol
iceman, in disgust, "doesn't own up to asnuffle. This Mr. Todd's house, sir?"

  "Yes. I'd just ask to see Mr. Taylor, the house-master, first. I fancyhe'll be pleased to see you."

  The constable's plain, unvarnished tale gave the Rev. E. Taylor aspleasant a ten minutes as he had enjoyed for some time, and he passed onthe worthy man to the butler with instructions as to "something hot."Then he rapped on Todd's door.

  Decidedly the ship _Agustus Vernon Robert Todd_ "had found herself."