Acton's Feud: A Public School Story Read online

  CHAPTER XVII

  RAFFLES' BILL

  It was with hearty thankfulness at the idea of being finally rid ofRaffles that Jack walked over to the "Lodestone" by himself on theThursday, jingling his last few shillings in his pockets. Raffles waswaiting for him in the stables, and he was very friendly and familiar,which always annoyed Jack immensely.

  "Glad you're in time, sir, and to 'ear the dibs a-rattlin' in yourpockets."

  "Because they'll rattle in yours, soon, I suppose. I make out I owe youabout ten shillings, Raffles."

  "'Ow do you make that out, Mr. Bourne?"

  "Rabbits, cartridges, and dummy pigeons. I'm about right, I fancy?"

  "Right as far as they go."

  "As far as they go, of course--not farther. Then here you are."

  "And the gun," said Raffles, calmly, looking into vacancy, and notseeing Jack's coins--"leastwise, wot was a gun."

  "Am I to pay for that filthy article?" said Jack, angrily. "Why, itnearly blew my brains out!"

  "'As'e to pay for that breech-loader gun?" said Raffles, laughingsoftly as at some good joke. "Why, of course you have."

  "My opinion is, Raffles, that that gun was rotten. It wasn't worth asovereign. I don't believe it was ever fit to shoot with, now."

  "Of course, _now_," said Raffles, with a sneer. "_Now_, when you've gotto pay for it."

  "I don't know so much about 'have got to pay for it' at all. That grinof yours doesn't improve your looks, Raffles," said Jack, who was rathernettled by Raffles' sneer.

  "Well, my bantam cock," said Raffles, savagely, "I only 'opes as this'ere bill won't spoil yours. And let me tell you, young shaver, I wantthe money."

  Jack calmly took the piece of note-paper which Raffles hurriedly fishedout of his pocket, and flourished dramatically before Bourne. There wasa touching simplicity about Raffles' bill-making that would in ordinarytimes have made Jack split with laughter, but, naturally, at the presenttime he did not feel in a very jovial frame of mind. Hence he readthrough the farrago with only one very strong desire--to kick Rafflesneck and crop out of the stable. This was the bill:--

  Mr. burn owes me daniel raffles this money.

  To bunneys at sixpence each... 2 0 To 50 cartrigges...... 6 6 To pidgins......... 1 6 1 gunn breech loder...... L7 0 0 _______ totel L7 10 0

  "Now, Raffles," said Jack, in a white heat, "what do you mean by thisrotten foolery?"

  "There's no foolery about it," said Raffles, sulkily. "That's my bill."

  "Why, you unspeakable rascal, did you fancy I'd pay it?"

  "I did, and I do."

  Something in the fellow's tone made Jack a trifle uneasy, and heconsidered within himself for a moment what he had better do. That therascal had made up his mind to be nasty was evident, and when Jackthought that the gun, poor as it was, was destroyed, though through nofault of his own, he thought perhaps he might give his old jackalsomething as a solatium.

  "All right, Raffles! I'll pay you for what I owe you now, and I'll giveyou a sovereign for the gun. I'll send you that in a day or two. I've nomore money with me now."

  "That ain't the bill. I want this 'ere bill paid."

  "'This 'ere bill' is sheer rot!" retorted Jack.

  "Rot or not, it's what I want from you. You pay up that seven odd, or itwill be the worse for you. What is seven odd to a young gent like you?Aren't you all millionaires at St. Amory's?"

  "Not by a long chalk."

  "Well, I don't want to be unpleasant, my buck, but if you won't pay overI'll show you up."

  "Show me up, you beast--what do you mean?"

  "I'll write to Corker and blow the gaff."

  "If you did that," said Bourne, grimly, "I'd kill you first day I coulddo it."

  "I'M GOING TO HAVE THE SEVEN TEN, OR SHOW YOU UP."]

  "Or I'd write to your brother."

  "And he'd do it now, you skunk!"

  "No names, young gent. That won't pay my bill. You don't seem to imagineI mean what I say."

  "No, I don't, for you wouldn't be any _nearer_ getting the money."

  "But then you say you aren't going to pay anyhow, so I may as well touchyou up a bit. You've most every time told me not to be so beastlyfriendly, and I ain't going to be. I'm going to have the seven ten orshow you up. That's straight."

  "Show me up," repeated Jack, blankly. "You miserable blackmailer!"Bourne felt then the beautiful feelings of being in the grasp of alow-bred cad who could play with him as a cat with a mouse. He satstaring in front of him livid with rage, and Raffles, who was watchinghim covertly, and with no small anxiety, could see he was digesting thewhole situation. Jack would indeed then and there have let Raffles dohis worst, and would have stood the racket from Corker--and hisbrother--rather than be blackmailed by the villain by his side, but hesaid hopelessly to himself, "How can I do it without bringing Acton intoit? When this comes out all his training with the Coon must come outtoo; perhaps he'll lose his monitorship for not keeping his hand on me,and Phil's done him a bad enough turn already. I can't round on him.Heavens! I can't do that."

  This reads rather pitiful, doesn't it, under the circumstances?

  Jack at the end of his resources tried a desperate bluff.

  "I'll put Acton on your track, my beauty, and perhaps he'll make yousee--or feel--reason."

  "That game's no good, young shaver. I don't want to see Mr. Acting nomore than you want to tell him of your little blow-outs. Look here, areyou going to pay? Yes or no?"

  "I haven't got the money," said Jack, at his wits' end.

  "Ho! that's very likely," said Raffles, with a sneer; "anyhow, you couldmighty soon get it if you wanted to."

  "How?"

  "Why, borrow it, of course. Ask your chum, Mr. Acting. _He_ 'as money.No end of brass, the Coon says."

  "I can't do that," said Jack, in utter despair.

  "Orl right," said Raffles, seeing his shot had told. "I see you ain'tgot the money on you now, and I don't want to be too 'ard on you. I'llgive you a chance. I'll give you till Saturday to turn it over. Myadvice is to borrow from Mr. Acting. He'll lend it you, I should think;anyhow, I can't stand shilly-shallying here all night, no more than Ican stand the loss of that grand gun, so I'm off. Have the money bySaturday at three, or I blow the gaff and you can be hung up or cut upfor all I care. I'm not going to be more beastly friendly nor morechummy than that."

  Raffles lurched off with a savage leer, and Jack staggered back to St.Amory's.

  Jack's life was a burden to him for the next few hours, his head nearlysplit with the hatching of impossible plans with loopholes to escape theweasel on his track, but the end was as Acton had foreseen. Acton got anote through Grim.

  "DEAR ACTON, "Could you give me ten minutes in your study to-night?--Yours,"J. BOURNE."

  "DEAR BOURNE, "Twenty, if you like.--Yours,"J. ACTON."

  Jack went, and when Acton put him into the easy-chair and noticed hiswhite, fagged face, he felt genuinely sorry for him.

  "You look seedy, young 'un."

  "I hope I don't look as seedy as I feel, that's all."

  "What's the matter?"

  Jack boggled over what he'd come to say, but finally blurted out:"Acton, would you lend me seven pounds? I'm in a hole, the deuce of ahole; in fact, I'm pretty well hopelessly stumped. I'll tell you why ifyou ask me, but I hope you won't. I've been an ass, but I've collaredsome awful luck, and I'm not quite the black sheep I seem. I don't wantto ask Phil--in fact, I couldn't, simply couldn't ask him for this. I'llpay you back beginning of next term if I can raise as much, and if not,as much as I can then, and the rest later."

  "Oh, you're straight enough, young 'un, and I'll lend you the money,"said Acton.

  Jack blubbed in his thanks, for he was really run down.

  "Keep up your pecker, Bourne. Borrowing isn't a crime, quite. When doyou want the cash?"

  "By to-morrow, please," said Jack.

  "Call in for it, then, bef
ore afternoon school, and you can pay me backas you say. I suppose the sharks have got hold of you."

  "Yes," said Jack, with perfect truth, though he only knew of one, and hewent to bed that night blessing Acton. His gorge rose when he thought ofhis fleecing, and at this he almost blubbed with rage as he blubbed withgratitude to Acton.

  That interesting Shylock, Raffles, was at the farm confidently waitingyoung Bourne and his coins, and when he saw the young innocent bowlingfuriously down the road, he sighed with satisfaction. His dream wastrue.

  "Write out the receipt."

  "I've already done it, Mr. Bourne."

  "Then here's your blackmail."

  "Correct to the figure, sir, and I think it's a settle, nice andcomfortable for all parties."

  "If it's any comfort for you to know you're an utter blackguard you canhear it. A fellow like you isn't on the same level as your filthymongrel."

  "I never said we was," murmured Raffles, as he shuffled away.