Part 5 (1/2)

”We don't feel sure that it was altogether an accident,” said Farfield.

”What! Do you mean that the boy was intentionally injured?”

”Jeffreys might easily have run round him. Anybody else would. He had the whole field to himself, and no one even near him behind.”

”But was it not Forrester who got in front of him?”

”Of course he tried to collar him, sir,” said Scarfe; ”but he's only a little boy, and Jeffreys is a giant. Jeffreys might have fended him off with his arm, as he did the other fellows who had tried to stop him, or he might have run round him. Instead of that,”--and here the speaker's voice trembled with indignation--”he charged dead at him, and ran right over him.”

Mr Frampton's face clouded over.

”Jeffreys is a clumsy fellow, is he not?” he asked.

”Yes,” said Scarfe; ”and if it had been any one else than Forrester, we should all have put it down to his stupidity.”

”You mean,” said the head-master, ”that he had a quarrel with Forrester?”

”He hated Forrester. Every one knew that. Forrester used to make fun of him and enrage him.”

”And you mean to tell me you believe this big boy of nineteen, out of revenge, deliberately ran over young Forrester in the way you describe?”

”I'm sure of it, sir,” said Farfield unhesitatingly.

”No one doubts it,” said Scarfe.

Mr Frampton took an uneasy turn up and down the room. He hated tale- bearers; but this seemed a case in which he was bound to listen and inquire further.

”Scarfe and Farfield,” said he, after a long pause, ”you know of course as well as I do the nature of the charge you are bringing against your schoolfellow--the most awful charge one human being can bring against another. Are you prepared to repeat all you have said to me in Jeffreys' presence to-morrow, and before the whole school?”

”Certainly, sir,” said both boys.

”It was our duty to tell you, sir,” said Scarfe; ”and only fair to poor young Forrester.”

”Nothing less than a sense of duty could justify the bringing of such a terrible accusation,” said the head-master, ”and I am relieved that you are prepared to repeat it publicly--to-morrow. For to-day, let us thank G.o.d for the hope He gives us of the poor sufferer. Good-bye.”

Much as he could have wished it, it was impossible for Mr Frampton, wearied out as he was with his night's watching, to dismiss from his mind the serious statement which his two senior boys had made. The responsibility which rested on him in consequence was terrible, and it required all his courage to face it.

That afternoon he sent for Mr Freshfield, and repeated to him the substance of the accusation against Jeffreys, asking him if he had noticed anything calculated to confirm the suspicion expressed by the boys.

Mr Freshfield was naturally very much startled.

”If you had not mentioned it,” he said, ”I should never have dreamed of such a thing. But I confess I have noticed that Forrester and Jeffreys were on bad terms. Forrester is a mischievous boy, and Jeffreys, who you know is rather a lout, seems to have been his special b.u.t.t. I am afraid, too, that Jeffreys' short temper rather encouraged his tormentors.”

”Yes, but about the accident,” said Mr Frampton; ”you were on the ground, you know. Did you notice anything then?”

”There was a little horseplay as the sides were changing over at half- time. Forrester, among others, was taunting Jeffreys with a bad piece of play, and threw something at him. I was rather struck by the look almost of fury which pa.s.sed across Jeffreys' face. But it seemed to me he got better of his feelings with an effort and went on without heeding what was said to him.”

”That was not long before the accident?”

”About a quarter of an hour. His run down the field at the last was really a good piece of play, and every one seemed surprised. But there was any amount of room and time to get past Forrester instead of charging right on to him. It's possible, of course, he may have lost his head and not seen what he was doing.”

Mr Frampton shrugged his shoulders.