Part 7 (1/2)

”I expect he was the same person, sir,” said Tomlinson soothingly. ”I remember him now. He was the Russian who----”

”Prussian!” yelled the infuriated Mr. Klotz.

”I beg your pardon, sir--Prussian. I thought they were the same thing.

He was the Prussian general whom Lord Wellington was relying on to back him up at Waterloo. But Blutcher--Blucher lost his way--quite by accident, of course--and did not reach the field until the fight was over.”

”He stopped to capture a brewery, sir, didn't he?” queried Master Pringle, coming to his intrepid colleague's a.s.sistance.

”It was bad luck his arriving late,” added Tomlinson, firing his last cartridge; ”but he managed to kill quite a lot of wounded.”

Mr. Klotz had only one retort for enterprises of this kind. He rose stertorously to his feet, crossed the room, and grasping Master Tomlinson by the ears, lifted him from his seat and set him to stand in the middle of the floor. Then he returned for Pringle.

”You stay dere,” he announced to the pair, ”ontil the hour is op. Efter lonch----”

But in his peregrinations over the battle-field of Sedan, Mr. Klotz had taken no note of the flight of time. Even as he spoke, the clock struck.

”The hour is up now, sir!” yelled the delighted form.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE FRENCH MASTER: (I) FICTION, (II) FACT]

And they dispersed with tumult, congratulating Pringle and Tomlinson upon their pluck and themselves upon a most profitable morning.

But it is a far cry to Sedan nowadays. The race of Klotzes has perished, and their place is occupied by muscular young Britons, who have no reminiscences and whose p.r.o.nunciation, both of English and German, is easier to understand.

CHAPTER FOUR

BOYS

NUMBER I. THE GOVERNMENT

”There's your journey money, Jackson. Good-bye, and a pleasant holiday!”

”Thank you, sir. The same to you!” replies Jackson dutifully.

They shake hands, and the Housemaster adds:--

”By the way, I shall want you to join the prefects next term.”

”Me, sir? Oh!”

”Yes. Endeavour to get accustomed to the idea during the holidays. It will make a big difference in your life here. I am not referring merely to sausages for tea. Try and think out all that it implies.”

Then follows a brief homily. Jackson knows it by heart, for it never varies, and he has heard it quoted frequently, usually for purposes of derision.

”The prefect in a public school occupies the same position as the non-commissioned officer in the Army. He is promoted from the ranks; he enjoys privileges not available to his former a.s.sociates; and he is made responsible to those above him not merely for his own good behaviour but for that of others. Just as it would be impossible to run an army without non-commissioned officers, so it would be impossible, under modern conditions, to run a public school without prefects.”