"That's their look-out," responded the captain.

Much to their disgust, Ashby and Fisher minor were summoned from the vicinity of the shop that morning to a.s.sist the treasurer in his hopeless search. They did not mind turning a study upside down on their own account, but they strongly objected to have to do it for any one else.

Fisher major did not at first vouchsafe much information with regard to the missing object.

"Look round everywhere," said he, "and see if you see anything."

Ashby looked, and said he saw a lot of things.

"I mean money, of course," said the treasurer.

Whereupon the two simultaneously made a grab at the loose cash on the table, declaring they had found it first go off.

"No--not that. It's some that's missing."

"How much?" asked Ashby.

"Never mind--a pound or two."

"Are you sure it's about in the room?"

"That's what I want you to look and see, you young donkey!"

"Two pounds," said Ashby; "was it all in silver?"

"No--it was three or four pounds--about 4 10. I don't know what it was in."

"Four pound ten--that's a lot," said the young brother. "I thought you said you were hard up?"

"So I did. It's not my money, but the club's. What's that to do with it? I want you to see if you can find it while I'm down in cla.s.s."

Whereupon they set to work. They emptied the contents of every drawer in a glorious heap on the floor. They shook out his socks, and turned the pockets of all his coats inside out. They pulled his bed about the room, and shook out all his sheets. They raked out his fire, and prised up a loose board in the floor. They emptied his basins into his bath, and investigated the works of his eight-day clock. But high or low they could find no money.

Fisher's study did not get over that morning's quest in a hurry. When the owner returned, he wished devoutly he had never been a.s.s enough to confide the task to a couple of raw Goths like these. Whatever chance there may have been before of discovering any mislaid article, it was now hopelessly and irredeemably gone.

He dismissed the two youngsters with a kick, which they felt to be very ungrateful after all the trouble they had taken. Limp in spirits and grimy in personal appearance, they crawled away to the shop to console themselves with ginger-beer and a cheese-cake.

"Hullo," said Lickford, as they arrived, "what have you been up to?

Sweeping the chimneys? I heard they wanted it on your side. What'll you have? We've been doing prime. Where have you been?"

"We've been hunting about in my senior's study for some club money that's lost; about four pou--"

"Shut up!" said Ashby, nudging his companion. "What do you want to blab all over the place about it for?"

"How much?--four pounds?" said a voice near; and looking round, to their horror they saw Dangle.

"All right," said Ashby, trying to save the situation, "it's bound to turn up. He stuck it in a specially safe place, and can't remember where. Look sharp with the ginger-beer, young Lickford."

"Money down first," said Lickford. "Catch me trusting any of you Cla.s.sic chaps with tick! You've got no tin generally, to begin with, and then you go and lose it."

"That's better than stealing it," retorted Ashby.

"The thing is," said Dangle, breaking in on these pleasant recriminations, "it wouldn't matter if it was Fisher's own money that was lost. But it belongs to all of us."

"I tell you he's found it by now," said Ashby. Then, turning to Fisher minor, he whispered, "you howling young a.s.s, you've done it! Now there'll be a regular row, and your brother will have you to thank for it!"

"Don't blame him," said Dangle. "It's quite right of him to tell the truth."

With which highly moral p.r.o.nouncement the Modern senior strolled away.

Lickford was too much engrossed by a sudden influx of customers to improve the occasion; and Fisher minor, who never enjoyed ginger-beer less in his life, was allowed to depart in peace to meditate on the evil of his ways, and the possible hot water he had been preparing for his brother.

He had sense enough to reflect that he had better make a clean breast of it to his brother at once.

To his surprise, the latter took the news that Dangle had heard of the deficiency in the accounts more quietly than he had expected.

"I do wish you'd hold your tongue out of doors about things that don't concern you," said he.

"Will Dangle get you into a row?" asked Fisher minor.

"Dangle? I'm not responsible to him more than to any one else. The money's lost; and unless I can find it or make out where the mistake comes in, I shall have to stump up--that's all."

"But, I say, you haven't got money enough," said the boy.

"I know that, you young duffer."

"Whatever will you do?"

Fisher major laughed.

"I shan't steal it, if that's any comfort to you; and I shan't cook the accounts."

"I say, I wonder if Rollitt could lend it you. He must have some money, for he paid for Widow Wisdom's new boat, you know."

"I heard of that. I wish I saw my way to paying my debts as well as he did."

"I say, shall I ask him?"

"Certainly not. The best thing you can do is to shut up."

Fisher minor felt very grateful to his brother for not thrashing him, and went in to afternoon school meekly, though out of spirits.

"Well," said D'Arcy, as he took his place, "what's the latest? Who are you going to get into a mess now! Has Yorke been swindling anybody lately, or Ranger been getting tight! You're bound to have some story about somebody."

"I didn't mean-- It's not wicked to lose money," pleaded Fisher minor.

"I never thought--"

"That's just it," said Wally. "You couldn't if you tried. Dangle will make a nice thing out of it, thanks to you. Cla.s.sic treasurer been and collared Modern boys' money--that sort of thing--and they'll kick him out and stick in one of their own lot, and call it triumph of honesty.

Oh, you beauty; you _can_ do things nicely when you try?"