"We'll have a boxing compet.i.tion open to St. Amory's juniors only. Rogers should pull that off, eh?"

"Rather," said they all. "One more feather in Biffen's cap.".

"But, Grimmy," said Rogers, "I don't last, you know."

"Ah!" said the chairman, brilliantly, "we'll only have one two-minutes'

round each draw. It will go by points. You're safe as a house, my pet, really."

"Who'll be judge about points? I propose you, Grim," said Rogers, with intent.

"Thanks, old c.o.c.k, but I really couldn't do the honourable if you were 'rocky' in the last rounds. We'll ask Carr to see us through that part.

You'll be all right, I tell you."

"Who's to accompany on the P and O?"

"Oh, Brown must see to that!"

"I propose Brown key-thumper."

"I second that."

"Carried," said the chair, smartly.

"I say," said Grim, "I propose myself stage manager. I'm the only fellow who knows a ha'porth about it."

"A ha'porth is an awful lot; besides, a chairman can't propose himself,"

said Cherry, revengefully.

"I second the chairman's proposal," said Wilson, backing up his chum.

"Carried, _nem. con_."

"No, I'm hanged if it was!" said Cherry. "You're a fraud, Grimmy."

"All right now, you chaps, the meeting is over. Wilson and I will go up to Acton, and see what he'll do for us, and then we'll rough out a swagger programme."

CHAPTER IX

THE END OF TERM

The two worthies, Grim and Wilson, after seeing Acton, began to get out their programme. Here it is:--

BIFFEN'S JUNIORS' CONCERT.

_c.o.c.k House, December, 1898._

(1) Epilogue.

B.A.M. CHERRY.

(2) Poem on the subject of c.o.c.k House.

B. SHARPE.

(3) Bar Act.

(4) First Round Junior Boxing Compet.i.tion.

PRINCE RUNJIT MEHTAH and RAM SINGH.

(5) SONG. "My First Cigar."

R.E. THURSTON.

(6) PIANOFORTE SOLO. "Oh! listen to the band."

O. BROWN.

(7) Second Round Boxing.

(8) SONG. "Jim."

J. ACTON, ESQ.

(9) Third and Concluding Rounds Boxing.

(10) SONG. "Well, suppose you did?"

R.E. THURSTON.

G.o.d SAVE THE QUEEN.

ACCOMPANIST O.E. BROWN.

_Trinity College (by Examination)._

STAGE MANAGER W.E. GRIM.

N.B.--The Manager begs to state that there will be no Latin or cla.s.sical allusions throughout the evening. No waits. No charge for programmes. No antediluvian jokes.

This was printed on paper blushing pink--Biffen's colours--and Grim and Wilson, when they got the advance proof last thing on Sat.u.r.day night, almost embraced in their jubilation. There was such a swagger look about the "N.B."

Meanwhile B.A.M. Cherry had consulted his dictionary, and therein found that an "epilogue" was defined as "a concluding speech in an oration or play." He broke into a cold sweat of horror. That was an epilogue, then!

Where could he find one? What would be the good of one if he did find it?

And supposing he had one and could recite it, it was at the wrong end of the programme--the programme which had already been printed in such hot haste? It was too late to tell Grim, who would have instantly summoned all the strength of Biffen's to scrag him. The wretched Cherry shuddered at his awful plight.

Nothing could he do or dare he do. In desperation he determined to fall ill on the concert night. B.A.M. Cherry hadn't the heroic soul, and when Grim asked him cheerfully how the epilogue was going on, he said "spiffing," in the tone of a martyr at the stake.

On the Monday Grim scuttled about all day--now on the stage, listening to Thurston going over his songs with Brown, now getting entries for his boxing compet.i.tion, now encouraging Sharpe, who was in the throes of composition, and now criticizing the Dervishes with much force. Acton put in an appearance in the concert-room, and gave Brown the accompaniment to "Jim;" and, after hearing him play it through, went and read his novel the rest of his spare time.

At 7.30 the juniors of St. Amory's began to stroll in, Biffen's lot collaring the front seats as per custom. The programmes were distributed to each one as he came in, and created no end of sensation, and W.E. Grim was allowed to have come out very strong in the programme line. St.

Amory's f.a.gs did not spot anything wrong about item one, but the older fellows chuckled a little and said "the manager was a funny a.s.s." This opinion was instantly conveyed to Grim by one of his cronies, and made that young gentleman think himself no end of a sly dog.