Five years' constant guerrilla warfare with Dexter, who regarded his house as a warder might a gang of convicts, and treated them accordingly, had rendered him a youth of infinite resource. Henfrey went away to bat at the nets, leaving Jackson to tell his tale over again to O'Hara. "So you see how it is," he concluded: "he's said nothing about it yet, but I know he means to stick me down for extra."
"Dexter always does," said O'Hara. "I know the man. There's no getting away from him if you give him an opening. I suppose you tried apologising?"
"Yes. No good-rot, I call it. Gaudinois always takes an apology."
"Well, I'll try and think of something. There's bound to be some way out of it. I've got out of much tighter places."
Jackson departed with an easier mind. He felt that his affairs were in the hands of an expert.
After he had had his innings at the nets O'Hara strolled off to the porter's lodge. He wished to see whether Jackson's fears had been realised. The porter offered no objection to his inspecting the extra-lesson book. Old Bates was always ready to oblige the genial O'Hara.
O'Hara turned the pages till he came to the heading "Saturday, July 2nd." One of the first items was "Jackson: gross misbehaviour. R. Dexter." He thanked Bates, closed the book, then walked thoughtfully back to his house.
"Well?" asked Jackson when they met next morning.
"Has Dexter said anything about it yet?" said O'Hara.
"Not a word. But that doesn't mean anything."
"It means a lot. I think I've got it now."
"Good man! What is it?"
"I can't tell you. I wish I could. Ye'd be amused. But the whole point of it is that ye can say, if they ask afterwards, that ye knew nothing about it at all. But anyhow, go with the team to-morrow."
"But, if my name's up for extra?"
"That's all right. Never mind that."
"But, I say, you know" (simply to cut extra lesson was a feat more daring than even he had ever dreamed of), "there'll be a ghastly row."
"I've allowed for that. What you've got to do is to keep clear of Dexter today and go to Ripton tomorrow. I give ye my word 'twill be all right."
Jackson breathed heavily, struggled with his timidity, and gave his decision.
"Right!" he said. "I'll go."
"Good!" said O'Hara. "Now, there's one other thing. How much will ye give not to be in extra tomorrow? Oh, it's not for me, ye know, it's necessary expenses. Will ye give me half-a-crown?"
"Half-a-crown! Rather! Like a bird!"
"Hand it over, then."
"You might tell me what it's all about," complained Jackson as he produced the coin. "I bar mysteries."
But O'Hara would not say a word. Tombs were talkative compared with him.
That afternoon the extra-lesson list went up, with Jackson's name on it; and at 8.30 the following morning the Wrykyn team, Jackson amongst them, started for Ripton.
When Wrykyn played away from home two telegrams were always sent to the school, one at the luncheon interval, the other when the match was over. The first of these telegrams read as follows:
"Ripton, one-six-eight for five. Lunch."
A hundred and sixty-eight for five wickets! It was a good start. The Wrykyn team would have to do all they knew, the school felt, when their turn came to bat.
At seven o'clock Mr Dexter, returning to his house for dinner, looked in at the school Shop to buy some fives-balls. Fives was his one relaxation.
As he waited to be served his eyes were attracted by two telegrams fixed to the woodwork over the counter. The first was the one that had been sent at the luncheon interval.
The other was the one that had caused such a sensation in Wrykyn. And it created a considerable sensation in the mind of Mr Dexter. The sensation was a blend of anger, surprise, and incredulity.
This was the telegram:
"Ripton 219. Wrykyn 221 for 2. Trevor 52; Henfrey 20; Jackson 103 not; O'Hara 41 not."
Only that and nothing more!
Mr Dexter, having made sure, by a second perusal, that he was not mistaken, went straight off to the Headmaster.
"I sent Jackson into extra lesson this afternoon, and he did not go." That was the gist of a rather lengthy speech.
"But, Mr Dexter," said the Head, "surely you are mistaken. Jackson was in the extra lesson today-I saw him."
"Jackson in the cricket team?"
"I was referring to a younger boy, W. P. Jackson, who is in your house. Was he not the boy you sent into the extra lesson?"
Mr Dexter's face darkened. Like the celebrated M.P., "he smelt a rat; he saw it floating in the air."
"This is a trick," he said. "I will see Jackson."
He saw Jackson-W. P. Jackson, that is to say; aged fourteen; ordinary fag; no special characteristics.
"What is this I hear, Jackson?" he said.
Jackson gaped.
"You were in extra lesson this afternoon?"
"Yes, sir."
"Who told you to go?"
"Please, sir, I saw my name on the list."
"But you knew you had done nothing to deserve this."
"Please, sir, I thought I might have done."
This was so true-the average fag at Wrykyn did do a good many things for which he might well have received extra lesson-that Mr Dexter was baffled for the moment. But he suspected there was more in this than met the eye, and he was resolved to find out who was the power behind Jackson.
"Did anybody tell you that you were in 'extra'?" he asked.
"Please, sir, O'Hara."
A gleam of triumph appeared in the master's eye. The aroma of the rat increased. O'Hara and he were ancient enemies.
"Tell O'Hara I wish to see him."
"Yes, sir."
Exit W. P. Jackson, and, later, enter O'Hara.
"O'Hara, why did you tell Jackson that he was in the 'extra' lesson this afternoon?"
"I saw his name on the list, sir."
"And, may I ask, O'Hara, if it is your custom to inform every boy on these occasions?"
"No, sir," said O'Hara stolidly.
"Then why did you tell Jackson?"
"I happened to meet him in the house, and mentioned it casually- in a joking way," added O'Hara.
"Oh, in a joking way?"
Silence for two minutes.
"You may go, O'Hara," said Dexter finally. "You will hear more of this."
O'Hara made no comment; but Mr Dexter was wrong-he heard no more of the matter. It dawned on the Housemaster by degrees that he had no case. A second conversation with the Head strengthened this view.
"I have been speaking to Jackson," said the Head, "and he says that you did not tell him to go into detention."
"But," added Mr Dexter, "his name was on the list for extra lesson."
"I have examined the list, and I find that you omitted to insert any initials before Jackson's name. You wrote 'Jackson,' and nothing more. That explains this somewhat ludicrous situation, I think," said the Head. "If no particular Jackson is specified it is naturally the Jackson with the guiltier conscience who accepts the punishment. It is a curious miscarriage of justice; but I do not see that there is anything to be done."
And that was the end of the affair.
It was an accident, of course-a very curious-and lucky- accident.
And, of course, it was simply a guilty conscience that induced the younger Jackson to go into extra lesson that Saturday. However, it would be interesting to know how it came about that that worthy, who was notoriously penniless on the Thursday, was able to spend exactly half-a-crown at the school Shop on the Friday.