Mouler was standing by, and he heard it, and laughed; and Noaks looked as if he'd have killed me.

I believe he would have knocked me down, only Rowlands, the prefect, came up and stopped the row." There was no time for any further details, and the two boys had to rush away to their seats in order to escape being marked as late.
One thing was certain--that the Triple Alliance were once more embroiled in a quarrel with their ancient foe the former leader of the Philistines, and they knew enough of their adversary's character to feel sure that he would not pass over an event of this kind without some attempt at revenge.
It is probable that, if this had happened at Horace House, Jack Vance would have received a good licking as soon as the classes were dismissed; but a few very plain and forcible words spoken by Rowlands on the subject of knocking small boys about caused Noaks to postpone his retaliation.
"Look here," he said, meeting Jack Vance in the quadrangle during the interval: "just you keep your mouth shut about me and my father.
I've got two or three accounts to settle with you chaps already; just mind what you're up to." He clinched his fist as though about to strike, then, with an ugly scowl, turned on his heel and walked away.
It must have been about three days after this encounter with Noaks that our three friends were called upon to attend a mass meeting of the Third Form, to consider the advisability of starting a periodical in opposition to the school magazine.

Important events connected with a later period of their life at Ronleigh render it necessary that we should not linger too long over the account of their first term; but some mention, however brief, should certainly be made of the memorable gathering to which we have referred.

A notice pinned on to the black-board, and pulled down as soon as Mr.Watford entered the classroom, announced the project in the following words:-- "NOTICE." "A meeting will be held in the 'old lab' directly after dinner to-day, to make plans for starting a magazine in opposition to _The Ronleian_.
All members of the Third Form are specially requested to attend." "FLETCHER II." "J.

A.BIBBS." "You must come," said "Rats" to Diggory; "it'll be an awful lark." "But what's it all about ?" "Oh, you'll hear when you get there.