He had come up Hawk's Pike at much personal inconvenience to look for them.

And he had been a customer to the extent of six Abernethys at the School shop.
For all these reasons (which were quite apart from party considerations) it was decided _nem.con_.that Rollitt was a "good old sort" and must be stuck by.
Whereupon the nine of them sallied out arm in arm across the Green, on the look-out for some one who might hold a contrary opinion.
After some search they found a Modern middle-boy, who, catching sight of Fisher minor, shouted, "How now! Who nobbled the Club money ?" which made Fisher minor suddenly detach himself from his company, and shouting, "That's him!" start in pursuit.

What a bull-dog it was getting, to be sure! The whole party joined in the hue-and-cry, and might have run the fugitive down, had not the head-master stalked across the Green at that moment on his way to Mr Wakefield's.
At sight of him they pulled up short, looked unutterably amiable, doffed their caps, and made as though they were merely out to take the air on this beautiful November afternoon.
To Fisher minor the interruption was a sad one.

That fellow was the borrower of his half-crown; for weeks he had lost sight of him.

Now, suddenly, chance had seemed to bring both man and money within reach, when, alas! the Harpy swooped down and took off the prize from under his very nose.
The doctor having passed, they continued their search for any one who had a bad word to say for Rollitt.
But as it was nearly dark, and rain was falling, the craven maligners kept indoors, and would not be caught.
So the juniors relieved themselves by giving three cheers for Rollitt under every window round the Green, and then fell to abusing Fisher minor because his brother, Fisher major, had lost the money which Rollitt was said to have stolen.
"There's no doubt that kid's at the bottom of it," said Percy.