Beam of Malice by Alex Hamilton

Author:Alex Hamilton [Hamilton, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Valancourt Books
Published: 2016-10-12T22:00:00+00:00

TO START A HARE

Bambrough had firmly assumed charge of the alarm clock. Privately he suspected that Croucher and Tilley would funk it when the hour came round. The last time anyone ran away from the school they’d been whacked with the dog’s lead for it (you could hear it even in Matron’s room) and stopped all half-holidays for a month.

Bambrough was not running away himself because he was going in at number three against Wiggett’s Junior Colts that afternoon and after that term he would be going on to Wiggett’s senior school himself, so there was not much point in it. But Croucher and Tilley had another two years still at the prep before they went anywhere. They knew that it was decent of Bambrough to help at all, considering that he might not play if it was discovered that he had helped.

It was Morbey’s clock, which his mother gave him. He did not like to lend it, because his mother told him not to lend it to anybody, and he was afraid that it might get confiscated when its part in the escape was known.

‘Don’t be a dog in the manger,’ said Bambrough, ‘you never ever use the alarm.’

‘I tell the time by it,’ said Morbey.

‘You can tell the time by any old clock. If you want to know the time ask me.’

‘You don’t know how to work it,’ protested Morbey, ‘there’s a special button you have to know.’

‘You can show me, can’t you? And if you show me wrong I’ll lam you.’

Several other voices in the dormitory guaranteed Morbey a lamming if he compromised the venture in any way. Croucher and Tilley sat on the ends of their beds and listened self-consciously to Perrott and Dickson praising their decision to run away.

Mr. Harbord suddenly appeared in the doorway to put the lights out and caught Morbey standing by Bambrough’s bed with the clock still in his hands.

‘Into bed all of you,’ ordered Mr. Harbord. ‘Morbey, what are you doing standing there without slippers or dressing gown?’

Morbey turned guiltily. Bambrough reached out and took the clock from him.

‘My fault, sir. I asked him to give me back my clock.’

The whole dormitory admired Bambrough for owning up.

‘You should think of these things earlier,’ said Mr. Harbord, ‘not wait till time for lights out. And it’s no excuse for you, Morbey. I’ve told you about running about half naked before. Look at you, with your trousers hanging off and your jacket all unbuttoned. Pull yourself together, boy, and get back to bed. Next time I catch you I’ll give you an imposition that’ll last you for days.’

Morbey surrendered the clock and ran back to his bed. He resolved that moment to join Tilley and Croucher when they did their bunk.

‘Watch those springs, for heaven’s sakes, boy!’ exclaimed Mr. Harbord. ‘Is everybody settled now?’

‘I didn’t clean my teeth, sir,’ said Johnson, who was a bit M.D.

Mr. Harbord lingered by the switch. He looked at his watch impatiently. ‘Hurry up, then, but you

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