He stumped off to his own room, and called Todd pet names till bedtime.
What made Cotton so angry was that, deep down in his own mind, he knew
that Gus was about to do a sensible and a manly thing, and just because
he himself was going to suffer by it he had not moral courage enough to
speak out openly his better mind.

But Gus, smiling at Cotton's bad temper, took out his books, drew up a
scheme for study, bolted his door, and commenced to work. He slacked off
when the bell went half an hour before lights out, and spent the time
left him in boring a hole in his solitary shilling. He then slipped it on
his watch-guard, prepared boldly to face a term of ten weeks without a
stiver.




CHAPTER XII

RAFFLES OF ROTHERHITHE


Twice a week, on half-holidays, Acton and Bourne ran over to the farm, to
find the Coon waiting for them in the stable, smoking an enormous cigar
as usual, and reading sporting papers on the corn-chest. Young Hill, the
farmer's son, generally put in an appearance when the boxing was about
over, and to Jack's utter disgust, plainly showed that he would rather
that Jack was anywhere else than with Acton when the gloves had been laid
aside. He seemed to have some business with Acton concerning which he
evidently did not want Jack to hear a single syllable.