Billy Bunter's Benefit By Frank Richards - Friardale

Billy Bunter’s Benefit
By Frank Richards
Remove Dramatic Society were not getting away with this! Coker knew
what was scheduled to happen during that performance, if nobody else
did.
“Will you get out of that doorway, Coker?” bawled Bolsover major.
“No,” said Coker, calmly.
“Then you’ll be chucked out! Here, Linley—Russell—Hazel—Elliot—Fishy—
lend a hand here.”
There was a scuffle in the doorway of the Rag. Half-a-dozen Remove
fellows proved equal to the task of shifting Coker. He disappeared into
the passage without.
More and more fellows came in. Whether it was the rain out of doors, or
Wibley in the role of Hamlet indoors, or both, the Rag was filling fast.
Billy Bunter blinked round over the numerous audience, and grinned a grin
of fat satisfaction. Undoubtedly Bunter’s benefit looked like being a
success.
Interfering fellows, much to Bunter’s indignation, were keeping hold of
the cash-box. But once it was over, they would have to shell out. It would
be over by tea-time: and then Billy Bunter was going to have the spending
of his own money!
And if Bunter had the spending of the funds raised by his benefit, it was
possible that Mr. Parker, at Courtfield, was booked to wait a little longer
for his little bill! Bunter was not, at the moment, thinking of Mr. Parker.
He was thinking of a great and glorious spread.
Some of the audience, perhaps, were eager for the performance to begin.
The fattest member was only eager for it to end.
Three o’clock boomed out from the clock-tower, The stage was cleared.
The signal was given for the curtain to go up. Up it went: revealing the
stage set for the first scene of “Hamlet”: the ramparts of Elsinore, with
the sentry at his post.
One or two late-corners trickled in. Then Bolsover major closed the door
of the Rag—almost on the nose of Horace Coker. The audience ceased to
scrape chair-legs and shuffle feet, and settled down to watch the Remove
Dramatic Society present “Hamlet” by W. Shakespeare.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
COKER CARRIES ON!
“COKER, old man—,”
“Coker, old chap—.”
Page 146 of 161