Billy Bunter's Benefit By Frank Richards - Friardale

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Billy Bunter’s Benefit By Frank Richards “You mean that you’re going to buy that bike?” gasped Bunter. “Yes, if it’s still for sale.” “It jolly well is!” Billy Bunter’s fat face brightened. The clouds rolled away. Getting rid of that bike gave him the feeling of Sinbad the Sailor in getting the Old Man of the Sea off his shoulders. “I—I say, Smithy, it’s yours, old man. I—I say, though, Smithy,” added Bunter, smitten with a sudden doubt, “it’s seven guineas, you know. I ain’t selling it cheap.” “Think I want you to sell it cheap, you fat ass?” asked the Bounder, disdainfully. “I’ll take the jigger off your hands, and give you the money to pay for it. Is it a go?” “Yes, rather,” answered Bunter, promptly, hardly able to believe in his good luck. “I—I say, cash, you know! I—I’ll go straight down to Courtfield and pay Parker’s. You’ll lend me your jigger to go on, won’t you, Toddy?” “I’ll lend you twopence for the bus,” answered Peter. “Oh, really, Toddy—” Vernon-Smith took out his wallet. The Bounder of Greyfriars did not dislike counting out seven pound notes under staring eyes. He flicked them on the table, and taking a handful of change from his trousers pocket, added two half-crowns and two shillings to the pile. “Seven guineas,” he said. “There you are! The sooner you get that to Parker the better, Bunter.” “What-ho!” gasped Bunter. He seemed scarcely able to believe his eyes, or his spectacles, as he blinked at the little heap of money, and then clutched it up with a fat paw. “I’m going right off now. You’ll lend me your bike to run down to Courtfield, won’t you, Wibley?” “I’ll lend you my boot if you go near it.” “Beast! Can I borrow your bike, Ogilvy?” “If you want to be found dead soon afterwards.” “Bah! I’d rather go by bus, really! Where’s that tuppence, Peter?” Peter Todd produced the bus fare. Bunter added it to the seven pounds seven shillings in his pocket, heaved himself out of the armchair, and rolled out of the Rag with an unusually active and speedy roll. A tremendous weight had been lifted from the fat Owl’s mind. He was anxious to get to Parker’s and make that settlement which Mr. Parker had said would oblige. Generally Bunter’s movements were slow and leisurely. Now he was quite rapid. He almost shot out of the Rag. Peter Todd gave the Bounder a rather curious look. “That’s jolly decent of you, Smithy,” he said. “Thanks.” “Boobs and their dough are soon parted,” remarked Fisher T. Fish. The Bounder shrugged his shoulders, and walked out of the Rag with his Page 56 of 161
Billy Bunter’s Benefit By Frank Richards chum. Redwing pressed his arm as they went into the quad. All the more because Smithy was generally hard and unfeeling, Redwing liked to see those occasional glimpses of a generous heart. The Bounder grinned. “Surprised you, Reddy?” he asked. “Well, no,” said Redwing. “It’s really like you, Smithy.” “I wanted a bike this afternoon.” “That isn’t why you did it. It’s rather a big sum, even for you. You don’t want a second bike; when your Moonbeam comes back—you’ll get rid of it for about half what you gave. You’ve done it to get that fathead out of his scrape. Don’t humbug about it.” The Bounder laughed, and left it at that. They went down to the bikeshed, Redwing for his machine, and Smithy for Bunter’s new bike—now his own. Tom Redwing’s face was bright as they pedalled away. Many fellows in the Remove wondered what Redwing could see to like in the hard, curt, cynical Bounder. But he did like him, and never so much as that afternoon. And Smithy, though very much inclined to sneer at himself for having been a fool, was, on the whole, satisfied with what he had done. So it was quite a cheery pair that cycled away on the hilly road to Hawkscliff—what time Billy Bunter was rolling off to Courtfield on the bus, looking quite a new Bunter. CHAPTER XV JUST LIKE BUNTER! “HALLO, hallo, hallo!” “Bunter!” “What on earth is he up to?” Harry Wharton and Co. gazed at a fat figure in Courtfield High Street. The Famous Five were cycling that afternoon. They had stopped at the bun-shop in Courtfield for a little light refreshment on the way. Five bicycles were stacked against the ancient tree that grew outside the bun-shop, under whose branches were little tables, round one of which the chums of the Remove sat in a cheery circle, discussing ginger-pop. Next to the bun-shop was the Bank: and opposite the Bank was the bus stop. So the juniors at the little table under the tree had a view of the bus when it came in, and of the passengers alighting from it. Among the alighting passengers was one they knew. There was nothing surprising in Billy Bunter coming into Courtfield on a bus, on a half-holiday. But his subsequent proceedings, after alighting from the bus, were rather surprising. First of all, Billy Bunter cast a blink through his big spectacles towards Page 57 of 161
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Billy Bunter's Benefit By Frank Richards - Friardale

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