Billy Bunter's Benefit By Frank Richards - Friardale

Billy Bunter’s Benefit
By Frank Richards
was what Horace Coker wanted, Horace Coker was welcome to enjoy it all
on his own.
They went down the staircase, Coker brisk, Potter and Greene reluctant.
They dropped a little behind Coker, and exchanged a wink and a whisper.
Coker looked round.
“Do come on,” he rapped. “They’ll have started—it’s past six.”
“Coming, old chap!”
“Well, come, then,” yapped Coker.
They arrived at the door of the Rag. That door was closed, but the sound
of voices could be heard within. Evidently a good many fellows were there,
and it seemed that the rehearsal of the Remove Dramatic Society was in
progress.
“Listen to the cheeky little ticks,” said Coker, breathing indignation.
“They’re going it! Just listen! After I told them, as plainly as any fellow
could speak, that they’d got to chuck it! That’s young Wharton doing
Horatio. I’ll jolly well give him Horatio!”
Harry Wharton’s voice came quite plainly through the old oak door, in the
part of Horatio in Act I, Scene I.
“Such was the very armour he had on
When he the ambitious Norway combated,
So frowned he once, when in an angry parle,
He smote the sledded Polacks on the ice.”
“Now!” said Coker.
He hurled open the door of the Rag. He rushed in. It was the cue of
Potter and Greene to rush in at his heels.
But they did not take their cue.
As Coker rushed into the Rag, Potter and Greene made backward steps,
turned, and disappeared down the passage. They vanished like the Ghost
in “Hamlet” at cockcrow. Coker charged into the Rag on his own!
“HALLO, hallo, hallo!”
“What—.”
“Coker—.”
“Get out!” shrieked Wibley.
CHAPTER XIX
HORRID FOR HORACE
Page 72 of 161