Billy Bunter's Benefit By Frank Richards - Friardale
Billy Bunter's Benefit By Frank Richards - Friardale
Billy Bunter's Benefit By Frank Richards - Friardale
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<strong>Billy</strong> Bunter’s <strong>Benefit</strong><br />
<strong>By</strong> <strong>Frank</strong> <strong>Richards</strong><br />
“Well, that’s the idea,” said Bunter. “You put it up to the other fellows,<br />
see? Look here, old chap, let’s talk it over—.”<br />
“Will you buzz off?” roared Wharton.<br />
“Look here, you beast—.”<br />
Harry Wharton made a stride to a corner of the study, where a cricket<br />
bat stood. He caught up the bat, and made another stride towards<br />
Bunter. There was a loud yell as the bat prodded fat ribs.<br />
“Yaroooh!”<br />
<strong>Billy</strong> Bunter did not stay longer to discuss his bright idea of a “benefit.”<br />
He bounded into the passage.<br />
The door of No. 1 Study slammed after him.<br />
Harry Wharton, dismissing the fat Owl from mind, paced to and fro in the<br />
study, thinking it out, with a thoughtful and troubled brow. He did not<br />
want to stand in Mark Linley’s light. On the other hand, he had engaged to<br />
do his best to swell the depleted funds of the R.D.S. If some other way<br />
could be found—!<br />
Finally, he seemed to make up his mind. He picked up Mr. Quelch’s book<br />
from the table, put the cricket bat under his arm, and left the study.<br />
A fat junior, tenderly rubbing fat ribs in the passage, gave him an inimical<br />
blink through a big pair of spectacles. Unheeding the Owl of the Remove,<br />
Harry Wharton walked away to the study landing, and went down the<br />
stairs. The borrowed book was returned to Mr. Quelch’s study: and the<br />
bat, a few minutes later was on active service at junior nets.<br />
“Beast!” breathed <strong>Billy</strong> Bunter, as the captain of the Remove disappeared.<br />
He rolled into No. 1 study, now vacant.<br />
There was a vengeful gleam in the little round eyes behind the big round<br />
spectacles.<br />
Bunter had been prodded. His bright idea of a “Bunter benefit,” which<br />
might have solved all his financial problems, had not even been listened to.<br />
Bunter, naturally, was wrathy.<br />
Wharton had been swotting over his Latin paper for the Old Boy’s Prize.<br />
If he had left that Latin paper on the study table, he was not going to<br />
see it when he returned. The beast could do his work all over again—and<br />
serve him jolly well right for prodding Bunter with a cricket bat!<br />
There was the paper, lying on the study table where Bunter had seen it,<br />
The fat Owl blinked at it, and grinned.<br />
He had no doubt it was the paper Wharton was preparing for the prize.<br />
What else could it be? Certainly it did not occur to Bunter’s fat brain<br />
that Wharton had been copying out the opening verses of an eclogue of<br />
Virgil’s.<br />
Bunter was not equal to construing it. But, so far as he could make it out,<br />
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