There were very few boys in Railsford's, as Felgate knew, who did not like it; but he fancied for all that he could make something out of the rule.
He began by breaking it himself.

He knew that no one would be particularly concerned on his account, for he was an indifferent player, and also a prefect might on a pinch excuse himself.

After a week's abstention, during which, rather to his disappointment, no notice was taken of his defection, he began to talk about it to one and another of the more studious boys of the house, boys very keen on winning the school prizes at the end of the term for which they were entered.
Sherriff of the Fifth was one of these, and, much as he liked cricket, he was bemoaning one day having to turn out into the fields just when he wanted to finish a knotty problem in trigonometry.
"Don't go," said Felgate.

"Surely no one has a right to spoil your chance of a scholarship for a musty old school rule that ought to have been abolished a century ago." "It's not a bad rule on the whole, I fancy," said Sherriff; "but it comes a little rough on me just now." "My dear fellow, we're not quite slaves here; and if it doesn't suit you to go down on your knees to an antiquated rule of this kind, then you're not the fellow I take you for if you do it.

It hasn't suited me often enough, and I've not been such a muff as to think twice about it." "What happened to you when you didn't turn up ?" "Nothing, of course.