until Sprawson gave out in the quad that he had put that young Tiger down for the Mile and Steeplechase. Jan happened to be crossing the quad at the time; he could not but stop and stare, whereupon Sprawson promised him a tremendous licking if he dared to scratch or run below the form he had shown in last term's paper-chase.
"Little boys who can run, and don't want to run, must be made to run," said Sprawson, with the ferocious geniality for which he was famed and feared.
"But it's All Ages," protested Jan aghast. "I shan't have the ghost of a chance, Sprawson."
"We'll see about that, my pippin! It's a poor entry, and some who've entered won't start, with all this eye-rot about." The pretty reference was to a mild ophthalmic affection always prevalent in the school this term. "Don't you get it yourself unless you want something worse, and don't let me catch you making a beast of yourself with cake and jam every day of your life. Both are forbidden till further orders, and ever after if you don't get through a heat! You've got to go into training, Tiger, and come out for runs with me."
And Jan said he didn't mind doing that, and Sprawson said that he didn't care whether he minded or not, but said it so merrily that Jan didn't mind that either. And away the two of them would trot in flannels down the Burston road, and then across country over much the same ground as Chips and Jan had covered on their first Sunday walk, and would get back glowing in time for a shower before school or dinner as the case might be. But Jan had to endure a good deal of "hustle" about it when Sprawson was not there, and offers of jam from everybody within reach (except Chips) at breakfast and tea, until Sprawson came over from the Sixth Form table and genially undertook to crucify the next man who tried
