Carter for having in his chapter lowered the theme to the level
of burlesque; praise was accorded to the Goblin for the dexterity
with which he had rescued the plot. Blair's chapter had been full
of American slang which had to be explained to the others.
"Joe," the Rhodes Scholar hero, had shown a vein of fine gold
under Blair's hands: he bade fair to win the charming Kathleen,
although the story had not been finished owing to the examinations
which had fallen upon the brotherhood toward the end of term.
The game, begun in pure jest, had taken on something of romantic
earnest: there was not one of these young men who did not see
in Kathleen his own ideal of slender, bright-cheeked girlhood.
And when the train pulled into Wolverhampton, they tumbled
out of their smoking carriage with keen expectation.



V


Perhaps the best way to pursue the next episodes in the quest is
in the words of Johnny Blair, the Rhodes Scholar, who jotted down
some notes in a journal he kept:

We got to Wolverhampton 12:25, Ingersoll time. Had a jolly trip
on the train, all the Scorps laying bets as to who would be first
to meet Kathleen. I lay low, but did some planning. Didn't want
to let these English blighters get ahead of me, especially after
all the ragging Indiana Joe got in the story.

Train stopped at Birmingham at noon. My tobacco pouch had run