Then there was another difficulty. How was he to get himself appointed as the Wrykyn light-weight representative? Now that Drummond was unable to box, Stanning would go down, as the winner of the School Competition. These things were worked by an automatic process. Sheen felt that he could beat Stanning, but he had no means of publishing this fact to the school. He could not challenge him to a trial of skill. That sort of thing was not done. He explained this to Joe Bevan. "Well, it's a pity," said Joe regretfully. "It's a pity." At this moment Jack Bruce appeared. "What's a pity, Joe?" he asked. "Joe wants me to go to Aldershot as a light-weight," explained Sheen, "and I was just saying that I couldn't, because of Stanning." "What about Stanning?" "He won the School Competition, you see, so they're bound to send him down." "Half a minute," said Jack Bruce. "I never thought of Aldershot for you before. It's a jolly good idea. I believe you'd have a chance. And it's all right about Stanning. He's not going down. Haven't you heard?" "I don't hear anything. Why isn't he going down?" "He's knocked up one of his wrists. So he says." "How do you mean--so he says?" asked Sheen. "I believe he funks it." "Why? What makes you think that?" "Oh, I don't know. It's only my opinion. Still, it's a little queer. Stanning says he crocked his left wrist in the final of the House Competition." "Well, what's wrong with that? Why shouldn't he have done so?" Sheen objected strongly to Stanning, but he had the elements of justice in him, and he was not going to condemn him on insufficient evidence, particularly of a crime of which he himself had been guilty. "Of course he may have done," said Bruce. "But it's a bit fishy that he should have been playing fives all right two days running just after the competition." "He might have crocked himself then." "Then why didn't he say so?" A question which Sheen found himself unable to answer. "Then there's nothing to prevent you fighting, sir," said Joe Bevan, who had been listening attentively to the conversation. "Do you really think I've got a chance?" "I do, sir." "Of course you have," said Jack Bruce. "You're quite as good as Drummond was, last time I saw him box." "Then I'll have a shot at it," said Sheen. "Good for you, sir," cried Joe Bevan. "Though it'll be a bit of a job getting leave," said Sheen. "How would you start about it, Bruce?" "You'd better ask Spence. He's the man to go to." "That's all right. I'm rather a pal of Spence's." "Ask him tonight after prep.," suggested Bruce. "And then you can come here regular," said Joe Bevan, "and we'll train you till you're that fit you could eat bricks, and you'll make babies of them up at Aldershot." XIX PAVING THE WAY