se?"

The newcomer was none other than the farmer himself, returning home
from a festive gathering at the house of a friend. Passing along the
footpath in the neighbouring field, he had heard our voices and
Blackbird's stampede, and had come to the conclusion that he was
receiving a visit from a couple of horse-thieves.

All this we learned later, but at the moment no other thought entered
our minds than to save ourselves by immediate flight. We turned and
ran. How we got over the hedges I don't know; I can only remember
plunging through them, regardless of scratches and tumbles, as a bather
might through a breaking wave. Old Smiley, who had the advantage of
knowing the ground better than we did, followed hard at our heels,
breathing out threats and curses. If the man had had a gun in his
hand, I believe he would certainly have fired.

Suddenly we found ourselves on the bank of the stream. As luck would
have it, we happened to have struck it just at the right spot, and
Miles's ready wit came to the rescue.

"Quick!" he panted; "over, and draw away the plank, or the beggar will
follow us to the school!"

Recklessly we sprang across the narrow bridge; then seizing the plank,
with our united strength dragged it over, flung it down on the bank,
and rushed off into the darkness.

The ruse proved entirely successful. Though a good runner, old Smiley
was not going to attempt a jump with the risk of a ducking. We heard
his shouts growing fainter and fainter in the distance, and a few
minutes later we had scrambled along the roof of the outhouses, given
the signal, and were being hauled up to the window by our comrades, who
were on the _qui vive_ awaiting our return.

In a few breathless sentences Miles explained what had happened.

"It's all right!" said Liddle reassuringly. "You gave the old beggar
the slip finely, and he can never tell that it was two fellows from
here. In the darkness he didn't get close enough to recognize your
faces."

During the time these few words were being spoken I had been sitting on
the end of my bed, endeavouring to regain my breath sufficiently to
take part in the conversation. Now raising my hand to take off my cap,
I found that it was missing. At once the thought flashed through my
mind that I must have dropped it during my flight across the fields,
and, what was more, I remembered that my name was clearly marked on the
lining. If any of my room-mates had been watching me