"But Lord Hebron's preserves are too far away, sir," urged Medlicott.
"No fellow would have time to get there and back unless he got leave
from calling-over."

"That's true," rejoined the Doctor; "but the Question is, has anybody
been getting such leave of late, and, if so, how many? I shall inquire
into that. And now have any of you any other suggestions to offer?"

The prefects looked at each other rather blankly. It was, of course,
very flattering, and all that sort of thing, to be taken thus into the
counsels of the redoubtable Doctor; but then, unfortunately, they hadn't
the ghost of a notion what to suggest. At last Laughton said:--

"I should think, sir, the best plan would be for the owners of the
shootings to increase their staff of keepers. It seems hard for them to
lay the blame on the school when there's so little to justify the
suspicion."

"On the contrary, I think there is a good deal to justify it," returned
the Doctor. "I think they have made out a _prima facie_ case. The
question now is what steps I shall be called upon to take. I am very
loth to put in force so grave a measure as withdrawing the privilege of
rambling over the country and confining the school strictly to grounds,
merely on suspicion, even though a strong suspicion. I have always
held, too, that that privilege, combined with the natural healthiness of
our situation, has not a little to do with the high reputation for
health we have always enjoyed. But, if this goes on, I shall be obliged
to take some such step."

"Perhaps, sir, some of us might make it our business to go about a
little and keep our eyes open," suggested Read, the other prefect.

"That is just what I was thinking, Read," replied the Doctor. "If we
can discover the offenders, I shall make a grave example of them, and it
will be to the interest of the whole school. Meanwhile, let me impress
upon you that I particularly wish this meeting to be considered a
confidential one. To the other prefects its burden must, of course, be
imparted, but beyond them I desire no information to leak out, for that
might be to defeat our object entirely, for it is better for the
evil-doers to be detected than to be only warned and to desist for a
time. And at this we will leave it."

And so they were dismissed.

The while Haviland and his dusky accomplice, blissfully unconscious,
were planning their great stroke, which had the additional attraction of
tying yet another