pect so. I believe the whole room's in it."

"A case of Cetchy caught," remarked a puffy-faced fellow who set up for
being a wag.

"Oh, shut up, Cross. We don't want Clay's second-hand wheezes," was all
the appreciation he met with. "Why we've yelped at that in all its
variations till I believe we'd sooner do his impos. than get off it by
putting him in a good humour over that `honk' any more. Go on, Wood.
What have you heard about it?"

"Why, Smithson minor told me. He's rather a chum of Cetchy's, you know.
The first he knew of it was seeing Cetchy come out of Nick's study
looking precious puffy about the chops. Nick had been socking him all
over the shop, he told Smithson; and then Nick came out himself, and
maybe Smithson didn't slink off. Oh, no."

"Well, we shan't hear anything about it till to-morrow morning," said
Cross. "Sure to come on at morning prep. Great Scott, but there'll be
some swishing on!"

"Haviland won't take it, I expect."

"He'll be jolly well expelled then."

"He won't care. I know he won't take a swishing. I hated him when he
was a prefect, but now I hope he'll score off Nick."

"P'raps he's not in it."

"Not in it? Why, the whole room's in it."

And so the discussion ran on; the while, however, the news had somehow
leaked out, and the presage of a row--and a very big row at that--hung
over the school like a thundercloud.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

It will be necessary to go back.

For a day or two after the exploit chronicled in the last chapter our
two midnight marauders plumed themselves on their feat of arms, and
delighted to meet and fight their battle over again in a secluded corner
of the playing fields, the only thorn in the rose being that they had
lost the air-gun, abandoned during the precipitancy of their flight,
and, of course, the pheasant. This, however, they decided was of small
account compared with such a glorious experience as had been theirs, and
they positively glowed over the recollection of their adventure. But
they were a little premature in their elation. Retribution was at hand,
and this is how the bolt fell.

To a group of boys strolling along a field-path not far from the school
it was not strange that they should meet a keeper. What was strange to
them was the gun in the hand of that worthy.

"That's a rum sort of gun you've got there," said one of them. "I say,
let's have a look at i