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d away green and golden in the afternoon sunlight. The shrill screech of swifts wheeling overhead mingled with the twittering of the many sparrows which rendered the creepers clinging to the wall of the school buildings untidy with their nests. Then the clear song of larks soaring above mead and fallow, and farther afield the glad note of the cuckoo from some adjoining copse. Boys were passing by twos and threes, and now and then a master going for his afternoon stroll. Haviland, gazing out from his perch in the window, found himself thinking over Mr Sefton's words. He supposed he should soon be leaving all this, but didn't want to. He liked the school: he liked the masters, except the Head perhaps, who seemed for no reason at all to have a "down" on him. He liked the freedom allowed by the rules outside school hours, and thoroughly appreciated his own post of authority, and the substantial privileges it carried with it. A voice from outside hailed him. "Hi--Haviland! Done your impos yet?" "Yes." "Come with me after call-over. I've got a good thing. Owl's nest. Must have two to get at it." The speaker was one Corbould major, a most enthusiastic egg-hunter, and, though not a prefect, a great friend of Haviland's by reason of being a brother sportsman. "Can't. I'm gated. Won't be able to take the lines up to Nick till to-morrow." "Why not try him in his study now? He's there, for I saw him go in--and he's in a good humour, for he was grinning and cracking jokes with Laughton and Medlicott. Try him, any way." "All right," said Haviland, feeling dubious but desperate, as he climbed down from the window. It required some intrepidity to invade the redoubtable Head in his private quarters, instead of waiting until he appeared officially in public; however, as Corbould had divined, the great Panjandrum happened to be in high good humour, and was graciously pleased to accept the uttermost farthing, and release the prisoner then and there. Half an hour later two enthusiastic collectors might have been seen, speeding along a narrow lane at a good swinging, staying trot. A quick glance all round, then over a stile and along a dry ditch skirting a long high hedge. Another quick look round, and both were in a small hazel copse. On the further side of this, in a field just outside it, stood a barn. This was their objective. Now, before leaving cover, they reconnoitred carefully and exhaustively
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