it but to hold on and let her fly. As to attempting to
control the speed with their feet, they were thankful enough to get
those members up on the rest out of reach of the treadles, which plunged
up and down like the pistons of a steam-engine. Luckily there was
nothing on the road; luckily, too, the ruts which had broken the ground
on the other side were for the most part absent on this. Once or twice
the machine lurched ominously, and they thought all was up, and once or
twice a stone or obstacle ahead promised to terminate finally their
headlong career. But the gallant tandem cleared them all, and her
passengers clutched on to their handles like grim death; and between
them they did the distance in some seconds under the record, and ran a
clean half-mile on the level at the foot of the hill before they could
bring one of the most famous runs of the season to a standstill. Thanks
to this rapid performance they were only about a quarter of an hour
after the pedestrians at the abbey.

"Well, here you are," said Railsford; "you came by Grassen, I suppose?
Rather rough riding, wasn't it?"

"We came by Maiden Hill after all," said Arthur. "It _was_ rather
rough."

"Did you walk down, then?"

"No, we rode it. We came down in pretty good time. There's something
the matter with the brake, so we had to let her go."

Possibly Railsford had a better notion of the narrow escape of the two
hare-brained young guests of the club than they had themselves. They
forgot all about it the moment they saw a hamper being carried in the
direction of the river and heard Mr Roe announce that they might as
well have lunch now, and explore the abbey afterwards.

"Hear, hear," whispered Dig to his friend. "Eh?"

"Rather," said Arthur.

And they were invaluable in spreading the repast and hastening the
moment when Mr Roe at last announced that they were all ready to begin.

It was rather an imposing company. The doctor was there, and his niece,
and Messrs. Roe, Grover, Railsford, and one or two other masters.
Smedley also was present, very attentive to Miss Violet; and Clipstone
was there, as well as our friends Ainger, Barnworth, and Stafford. And
all the learned luminaries of the Fifth were there, too, and one or two
scientists from the Fourth. Arthur and Dig had rarely been in such good
company, and had certainly never before realised how naturalists can
eat. It was a splendid spread, and the two chums, snugly entrenched