Wait till I get my towel," gasped Glyn as he raised his face for a
moment, and directly after--sounding half-smothered in huckaback, and
coming in spasmodic jerks--the boy panted out, "I guess it's about four
o'clock now. I'll--I'll go down and make--believe it's six, and ring
the big bell. That'll make old Wrench come tumbling out in a fright."
"Ah, to be sure; now you are talking sense. Capital! Make haste."
"Well, I am making haste."
"Oh, Glyn, old chap," cried Singh piteously, "don't, pray don't, begin
making fun of it all again. I feel just as if I am to blame for all the
mischief that great beast has done and is going to do. He'll obey me,
and as soon as I am dressed I am going down to talk to him and try and
keep him quiet while you rouse up Wrench."
"Rouse up Wrench!" said Glyn laughing. "Why, it'll rouse up the whole
school. Only that I know that the fellows won't be in any hurry to get
up, I should be afraid that they would come scrambling out into the
playground, and we should have the great monster picking the little ones
up one at a time and taking them like pills."
"Oh, there you go again," cried Singh piteously.
"Oh, all right, old chap. That was a slip. But I say, I suppose I'd
better not stop to take my hair out of the curl-papers."
"Glyn!"
"There, all right. Dry now. Must put a comb through my hair. I look
so fierce the elephant would take me for an enemy. There we are," he
continued, talking away as he busied himself. "Is the parting straight?
There, come along. Well, you are a fellow! I am ready first."
They hurried down the stairs and made for the door, to find to their
great dismay that it was locked, bolted, and chained, and so dark at the
end of the passage that it was hard work to find the fastenings; and
while Glyn was fumbling about in utter ignorance of how the chain was
secured there came, faintly heard, from outside a shrill trumpeting
sound.
"Oh," gasped Singh, "he has missed us, and thinks we are gone."
"Run up to the window again and order him to lie down," cried Glyn,
speaking earnestly now. "I'll get the door open somehow, or a window,
and go out to him and make-believe to mount, till you come down.
That'll keep him quiet."
"Yes, yes," panted Singh; "only do make haste."
The boy hurried back along the passage, and in the darkness kicked
against a mat and went down with a bang.
"Don't stop to pick up the pieces," cried Glyn, and there was
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