s in a strange land, the three friends kept
pretty close together. They were walking arm in arm about the
quadrangle, giving expression to their astonishment at this latest
arrival at Ronleigh, when Diggory suddenly exclaimed, "Look out! here
he comes!"

After so many encounters of a decidedly hostile nature, it was difficult
to meet their old enemy on neutral ground without some feeling of
embarrassment. Young Noaks, however, walked up cool as a cucumber, and
holding out his hand said,--

"Hullo, you fellows, who'd have thought of seeing you here! How are
you?"

The three boys returned the salutation in a manner which, to say the
least, was not very cordial, and made some attempt to pass on their way;
but the new-comer refused to see that he was not wanted, and insisted on
taking Mugford's arm and accompanying them on their stroll.

"I say," he continued, addressing Jack Vance, "were you at Todderton
these holidays? I don't think I saw you once."

"The last time I saw you," returned Jack, in rather a bitter tone, "was
when you came to spoil our fireworks, and we collared you in the shed."

Noaks clinched his fist, and for a moment his brow darkened; the next
instant, however, he laughed as though the recollection of the incident
afforded him an immense amount of amusement.

"Ha, ha! Yes, awful joke that, wasn't it? almost as good as the time
when that fool of a master of yours, Lake, or Blake, or whatever you
call him, had me sent off the field so that you could win the match."

"It was no such thing," answered Jack. "You know very well why it was
Blake interfered; and he's not a fool, but a jolly good sort."

"Oh, don't get angry," returned the other. "I'm sure I shouldn't fly
into a wax if you called Fox or old Phillips a fool. I got sick of that
beastly little school, as I expect you did of yours, and so I made my
uncle send me here.--Hullo! I suppose that's the bell for going back to
work; see you again later on."

"I say," whispered Diggory, as soon as they had regained their seat in
the examination-room, "I vote we give that chap the cold shoulder."

The following morning the three friends heard their names read out as
forming part of the Third Form, to which their friend Carton already
belonged. Young Noaks was placed in the Upper Fourth, and they were
not destined therefore to have him as a class-mate.

The Third Form at Ronleigh had, for some reason or other, received the
title of "The Ha