et.

"The chain's gone," gasped the captain. "There's a cart behind! Quick,
run her aground!"

Of course the mate turned the handle the wrong way. On one side of the
road was an ordinary hedge, while on the other lay a deep ditch, and
into this a moment later the "coffee-mill" disappeared with every soul
on board!

There was an awful moment, when earth, sky, arms, legs, wheels, and
bushes seemed all mixed together, and then Jack Vance found himself
resting on his hands and knees in a puddle of dirty water. Diggory and
Mugford had been driven with considerable violence into the thickest
part of a thorn hedge, and proceeded to extricate themselves
therefrom with many groans and lamentations.

"Well," said the mate, as they proceeded to drag the machine out of the
ditch, "I should think, Jack, you've celebrated your birthday about
enough; now you'd better give over, or we shall all be sent home in a
sack."

"Me!" cried the captain, with great indignation. "It was _your_ fault,
you dummy! you put the helm over wrong again, you--"

"Hullo, you kids!" interrupted a voice behind them, and turning round
the three friends saw the burly form of John Acton pushing a bicycle up
the hill. "Hullo!" he continued; "it's young Trevanock. What's up?
Have you had a spill?"

"Yes; the chain broke, and we ran into the ditch."

"Umph! bad business. Now you'll have to foot it, I suppose."

"Yes," answered Jack ruefully; "and we're bound to be back late pushing
this old thing all the way. I wish old Jobling would try a ride on it
himself."

"Oh! is that the 'coffee-mill'?" exclaimed the prefect, laughing.
"Well, look here! If you're late, I'll see whoever's on duty, and tell
him about the breakdown, and see if I can get you off."

"Oh, thanks awfully!" chorused the small boys.

"I've half a mind to say I wouldn't," continued Acton, looking round as
he put his foot on the step of his machine, and nodding his head at
Diggory. "I owe you a grudge for not telling me what I wanted to know
about my young brother's love-letter."

The football captain was as good as his word: he got the Triple Alliance
excused the "impot" which would otherwise have been awarded them for
arriving at the school half an hour late, and the only misfortune which
resulted from their eventful excursion was that Jack Vance had to expend
a further portion of his postal order in paying Jobling for repairing
the broken chain. The day, however, did not