ining unavenged, caused a sense of gloom to rest
upon the Birchites, as though they already felt themselves suffering
beneath the yoke of the conquering Philistines. Even the bedroom feuds
were forgotten: night after night the "House of Lords" left the
"Dogs' Home" in undisturbed tranquillity, and the occupants of the
"Main-top" retired to rest without even putting a washstand against
their door. One thought occupied the minds of all, and even Mugford,
when asked on one occasion by Mr. Blake who were the conspirators in the
Gunpowder Plot, answered absent-mindedly, "The Philistines!"

"Look here, you two," said Diggory one evening, as he scrambled into
bed, "we three must think of some way of paying those fellows out for
knocking down our snow man. It would be splendid if we could say that
the Triple Alliance had done it, and without telling any one
beforehand."

"So we will," answered Jack Vance; "that is if you'll think of the plan.
I'm not able to make one, and I'm jolly sure Mugford can't."

The speaker turned over and went to sleep; but after what seemed half
the night had passed, he was suddenly aroused by several violent tugs at
his bed-clothes. Thinking it nothing less than a midnight raid, Jack
sprang up and grasped his pillow.

"No, no, it's not that," said Diggory, "but I wanted to help you;
I've got an idea."

"W--what about?" asked the other, in a sleepy voice.

"Why, how we can pay out the Philistines!"

"Oh, bother the Philistines!" grumbled Jack, and promptly returned to
the land of dreams.

"I wonder where those fellows Vance and Trevanock are?" said Acton the
following afternoon, as the boys were picking up for a game at
prisoner's base. "And there's that dummy of a Mugford--where's he
sneaked off to? he never will play games if he can possibly help it."

They set to work, and at the end of about twenty minutes were engaged in
a most exciting rally. Acton had started out to rescue one of the
prisoners, while Shaw had rushed forth to capture Acton. Morris left
the base with similar designs on Shaw, and every one, with the exception
of the den-keepers, seemed suddenly seized with an irresistible desire
to do something. The playground was full of boys rushing and dodging
all over the place, when suddenly everybody stood still and listened.
Some one was pounding with his clinched fist at the door opening into
Locker's Lane, and at the same time Jack Vance was heard shouting,
"Let us in q