s they came out from prayers Upton seized
Eric's hand, and slapped him on the back, after which they had a good
laugh over their own foolish fracas, and ran upstairs, chattering
merrily.

"There's to be an awful lark in the dormitories to-night," said Eric;
"the Doctor's gone to a dinner-party, and we're going to have no end of
fun."

"Are you? Well, if it gets amusing, come to my study and tell me, and
I'll come and look on."

"Very well; depend upon it I'll come." And they parted at the foot of
the study stairs.

It was Mr Rose's night of duty. He walked slowly up and down the range
of dormitories until every boy seemed ready to get into bed, and then he
put out all the candles. So long as he was present the boys observed
the utmost quiet and decorum. All continued quite orderly until he had
passed away through the lavatory, and one of the boys, following him as
a scout, had seen the last glimmer of his candle disappear round the
corner at the foot of the great staircase, and heard the library door
close behind him.

After that, particularly as Dr Rowlands was absent, the boys knew that
they were safe from disturbance, and the occupants of Number 7 were the
first to stir.

"Now for some fun," said Duncan, starting up, and, by way of initiative,
pitching his pillow at Eric's head.

"I'll pay you out for that when I'm ready," said Eric, laughing; "but
give us a match first."

Duncan produced some vestas, and no sooner had they lighted their
candle, than several of the dormitory doors began to be thrown open, and
one after another all requested a light, which Duncan and Eric conveyed
to them in a sort of emulous torch-race, so that at length all the
twelve dormitories had their sconces lit, and the boys began all sorts
of amusement, some in their night-shirts, and others with their trousers
slipped on. Leap-frog was the prevalent game for a time, but at last
Graham suggested theatricals, and they were agreed on.

"But we're making a regular knock-me-down shindy," said Llewellyn;
"somebody must keep cave."

"Oh, old Rose is safe enough at his Hebrew in the library; no fear of
disturbing him if we were dancing hippopotami," answered Graham.

But it was generally considered safe to put some one at the top of the
stairs, in case of an unexpected diversion in that direction, and little
Wright consented to go first. He had only to leave the lavatory door
open, and stand at the top of the staircase, and he