sed, and Arbery and his assistants followed in the footsteps of
their companions. When Plunger could gather together his scattered
senses, he raised the lid of the box and scrambled out.

"My!" he groaned, as he leaned against the side of the shed and felt his
limbs. "Seems to me I'm all bruises. It's a wonder I've come out alive.
I'd just like to put the fellow who's been putting my frontispiece on
that pane inside the box I've come from for half an hour!"

Gradually, however, the worried look on Plunger's face gave place to one
of satisfaction as he remembered that he was the only one outside the
Fifth who knew what had taken place at the meeting, and that he alone
knew what was to take place on the morrow. He had no chance of relating
to his companions the secret which was burning within him till he
reached the dormitory that night.

"Well," asked Baldry breathlessly, as soon as lights were out, "how did
you get on, Freddy? What happened?"

"You'd never guess. There's to be a fight to-morrow between one of the
Fifth fellows and a Beetle."

Every ear in the dormitory pricked up at this unexpected piece of
information.

"Who's our fellow?" demanded Sedgefield, breaking the silence which
followed this announcement.

"Percival."

Baldry gave a prolonged whistle of surprise.

"How's that? Why, Percival has always set his back against fighting, and
all the fellows are saying that it was to keep Moncrief major from
fighting Newall that he called a meeting of his form."

"I dare say. He seemed to be steering that way till that little
turncoat, Mellor, came on the scene with a challenge from the Beetles."

"A challenge from the Beetles!" cried Baldry. "Tell us all about it."

Plunger told them all about it. And never had any one more attentive
listeners than Plunger had as he related to them all that had happened
at the meeting in the shed. Not the least interested were Harry Moncrief
and Hibbert.

"Paul going to fight," Harry repeated to himself. "I do so hope he'll
win!" Then, remembering the words in which his father had once spoken of
Paul, he added: "Win or lose, I'm certain Paul will bear himself
bravely."

Hibbert closed his eyes in the darkness, and prayed: "Watch over
Percival--keep him from harm. For Christ's sake. Amen."

The boy had not forgotten Paul's kindness to him. It stood out as the
one bright spot in his memory since he had come to Garside. For once he
was allowed to sleep without pillow