in the Forum. Believed to have
hidden himself in a box so as to escape the notice of his
pursuers."

"Notice.--Our poet is stuck for a rhyme to 'hunger.' If any one can
oblige the poet we'll give him a paragraph all to himself in the
next number. N.B.--The rhyme must be a name of some kind--bird,
beast, or fish."

"Dropped. Somewhere near the sand-pit on Cranstead Common. Honour
of the Fifth. When last seen was covered by crawlers--believed to
be Beetles."

Plunger was one of the earliest to obtain a copy of the _Gargoyle
Record_. He read the first two paragraphs, and then raced into the
common room bubbling over with excitement.

Several boys were standing round the fire--some of the Third Form,
including Harry Moncrief, Baldry, and Sedgefield; one or two of the
Fourth, and three or four of the Fifth, including Stanley Moncrief,
Newall--the two were now almost inseparable--Arbery, and Leveson.

"Oh, I say, have you seen the last number of the _Record_? It's a
slashing number, I can tell you," Plunger burst out.

Immediately everybody was eager to get possession of the _Record_.
Baldry made a snatch at it.

"No, you don't, Baldhead," said Plunger, putting it behind him, with
his back to the wall. "Manners! If you can't listen like a gentleman,
you'd better git."

"Don't mind him, Plunger. He's only an outsider," said Arbery
soothingly. "Read."

"Read--read!" came in a chorus.

"And keep your eyebrows out of your head while you're about it," said
Leveson. "I never saw such eyebrows."

Plunger glared at Leveson.

"Never mind him, Plunger," came the soothing voice of Arbery. "It's only
envy, you know. I wish I had eyebrows like 'em. Get on."

"I will get on--I will," said Plunger, with a last savage glance at
Leveson. "Listen to this--here's a splendid hit against the Fifth." And
he read: "'Motto for the Fifth. He who fights and runs away, Will live
to fight another day.' Isn't it just splendid!"

Those of the Fifth who were present maintained a gloomy silence, while
those of the lower forms giggled and chuckled softly to themselves. They
dared not do it too openly, for fear of bringing down upon their heads
the wrath of the senior Form.

When Plunger thought his first item of news had soaked itself thoroughly
into the "bounders" of the Fifth, he read the second item. This fell
rather flat and elicited no comment.

Then Plunger began to bubble over again. He could n