Harry ran out, wondering at the effect his information had had upon his
cousin.

"Shook hands with him!" echoed Stanley, as he sank with a groan upon the
bed.

CHAPTER XXI

THE CHASM WIDENS

Unintentionally Harry Moncrief had made deeper the chasm between the
one-time friends. It was quite evident to Stanley, from Harry's
description of what he had witnessed, that there was an understanding
between Paul and Wyndham, otherwise they would never have shaken hands
with each other. The fact that Paul could take the hand of one who had
thrashed him set the blood tingling in Stanley's veins. That showed
plainly enough that Paul was on friendly terms with his enemy--with an
enemy of the school. What was to be done?

Stanley got up and paced the room. The softer feelings that had been
working in his breast vanished.

"I will never speak to Paul Percival again--never!" he said fiercely.
"Perhaps the whole of that business at the sand-pit was a trap of his
into which I was fool enough to fall. How else could they have shaken
hands together?"

It seemed to him, thus blinded by suspicion against his friend, that it
could only have one meaning--they were gloating over his defeat.

Meanwhile, Harry Moncrief had no sooner descended the stairs leading
from the dormitories than he came sharply into contact with Plunger, who
was hurrying along the corridor as though he were rushing full speed up
a cricket pitch to prevent himself from being run out.

"Hallo, Harry, just the fellow I was looking for!" he exclaimed.

"Are you, Freddy? Then I wish you'd look for me with your eyes instead
of your elbows," answered Harry, rubbing his ribs, which were aching
from the blow they had just received from the boniest part of Plunger's
elbows. "What is it?"

"You know that twaddle in the _Gargoyle Record_ about the poet being
stuck for a rhyme to 'hunger'?"

"Yes," laughed Harry, as he recalled Plunger's confusion when the
paragraph was read aloud in the common room.

"What are you grinning at? You don't mean to say you saw anything funny
in it?"

"Oh, no; but you're bound to laugh when the other fellows laugh, you
know. It's like the measles--catching. I'm all right now. Go on. You
were saying----"

"I believe that paragraph was sent in to the editor--Dick Jessel, you
know--by Baldry."

"Oh! What makes you think that?"

"He's been worrying about rhymes ever since that paragraph was read
out--that's why. You see, he s