f Percival."

"Percival!" echoed Baldry contemptuously. "Percival may ramp a good
deal, but he's not likely to do much, I'm thinking, after his exhibition
at the sand-pits. Percival is----"

"I beg pardon, but did I hear some one mention my name?" came a quiet
voice in the rear of Baldry.

Both boys turned promptly round at the voice. To their amazement
Percival was standing before them.

"Per--Percival!" exclaimed Harry.

"Per--Percival!" echoed Baldry.

"I happened to be strolling this way, and thought I heard my name; but
perhaps I was mistaken."

The boys could not speak. They could only stare with open mouths at
Percival. It was a shadowy figure that stood before them in the
darkness. Was it indeed Percival, or was it his ghost?

"Y--y--yes; we--we--were speaking about you," stammered Baldry, at
length. "We--were--just wondering--how you were getting on."

"It's very kind of you to think of me," said Paul, with a quiet smile.

Paul, quite ignorant of what had transpired in the shed, thought for the
moment whether he had better tackle Baldry and Moncrief minor then and
there as to their motive in desiring him to go to the shed, but on
second thoughts he decided to find out for himself; so he passed on.

"Pinch me--punch me--kick me", exclaimed Harry. "Am I awake or am I
dreaming, Baldry?"

"It was Percival right enough."

"Then who--who's--in--the shed?" gasped Harry, a cold perspiration
coming to his brow.

"What an idiotic question to ask me," retorted Baldry indignantly. "You
ought to know best. Are you sure there's anybody in the shed at all?"

"I'm sure of that. And--and--I could have sworn it was Percival."

"You've made a nice mess of it."

"Well, if I have made a mess of it, I've kept you out of it," retorted
Harry, beginning to feel sore at the tone taken by Baldry. "After all,
Plunger and the others will be taken in a good deal more than we've
been, remember. He still thinks it's you he's got a prisoner."

"Ah, yes, so he does," exclaimed Baldry, breaking into laughter again;
"I'd forgotten that. When that door opens it'll be one of the best
little surprise packets Plunger's ever had in his life. Hallo, here
comes a lot of the Fifth fellows, and they seem making for the shed,
too!"

The shadowy figures of Arbery, Parfitt, Hasluck, and a couple of others
passed within a short distance of where the two boys were standing. They
were conversing eagerly together.

There was silence bet