ef minor happened to be out on an expedition of their
own that afternoon on Cranstead Common. Plunger caught sight of Paul as
he turned the bend of the road leading to St. Bede's.

"That was Percival, I'm pretty well sure of it," he cried. "Didn't you
see him?"

"No. By himself?"

"Isn't he always by himself? But let's make certain."

The two boys ran to the roadway and glanced along it. There, sure
enough, was Percival striding quickly along in the direction of St.
Bede's.

"Where's he making for? For the seminary of the crawlers, seems to me,"
said Plunger. "Queer sort of chap! What can he want up there?"

Harry did not answer. He recalled the afternoon when he had seen Paul
speaking to Wyndham. He had tried to forget that incident, and along
with it the incident that had happened at the sand-pit. He had tried to
think only of Paul's heroism on the river when he had saved the lives of
three of his school-fellows. He had cheered him as heartily as the rest
on that day when Baldry had called for "Three cheers for Percival!"
After, as we have seen, he had tried to heal the differences between his
cousin and Percival; but now all the old suspicions came back with a
rush.

"Yes; what can he want up there? Supposing we find out. There can be no
harm in watching him."

Plunger, as we know, had the bump of curiosity largely developed, and
his curiosity to know what Paul was doing at St. Bede's caused him to
forget, perhaps, that in playing the spy he was not altogether making
the best return in his power to one who had risked so much to save him
from a watery grave.

So he at once fell in with Harry's suggestion, and the two, keeping in
the background, followed in the footsteps of Paul.

CHAPTER XXXIII

FRIEND AND FOE

Paul, unconscious that he was being followed, pressed forward to St.
Bede's. As he drew near a boy came from the gates. Paul recognized him.
It was Murrell, one of the seniors at St. Bede's, who had taken part
with the others in hustling and jibing at him the last time he came in
that direction.

Murrell caught sight of him almost simultaneously, so that it would have
been impossible for Paul to avoid him had he wished.

"Hallo! Turned up again, have you?" cried the youth, coming to a dead
stop in front of Paul. "I thought you'd had enough of these parts the
last time you were here. But p'raps you enjoy ragging. There's no
accounting for tastes--specially the taste of a Gargoyle. Look