ster School
Debating Society would cause an interruption by flinging such things
about in the middle of an important discussion.

"Go on, Carter," said the chairman.

"Shan't!" returned the other, snappishly. "I've finished."

Shepherd was now called upon to open on the side of the negative.

"War," he began, assuming his accustomed attitude, and beaming round on
his listeners with a very good imitation of the Powler smile--"war is
like surgery. When drugs are of no avail, we are often forced to
resort to the use of the knife, and so--"

Another mimic bomb exploded in the very centre of the speaker's
waistcoat, causing him to jump nearly out of his skin. Redbrook sprang
to his feet in a towering rage, and as he did so another projectile
burst on the open pages of the minute book.

"Who threw those things? I will find out!"

A babel of voices rose in reply. No one had done it. The door was
shut, the windows were fastened, a hasty search was made in the
cupboards and under the back desks, in the hope of discovering a
lurking enemy; but even while the search was in progress another
missile went off under the secretary's chair.

"Who is it?" shouted Redbrook. "Where do they come from?"

"That seemed to fall from the ceiling," answered Heningson; "yes--look
there!"

Above the hanging gas-jet in the centre of the room was an ornamental
iron grating, between the apertures of which there now appeared about
an inch and a half of brass tube, like the end of a big peashooter. A
moment later there was a prodigious puff, and four "throw-downs"
exploded with a simultaneous crash in the centre of the chairman's
table.

"There's some one up on the roof!" cried several voices.--"Stop it, you
villain!"

"How could any one get there?"

"There's a trap-door at the end of the passage," exclaimed Shepherd.
"Quick! we shall cut him off."

A rush was made for the door, but it refused to open; some one had
evidently blocked the exit from the outside, by placing a short form
lengthways across the passage. The drawing classroom formed part of a
one-storied building which bounded one side of the school quadrangle.
Finding the door closed, Shepherd dashed to the nearest window, and
flinging it open dropped out on to the gravel, an example which was
speedily followed by the chairman and several members of the audience.
Breathing out all manner of threats, they ran round through the nearest
door and gained the entrance to