xpence to know what we are talking about,
Bob," one of the group talking in the corner of the playground
said.

"It is worth more than that, Jim; still, we shall have to be extra
careful. He suspects it was our lot who played him the trick about
the eel, and he will do his best to catch us out, in something.

"Well, as I was saying, Johnny Gibson has got a first-rate dog for
rabbits, and he says there are lots of them up on the Common. I
told him that I would come, and I expected two or three more; and
we would meet him at the top of the hill, at four o'clock tomorrow
morning. It will be getting light by that time. Of course, we shall
get out in the usual way, and we can be back by half past six, and
no one will be any the wiser. Old Thomas never comes down till a
quarter to seven. I have heard him a dozen times. He just comes
down in time to ring the bell for us to get up."

"Oh, I ain't afraid of Thomas," one of the others said, "but I am
afraid of Purfleet."

"There need be no fear about him. He never wakes till the bell
rings, and sleeps like a top. Why, he didn't wake, the other
morning, when we had a scrimmage and you tumbled out of bed.
Besides, we all sleep at the other end of the room and, even if he
did wake up in the night, he wouldn't notice that we had gone;
especially if we shoved something in the bed, to make a lump.

"My only fear is that we shan't wake. We ought to keep watch till
it's time to get up, but I am sure we shouldn't keep awake. We must
all make up our minds to wake at three, then one of us will be sure
to do it. And mind, if one wakes, he must promise not to go to
sleep again before he hears the hall clock strike, and knows what
time it is. If it is before three, he can go off to sleep again.
That way, one of us is sure to be awake, when it strikes three."

"I say, shan't we just be licked, if we are found out, Bob?"

"Of course we shall; but as we get licked pretty well every day,
that won't make much difference, and we shall have had awful fun.
Still, if any of you fellows don't like it, don't you go. I am
going, but I don't want to persuade any of you."

"Of course we are going, if you are going, Bob. What are we going
to do with the rabbits?"

"Oh, I settled Johnny Gibson should keep them. He is going to bring
his dog, you know; besides, what could we do with them? We can't
cook them, can we?"

As it was clear to all the party that this could not be managed, no
objection wa