ned, and Mr. Tulloch
entered, accompanied by Admiral Langton. Mr. Tulloch was looking
very serious, while the admiral looked hot and angry.

"We are going to catch it," Bob whispered, to Jim Sankey. "I knew
the admiral wouldn't be able to get us off."

"I wish all the boys to return to their places, Mr. Moffat. I have
something to say," Mr. Tulloch said, in a loud voice.

When the boys were all seated, he went on:

"Admiral Langton has been telling me that four of my boys were out
and about, soon after three o'clock this morning. The four boys in
question will stand up.

"I do not say that this is the first time that such a serious
infraction of the rules of the school has taken place. It has
happened before. It may, for aught I know, have happened many
times, without my knowledge; but upon the occasions when it has
come to my knowledge, the offenders have been most severely
punished. They must be punished, now.

"Admiral Langton has been telling me that the boys in question have
behaved with very great courage, and have been the means of saving
him from the loss of a large sum of money and plate, and of
capturing four burglars."

A buzz of surprise passed round the school.

"That this conduct does them great credit I am fully prepared to
admit. Had they been aware that this burglary was about to be
committed, and had they broken out of the house in the middle of
the night for the purpose of preventing it, I allow that it might
have been pleaded as an excuse for their offence; but this was not
so. It was an accident, that occurred to them when they were
engaged in breaking the rules, and cannot be pleaded as a set-off
against punishment.

"Admiral Langton has pleaded with me, very strongly, for a pardon
for them; but I regret that I am unable to comply with his request.
The admiral, as a sailor, is well aware that discipline must be
maintained; and I am quite sure that, when he was in command of a
ship, he would not have permitted his judgment to be biased, by
anyone. I have put it to him in that way, and he acknowledges that
to be so. The two matters stand distinct. The boys must be punished
for this gross breach of the rules. They may be thanked, and
applauded, for the courage they have shown, and the valuable
service they have rendered to Admiral Langton.

"I have, however, so far yielded to his entreaties that, while I
must administer a severe caning for the gross breach of the rules,
I shall abstain