e of the air, even if it did give the Crows a
loophole of possible escape.

"There's no fun in an affair of this kind if the other side hasn't
even a chance," said Tug; and this appealed to the Lakerim theory of
sport.

X

So they all left the gymnasium with its prisoners, and Sawed-Off
locked the door firmly behind him. Then they went at a double-quick
for Moore's restaurant and the waiting banquet, which, they suspected,
was by this time growing cold.

When MacManus left his room he had thrown on a long ulster overcoat
with a very high collar. When this was turned up about his ears it
completely hid the gag around his mouth, and Tug and Sawed-Off locked
arms with him and hurried him along the poorly lighted streets of
Kingston without fear of detection from any passer-by. MacManus
dragged his feet and refused to go for a time, till Tug and Sawed-Off
hauled him over such rough spots that he preferred to walk. Then,
without warning, when they were crossing a slippery place he pushed
his feet in opposite directions and knocked Sawed-Off's and Tug's feet
out from under them. But inasmuch as all three of them fell in a heap,
with him at the bottom, he decided that this was a poor policy.

The Dozen were soon at Moore's restaurant; and there, at the door,
they found waiting one of the Crows whom they had forgotten to take
into account. He was the fat boy whom Tug and History had seen hazed
just before their turn came, on the eventful night at Roden's Knoll.

Having been hazed, and having been taxed, this boy who was known as
"Fatty" Warner, was entitled to banquet with the Crows; but he
had been invited out to a bigger supper than he could get at the
"Slaughter-house," and so he did not receive his note, and escaped the
fate of the Crows who had been put in cold storage in the gymnasium.

B.J. and Bobbles, however, took him to one side and told him that they
were afraid they would have to tie him up and put him in a corner with
MacManus. But the tears came into his eyes at the thought of sitting
and looking at a feast in which he could not take part, and he
reminded the Lakerimmers that he had had no share in the attack on Tug
and History, and had done nothing to interfere with their escape from
Roden's Knoll, and besides, he had been compelled to pay out his
last cent of spending-money to the Crows for this banquet: So the
Lakerimmers decided to invite him to join them in eating the feast of
the enemy.