f hesitating what he should do.

"Nonsense, Tom," I replied--still exercising the influence I possessed
over my chum for evil!--"I am certain that if she knew that the Doctor
had treated you as he has done, starving you and keeping you here all
night in the cold out of your bed, she wouldn't mind a bit your running
away from the school along with me; especially when I'm going to take
you where you'll get food and shelter."

This argument decided Tom at once. "All right," said he, in the usual
jolly way in which he and I settled all our little differences. "I'll
come, Martin. But it is getting late. Don't you think, too, we'd
better look alive and start as soon as we can?"

"I was waiting till we heard the Doctor snoring," I replied. "Go and
listen at the door; his room, you know, is on the other side of the
landing, and you'll be able to tell in a minute whether he is asleep or
not."

Tom did as I requested, stealing noiselessly across the room for the
purpose, returning quickly with the news that our worthy preceptor was
fast in the arms of Morpheus, judging by the stentorian sound of his
deep breathing. Dr Hellyer had made a hearty dinner, in spite of our
having upset his equanimity so unexpectedly. He had likewise disposed
of an equally hearty tea; so he was now sleeping soundly--his peaceful
slumbers doubtless soothed with sweet dreams in reference to the
punishment he intended inflicting on us on the morrow, not thinking for
a moment, unhappy dreamer, that the poor birds whom he had, as he
imagined, effectually snared and purposed plucking, would by that time,
if all went well with our plans, have flown far beyond reach of his
nervous arm!

The master asleep, we had no fear of interruption from any one else, for
the old woman took her repose in the back kitchen, out of earshot of
anything happening in the front of the house, and Smiley and the Cobbler
were probably snoring away as composedly as their chief in the
dormitories above, of which they were in charge; so, Tom and I at once
began operations for effecting our "strategic retreat" from the
establishment.

The windows of the refectory opened on to a narrow balcony that ran
along the front of the house; and these, having heavy wooden shutters,
fastened by horizontal iron bars, latching into a catch, we had some
little difficulty in opening the one we fixed on for making our exit by,
the bar securing it being some height from the floor and quite be