the bolts as noiselessly as he could;
East blew out the candle. "Barricade the first," whispered he. "Now,
Tom, mind, no surrender."

"Trust me for that," said Tom between his teeth.

In another minute they heard the supper-party turn out and come down the
passage to their door. They held their breaths, and heard whispering, of
which they only made out Flashman's words, "I know the young brutes are
in."

Then came summonses to open, which being unanswered, the assault
commenced: luckily the door was a good strong oak one, and resisted the
united weight of Flashman's party. A pause followed, and they heard a
besieger remark, "They're in, safe enough--don't you see how the door
holds at top and bottom? so the bolts must be drawn. We should have
forced the lock long ago." East gave Tom a nudge, to call attention to
this scientific remark.

Then came attacks on particular panels, one of which at last gave way to
the repeated kicks; but it broke inwards, and the broken piece got
jammed across, the door being lined with green-baize, and couldn't
easily be removed from outside; and the besieged, scorning further
concealment, strengthened their defences by pressing the end of their
sofa against the door. So after one or two more ineffectual efforts,
Flashman and Co. retired, vowing vengeance in no mild terms.

The first danger over, it only remained for the besieged to effect a
safe retreat, as it was now near bed-time. They listened intently, and
heard the supper-party resettle themselves, and then gently drew back
first one bolt and then the other. Presently the convivial noises began
again steadily. "Now then, stand by for a run," said East, throwing the
door wide open and rushing into the passage, closely followed by Tom.
They were too quick to be caught; but Flashman was on the look-out, and
sent an empty pickle-jar whizzing after them, which narrowly missed
Tom's head, and broke into twenty pieces at the end of the passage. "He
wouldn't mind killing one if he wasn't caught," said East, as they
turned the corner.

There was no pursuit, so the two turned into the Hall, where they found
a knot of small boys round the fire. Their story was told--the war of
independence had broken out,--who would join the revolutionary forces?
Several others present bound themselves not to fag for the fifth-form at
once. One or two only edged off, and left the rebels. What else could
they do? "I've a good mind to go to the Doctor strai