it.

"Hooray, Clapperton! Rollitt's no thief. That money's turned up.
Ain't you glad? I am--good evening."

This final greeting was cut short by a ruler which Clapperton sent
flying at the messenger's head. Ramshaw dodged in time, and the ruler
flew out into the passage, where it was promptly captured by Fisher
minor, whose turn came next.

"Thank goodness that's the end of the young cads!" growled Clapperton.
"They've done it on purpose; and I'll pay them out for it. That ass,
Fisher major, he's bound to--"

Here there came a modest tap at the door, and Fisher minor peeped in,
apologetically.

"Well, what do you want? You've no business on this side; go to your
own house."

"All right, Clapperton," said Fisher, speaking with unwonted rapidity.
"I only thought you'd like to know my brother's found the money.
Hurray! Rollitt's no thief; ain't you glad?--Yeow!"

This last exclamation was in response to a grab from the enraged
Clapperton, which, though it failed to catch the messenger, clawed his
face.

"I've had enough of this," said the senior. "I don't care--. Hullo!
where's my key?"

The key was not to be seen. He looked out into the passage; it was not
there. No one else was in sight.

He returned viciously to his seat at the table, and began to read again.

The door had opened, and Ashby, on tip-toe, was in the room before the
senior noticed the fresh intrusion.

"Rollitt's no thief; ain't you glad? The money's found. Hurray,
Clapperton!--done it!" exclaimed Ashby, all in one breath, dancing out
of the room in conscious pride at his exploit.

"All very well," said D'Arcy, whose turn came next; "how am I to do it?"

"No shirking," said Wally; "I come after you."

"Look here," said D'Arcy; "if you chaps give me a leg-up, I'll let him
have it through his window. I can reach round from this passage window
to his if you hang on to my legs."

"Good dodge," said Wally, admiringly, "but we'd better turn the key on
the door first. If he came out and spotted us holding you, we might
have to drop you."

So the key was quietly put in the lock and turned; and D'Arcy, firmly
held by the heels, wriggled himself out of the window, and, with the aid
of a pipe, pulled himself up, with his face to the window of
Clapperton's study.

That worthy was beginning to congratulate himself that he would be
spared a further repetition of the uncomfortable news that night, when a
sudden, loud voice at one o