Part 4 (2/2)

”Hullo! what are you two after? Fis.h.i.+ng? One way to catch them, letting all the water out.”

”It was an experiment,” said d.i.c.ky, who, like myself, was very pale as he looked first at the Dux, then at the guilty hillock in the pond.

”So it seems. In other words, you're making a jolly mess, and are enjoying yourselves. I hope you'll enjoy it equally, both of you, when Plummer sees what you've done.”

”Shall you tell him?” I asked, somewhat breathlessly. The Dux laughed scornfully.

”You deserve a hiding for asking such a thing. Come here! Jump out on to that little island there, and stay there till I tell you.”

”Oh, Dux, please not,” said I, in a tone of terror, which was quite out of proportion to the penalty. The pistol was only two inches below the surface!

”Do you hear? Look sharp, or I'll chuck you there.”

That might be worse. It might hurt me and cut up the soil. So I jumped gingerly out, and stood poised with a foot in the water on either side, dreading at any moment to see the stones slip and the tell-tale gleam of the buried weapon.

”If you don't stand properly,” said the Dux, ”I'll make you sit down.

Come along, young Brown, it's time we went up to school.”

”How long am I to stay, please?” I inquired.

”Till you're in water up to the knees,” said the Dux, as he turned away, with the faithless d.i.c.ky beside him.

Up to the knees! I stood loyally for five minutes, during which the water gained about an eighth of an inch up my ankles. Then the second bell rang, and things became desperate.

Accordingly I knelt in the water until I could confidently a.s.sert that I was wet, very wet indeed, up to the knees; which done, I posted as fast as my ill-used legs would carry me to morning school.

CHAPTER THREE.

”WHEN SHALL WE THREE MEET AGAIN?”

Once more Dr Plummer reserved himself for the afternoon. Perhaps it was the haunting tyranny of the defunct Hector; perhaps it was pique at being baffled, so far, in finding the culprit; whatever may have been the reason, he was in an ominously uncompromising mood when at last he returned to the fateful question.

”Come up, the first boy,” said he abruptly.

The Dux was evidently getting tired of all this business (and no wonder, it seemed to me), and obeyed the summons not in the best of humours.

”Tempest,” said the doctor, ”I repeat my question of yesterday. Do you know anything whatever of this matter?”

”No, sir--I said so,” replied the Dux, in a clear voice.

Dr Plummer scowled somewhat at this tart reply. He rather liked his head boy, and was not prepared to find him, of all others, recalcitrant.

”I do not ask what you said, sir; I ask what you say,” said he.

”I said No. I'm not a liar,” replied the Dux rather fiercely.

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