lways a dreadful significance in that apparently
harmless message, and my heart sank within me as I rose to my feet and
prepared to obey. I walked down a short, dark passage, across a bare,
draughty hall, and knocking on a forbidding-looking door, received a
peremptory command to "come in."

Once across the threshold any doubt as to the reason of the summons was
set at rest by the sight of Farmer Smiley sitting very bolt upright on
a chair by the bookcase, with his hat on the floor by his side.

"D'you see this cap, sir?" began the headmaster, holding up the article
in question. "It has your name on the lining, therefore I presume it
is yours."

From the burning sensation in my cheeks I felt that my face must have
given a plainer answer to the question than my mumbled reply.

"Then will you explain how it came to be lying this morning in the
middle of one of Mr. Smiley's fields?"

However unwilling I might be to tell the story, the admissions were
dragged from me--first, that I had visited the farmer's field with the
object of enjoying a stolen ride on his horse; and, secondly, that I
had actually done so late the previous night, when I was supposed to be
asleep in bed.

"You actually mean to tell me that you climbed out of your dormitory
window and went roaming over the country when it must have been close
on midnight? I never heard of such outrageous conduct--never!"

"He warn't the only one," put in the old farmer; "there was two on 'em."

"Was any other boy with you?" demanded Dr. Bagley.

I shut my mouth tightly with the determination that nothing should
induce me to betray my friend. Whether the doctor would have insisted
on a reply to his question I cannot say, but fortunately a diversion
was caused by the farmer, who probably felt satisfied in bringing home
the charge against at least one of the culprits.

"Well, whether I seed one or two I ain't perticular about--leastways
there's no doubt about this un. And," continued the speaker, going off
at a tangent, "it seems to me a pity that a man can't live on a farm
without his gates being broken and his beasts chased by a band of
mischievous young rascals like this 'ere."

"Mr. Smiley," began the headmaster, "I can only say how much I regret
that anything of this sort should have happened. I can assure you that
I shall make an example of this boy, and take steps to prevent your
meeting with any such annoyances in the future.--Now, sir," he
continu