. But what am I to tell the 'Ead?"

"Anything you jolly well please, Foxy. We aren't the criminals."

To say that the Head was annoyed when the Sergeant appeared after dinner
with the day's crime-sheet would be putting it mildly.

"Corkran, McTurk, and Co., I see. Bounds as usual. Hullo! What the deuce
is this? Suspicion of drinking. Whose charge??"

"Mr. King's, sir. I caught 'em out of bounds, sir: at least that was 'ow
it looked. But there's a lot be'ind, sir." The Sergeant was evidently
troubled.

"Go on," said the Head. "Let us have your version." He and the Sergeant
had dealt with one another for some seven years; and the Head knew that
Mr. King's statements depended very largely on Mr. King's temper.

"I thought they were out of bounds along the cliffs. But it come out
they wasn't, sir. I saw them go into Colonel Dabney's woods, and--Mr.
King and Mr. Prout come along--and the fact was, sir, we was mistook
for poachers by Colonel Dabney's people--Mr. King and Mr. Prout and me.
There were some words, sir, on both sides. The young gentlemen slipped
'ome somehow, and they seemed 'ighly humorous, sir. Mr. King was mistook
by Colonel Dabney himself--Colonel Dabney bein' strict. Then they
preferred to come straight to you, sir, on account of what--what Mr.
King may 'ave said about their 'abits afterwards in Mr. Prout's study.
I only said they was 'ighly humorous, laughin' an' gigglin', an' a bit
above 'emselves. They've since told me, sir, in a humorous way, that
they was invited by Colonel Dabney to go into 'is woods."

"I see. They didn't tell their house-master that, of course?"

"They took up Mr. King on appeal just as soon as he spoke about
their--'abits. Put in the appeal at once, sir, an' asked to be sent
to the dormitory waitin' for you. I've since gathered, sir, in their
humorous way, sir, that some'ow or other they've 'eard about every word
Colonel Dabney said to Mr. King and Mr. Prout when he mistook 'em for
poachers. I--I might ha' known when they led me on so that they 'eld the
inner line of communications. It's--it's a plain do, sir, if you ask me;
an' they're gloatin' over it in the dormitory."

The Head saw--saw even to the uttermost farthing--and his mouth twitched
a little under his mustache.

"Send them to me at once, Sergeant. This case needn't wait over."

"Good evening," said he when the three appeared under escort. "I want
your undivided attention for a few minutes. You've known me for