d away green and golden in
the afternoon sunlight. The shrill screech of swifts wheeling overhead
mingled with the twittering of the many sparrows which rendered the
creepers clinging to the wall of the school buildings untidy with their
nests. Then the clear song of larks soaring above mead and fallow, and
farther afield the glad note of the cuckoo from some adjoining copse.
Boys were passing by twos and threes, and now and then a master going
for his afternoon stroll. Haviland, gazing out from his perch in the
window, found himself thinking over Mr Sefton's words. He supposed he
should soon be leaving all this, but didn't want to. He liked the
school: he liked the masters, except the Head perhaps, who seemed for no
reason at all to have a "down" on him. He liked the freedom allowed by
the rules outside school hours, and thoroughly appreciated his own post
of authority, and the substantial privileges it carried with it. A
voice from outside hailed him.

"Hi--Haviland! Done your impos yet?"

"Yes."

"Come with me after call-over. I've got a good thing. Owl's nest.
Must have two to get at it."

The speaker was one Corbould major, a most enthusiastic egg-hunter, and,
though not a prefect, a great friend of Haviland's by reason of being a
brother sportsman.

"Can't. I'm gated. Won't be able to take the lines up to Nick till
to-morrow."

"Why not try him in his study now? He's there, for I saw him go in--and
he's in a good humour, for he was grinning and cracking jokes with
Laughton and Medlicott. Try him, any way."

"All right," said Haviland, feeling dubious but desperate, as he climbed
down from the window.

It required some intrepidity to invade the redoubtable Head in his
private quarters, instead of waiting until he appeared officially in
public; however, as Corbould had divined, the great Panjandrum happened
to be in high good humour, and was graciously pleased to accept the
uttermost farthing, and release the prisoner then and there.

Half an hour later two enthusiastic collectors might have been seen,
speeding along a narrow lane at a good swinging, staying trot. A quick
glance all round, then over a stile and along a dry ditch skirting a
long high hedge. Another quick look round, and both were in a small
hazel copse. On the further side of this, in a field just outside it,
stood a barn. This was their objective.

Now, before leaving cover, they reconnoitred carefully and exhaustively