ind their backs."

The two boys did as requested, and as soon as the elephant was busy they
strolled off with its owner, who was very eager to shake hands with them
again and beg of them to come to his place.

"Here, I have had enough of this," cried Glyn as soon as they were out
of the great field, "and I never thought of it before. What time is
it?"

"I don't know," said Singh. "I have left my watch on the
dressing-table."

Just then the striking of the church clock fell upon their ears, and
Singh began to count aloud, while Glyn expressed his belief that it must
be seven.

"Why, all the chaps will be out when we get back," he said.

"Eight!" said Singh loudly.

"Nonsense! You have muddled it," cried Glyn.

"Nine!" cried Singh.

"Rubbish!"

"It is. Look at the shops all open, and the people about."

"Well; but the time couldn't have gone like that," cried Glyn. "Here,
what are we going to say? If you are right--why, breakfast's over ever
so long ago, and the fellows are all going in to class. But you can't
be right."

"Well, there's the clock," said Singh contemptuously. "Look for
yourself."

The hands and Roman numerals of the great church clock had only lately
been re-gilded, and they seemed to twinkle and blink and point
derisively in the bright morning sunshine.

"Oh, I say," cried Glyn, "who could have thought it! Bother old Ramball
and his beasts! Feeding his elephant! I wish somebody would feed me!
Why, we shall get no breakfast."

"Oh yes, we shall," cried Singh confidently. "Why, you forget we are in
the infirmary still, and Mrs Hamton won't let us go without our
breakfast. But come along; let's trot back round by the shortest way."

They started the military double directly, and were about half-way back
to the school when, as they turned a corner to get into the main road, a
sharp military voice shouted:

"Halt! Right face!"

"Father!" cried Glyn.

"Morning," cried the Colonel, as he shook hands warmly with both. "You
two invalids having your constitutional? Well, you ought to be taken
off the sick-list now. I have just been having my walk before
breakfast. I came past the Doctor's, but could not see anything of
either of you."

"Going in to breakfast, father?" said Glyn.

"Yes, my boy. You had yours at eight o'clock, I suppose. What time
were you up? Seven o'clock, I suppose."

"No, father," said Glyn, laughing. "It must have been about four."

"Four o'