a trifle strict, and rather freehanded with lines and
"impots," yet all this could be overlooked and forgiven for the sake
of the punishment which they inflicted on the enemy's bowling.

As it has been all along the intention of this story to follow the
fortunes of the Triple Alliance, the record of their second term at
Ronleigh would not be complete without some mention of their memorable
adventure with the "coffee-mill."

Wednesday, the fourteenth of June, was Jack Vance's birthday, and just
before morning school he expressed his intention of keeping it up in a
novel manner.

"Look here!" he remarked to his two companions. "You know that little
bootmaker's shop just down the road, before you come to the church.
There's a notice in the window, 'Double Tricycle on Hire.' Well, the
mater's sent me some money this year instead of a hamper, so I thought
I'd hire the machine; and we'll go out for a ride, and take it in turns
for one to walk or trot behind."

"Oh, I'd advise you not to!" cried "Rats," who was standing by and
overheard the project.

"Why not?"

"Why, it's a rotten old _sociable_, one of the first, I should think,
that was ever made. It's like working a tread-mill, and it rattles and
bangs about until you think every minute it must all be coming to
pieces. It's got a sort of box-seat instead of a saddle. Maxton hired
it out one day the term before last, and he and I and Collis rode to
Chatton. It isn't meant to carry three; but the seat's very wide, and
they squeezed me in between them. There's something wrong with the
steering-gear, and it makes a beastly grinding noise as it goes along,
so Maxton christened it the 'coffee-mill.' Fellows are always chaffing
old Jobling about it, when they go into his shop to buy bits of leather,
and asking him how much he'll take for his coffee-mill, and the old chap
gets into an awful wax."

"Oh, I don't care!" answered Jack. "It'll be a lark, and we needn't go
far.--What d'you say, Diggy?"

Diggory and Mugford both expressed their willingness to join in the
expedition, and arrangements were accordingly made for it to take place
that afternoon.

"You'd better not let old Jobling see three of you get on at once," said
"Rats." "I should send Mugford on in front and pick him up when you get
round the corner."

Rathson's description of the "coffee-mill" was certainly not
exaggerated. It was a rusty, rattle-bag concern--a relic of the dark
ages of cycling