FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149  
150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   >>   >|  
rried away, never dreaming but that the message he had received was genuine. In order to reach the laboratory, it was necessary to traverse the box-room and the gymnasium, both of which were in darkness, the lights being turned out by the prefect on duty when the boys assembled for preparation. Across the first of these chambers Browse groped his way in safety. Hardly, however, had he crossed the threshold of the second, when he was suddenly seized and held fast by several strong pairs of hands. His indignant expostulations were met with a titter of suppressed laughter; he was roughly forced down upon his knees, and while in this position what seemed like two buckets of cold water were emptied over his devoted head. This having been done, he was dragged to his feet, thrust back into the box-room, and the door leading into the gymnasium was slammed to and locked on the inside. From first to last not a word had been spoken, and at the very commencement of the struggle Browse's spectacles had been knocked off. These two circumstances had entirely prevented him from recognizing the shadowy figures of his assailants. He made one attempt to force the door open, but finding it securely fastened, had come straight away to the captain's study. "It's that Thurston and some of his gang," he repeated in conclusion; "they did it to pay me out for interfering with their noisy meetings." Allingford and John Acton sprang to their feet. The idea that the rowdy element should be so powerful in Ronleigh that a Sixth Form boy could with impunity be seized and drenched with cold water, was not very pleasing to one who was largely responsible for the order of the school, and the captain's face was as black as thunder. "All right!" he exclaimed; "leave this to me. Go and change your clothes." The two prefects hurried down the passage. "Wait a minute," said Allingford. "Which is Thurston's study?" Acton knocked at the door; and receiving no answer, pushed it open and looked in. The room was empty. "Come on," cried Allingford; "the 'gym!' They may be there still." They rushed down the stairs, scattering a group of small boys who were roasting chestnuts at the gas-jet in the passage, and on through the box-room, but only to find the door on the other side standing wide open, and the gymnasium itself silent and deserted--two empty water-cans, lying in a big pool of wet on the cement floor, being the only remaining tr
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149  
150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Allingford
 
gymnasium
 
Browse
 

passage

 
Thurston
 

knocked

 

seized

 

captain

 
Ronleigh
 

drenched


school

 
largely
 

responsible

 

deserted

 

impunity

 

pleasing

 

cement

 

interfering

 
repeated
 

conclusion


meetings

 

element

 

silent

 

sprang

 
powerful
 

scattering

 
stairs
 

rushed

 

roasting

 

chestnuts


standing

 

remaining

 
looked
 

change

 

clothes

 

exclaimed

 

thunder

 

prefects

 

hurried

 

receiving


answer

 

pushed

 

minute

 

suddenly

 

threshold

 

crossed

 

safety

 

Hardly

 

strong

 

suppressed