tters of this sort he liked to make the plans and
get others to execute them. "Well, I was thinking one of you might," he
began.

"Oh, bother!" interrupted Thurston, whose revengeful spirit had been
once more aroused by the mention of the Wraxby match--"it's nothing;
you and I'll do it."

"And I'll help if you like," added Noaks, who thought the present
occasion a good opportunity to distinguish himself.

"All right," continued Thurston: "you go down town and get some screws,
Noaks--two or three good long ones."

"Well, we'll fix to-morrow night," said Fletcher. "Keep awake, and meet
at the top of B staircase, say at one o'clock; then there's no fear but
what every one'll be asleep."

The Triple Alliance had for some hours ceased to puzzle their brains
over either Virgil or cipher notes, and the whole of Ronleigh College
was apparently wrapped in slumber, when three shadowy figures
assembled on the landing at the top of staircase B, and proceeded
noiselessly along the corridor, and down the side passage at the end of
which Mr. Grice's room was situated.

"Have you got the screws?"

"Yes," answered Noaks, producing a twist of paper from his pocket.

"Don't you think I'd better go and keep _cave_ at the top of the
stairs?" whispered Fletcher.

"No," returned Thurston; "Noaks can do that. I'll make the two holes,
and you must put the screws in; you're the best carpenter of the lot."

Standing in the cold, dark passage, the work seemed to take ages to
perform; but at length it was finished.

"Hist! what are you doing?"

Fletcher had produced a scrap of paper from his pocket, and was
seemingly about to slip it under the door.

"I want to make certain that it shall be put down to Oaks," he
whispered; "so in case the screw-driver should be overlooked, I'm going
to slip this under the door for Grice to find in the morning."

Thurston glanced at the paper, and saw printed thereon in bold capitals
the following inscription:--

"BE IN TIME BY THE SCHOOL CLOCK."

CHAPTER XXI.

REAPING THE WHIRLWIND.

Work at Ronleigh commenced with a sort of half-hour's preliminary
practice in the various classrooms; the school then assembled for
prayers, after which came breakfast. During the progress of this meal
on the Friday morning, in the small hours of which had been enacted the
scene described at the end of the previous chapter, it became evident
that "something was up." The table, at which