rought to a climax by a stand-up fight between Tom Mason, Acton's
predecessor as dux, and young Noaks. The encounter took place just
outside the stronghold of the enemy, the Birchite so far getting the
best of it that at the end of a five minutes' engagement he proclaimed
his victory by dragging his adversary along by the collar and bumping
his head a number of times against the very gates of Horace House.
Unfortunately a rumour of what had happened got to the ears of
Mr. Welsby. Mason was severely reprimanded, and his companions were
forbidden, under pain of heavy punishment, to walk in Locker's Lane
further than the corner of their own playing field.

"But who is young Noaks?" asked Diggory, as Jack Vance finished a hasty
account of this warfare with the Philistines.

"Why, that's just the funny part of it," returned the other. "This Sam
Noaks is the son of our Noaks, but he's got an uncle, called Simpson,
who lives at Todderton, where I come from. This man Simpson made a lot
of money out in Australia, and when he came back to England he adopted
young Noaks, and sends him here to Phillips's school."

By this time the home forces had all struggled back into the playground.
In one corner stood a wooden shed containing a carpenter's bench, a
chest for bats and stumps, and various other things belonging to
different boys. Acton, as head of the school, kept the key, and having
unfastened the door, summoned his followers inside to hold an impromptu
council of war and discuss the situation. There was a grave expression
on each face, for every one felt that things were beginning to look
serious. Mason, the only one of their number who had been physically
equal to the leaders of their opponents, was no longer among them, and
the enemy, evidently aware of their helpless condition, had dared for
the first time to actually come and beard them in their own den.

"What I want to know first is this," began Acton. "You can see by the
footmarks that they came in through that door; of course it's always
kept locked, and here's the key hanging up inside the shed. Now who
opened it for them, and how was it done?"

"Perhaps it wasn't fastened," suggested Morris.

"Yes, it was," answered Kennedy excitedly. "I noticed that this
morning, when we were picking up stones for the snow man's buttons."

"Then I tell you what it is," continued Acton solemnly: "some one here's
playing us false, and my belief is it's old Noaks. D'you