ur of this edifying exhibition, the Den found
they had had enough of it, and began to saunter off, much to the
amazement of the two performers.

"May as well cut down," said Heathcote, when at length the Quad was
deserted, and nothing seemed likely to be gained by remaining.

Coote was quite ready to obey. He had enjoyed his outing pretty well,
but was rather tired of standing with one foot in front of the other,
and keeping his eyes on Georgie.

He was nearest to the trap-door and had already crouched through it when
Heathcote, perceiving that one of the Den had come back for another
look, decided, in the kindness of his heart, to take one last turn round
before retiring.

He had accomplished half his journey, and was glancing down rather
anxiously to see if the boy was enjoying it, when a second-floor window
on the opposite side suddenly opened and Mansfield looked out.

This apparition nearly sent Georgie headlong over the parapet. He saved
himself by dropping on his hands and knees. He wasn't sure whether the
Captain had seen him or not. If he had, he was in for it. If he had
not, why on earth did he stand there at the window?

Georgie's performance ended in a humiliating wriggle back along the
gutter to the trap-door. He dared not show so much as his "whisker"
above the parapet, and as the parapet was only high enough to conceal
him as he lay full length on his face, the return journey was both
painful and tedious.

At last he reached the door where the faithful Coote anxiously awaited
him, wondering what had kept him, and not sure whether the peculiar
manner in which he advanced to the door was to be regarded as a joke or
a feat of agility.

As Heathcote did not gratify his curiosity on this point, he received
the hero with a smile of mingled humour and admiration, and then
followed him in his precipitate descent to the lower world.

At the bottom of the staircase, Duffield was comfortably lounging.

"Hullo, kids!" he said, "you've got down then? What a mess you're in!
Mansfield wants you, Heathcote."

And the messenger departed, whistling a cheery tune, and dribbling
Coote's cap, after the straightest rules of the Association, across the
Quad before him.

Heathcote's face lengthened. This was the triumphal reception which was
to greet him on his return to earth, the mention of which was to set
Dick's teeth gnashing!

He walked sulkily to Mansfield's study, and knew his fate almost before