ion on the spot.

He allowed Dick and his two friends, if it fitted in with school rules,
to be present in the Court to hear the end of Tom White's case--a
permission they were not slow to avail themselves of, although this time
they occupied a modest seat at the back, and attempted no public
manifestations of encouragement to the prisoner in court.

The case ended very simply. When it was called on, and Tom, as friendly
as ever, was ushered into the box, no one appeared to accuse him, and
the magistrates, rightly concluding this to mean that the prosecution
had retired, dismissed the case accordingly.

Tom said, "Thank'ee, sir," and looked quite bewildered on being told he
might walk out of court a free man.

Our heroes, who had already got outside before he reached the door,
deemed it their duty to complete their efforts in his favour by
congratulating him on his escape.

"Jolly glad we are, Tom White," said Dick, as the worthy mariner came
towards them. "It was hard lines for you, and it wasn't all your fault.
It's my father got you off, you know."

"Thank'ee, young gentleman. It's very hard on a hard-working mariner
not to have his living. If you could spare a trifle and tell the
gentlemen, I'd thank you kindly."

"We haven't got any tin to spare now," said Dick, who knew that the
resources of the "Firm" had been well-nigh exhausted in preparation for
the spread in Cresswell's study that evening; "but we won't forget.
Good-bye, old man. Jolly glad you've got out at last!"

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

HOW NEMESIS MAKES HER FINAL CALL.

Our heroes, as they returned arm-in-arm from the trial of Tom White,
were conscious that in proportion as the troubles behind them
diminished, those ahead loomed out big and ominous.

They had escaped transportation; at least, so they told one another; and
although, when all was said and done, they had not done much towards
righting Tom White or recovering the _Martha_ still, somehow, Nemesis
had been "choked off" in that direction.

But when they turned their faces from what lay behind to the immediate
future, their hearts failed them. They had staked high for the
"Sociables." Their run with the Harriers had been no trifle: and far
more important was the general attention it had drawn to themselves, and
to their efforts to get into, the select company. Their candidature was
a master of public notoriety, and if Pledge should at the last moment
carry out his threat