n the school--resting upon every one of
us," said Paul solemnly.

"What shadow are you talking about?" asked Hasluck.

"The leaves from the Black Book--the stolen papers from Mr. Weevil's
desk," said Paul. "Until the thief is found out, suspicion rests upon
every boy in the Form--upon every boy in the school. What I suggest is,
that we leave off fighting till we've found out who the thief is. I
don't want to preach, but I think that will be a great deal more to our
honour and the honour of our school."

Paul paused. "If Parfitt has anything to accuse me of, now will be his
time," he thought.

He had not to wait long. Parfitt did speak, but scarcely in the way he
had anticipated.

"Honour of the school!" he cried. "Anybody would think that Percival's
the only one who cares for it. Let him take care of his own honour
first, and the honour of the school will take care of itself."

Parfitt's pointed remark was loudly applauded. Paul saw that he was
likely to be defeated unless he could make a stronger appeal to the
sympathies of the Form.

"I don't know that my honour's questioned," he answered promptly. "Who
questions it?"

"I do," retorted Parfitt.

"And I," added Newall.

Before Paul could answer, there was a knock on the door of the shed. It
so startled Devey--a heavy, thick-set boy--that he over-balanced himself,
and came with a crash on the box in which Plunger was hidden. Plunger
had been so interested in the proceedings of the Fifth that he had
lifted the lid in the slightest possible degree so that he might the
better hear what was going on. When Devey came crashing on the box,
Plunger thought for the moment that his head had gone from his
shoulders. And then as Devey, not quite recovered from his fall,
continued to sit upon the lid, he thought he would be suffocated.

Meanwhile Leveson went to the door, and demanded: "Who's there?"

"A Beetle," came the answer.

"A Beetle! What does he want?"

"He's got a challenge for the Fifth."

"A challenge for the Fifth! Oh, very kind of him!" Then, turning to
Hasluck, "Shall I let him in?"

"Rather. Let's hear what the sport is."

Thereupon Leveson opened the door. Three boys were standing without--two
of them belonging to the school, and the third, who stood between them,
one of the much-despised Beetles--in other words, a pupil of the rival
school at St. Bede's.

CHAPTER XIII

A CHALLENGE FROM ST. BEDE'S

The two boys who entered with th