Keeper of the Portal has commanded it."

Keeper of the Portal? That, then, was the meaning of the initials "K. O.
P." thought Plunger.

It was getting more and more mysterious, but he did not like the idea of
being blindfolded. What were they going to do with him--with Moncrief?
At first he felt inclined to resist, but a sharp twist of the wrist soon
convinced him that resistance was useless. Harry had come to the same
conclusion, so they submitted with the best grace they could to bandages
being placed round their eyes. Then they heard the door open and the
voice of the "Keeper of the Portal" commanding them to enter.

They entered. As they did so, Plunger thought he heard some one
sniggering, and again a wild idea crossed his mind that he would strike
out and make a desperate effort to escape from his captors; but the
instant he moved he was brought to a standstill by the energetic
measures which were now becoming painfully familiar to him.

The sniggering, if sniggering it was, soon ceased, and then a strange
silence reigned in the barn. The silence was a great deal worse to
Plunger than any amount of ridicule. Who were in the barn? What was
happening?

He strained his ears to the utmost. He could hear the sound of
mysterious footsteps walking stealthily to and fro, but no one spoke. He
stood there and shivered, though the perspiration was oozing from his
forehead. Was some desperate plot on foot against them? The footsteps
ceased. All was again so still that he began to think the barn had been
deserted and that he had been left in it blindfolded, to make his way
from it the best he could. He was about to call out to Harry when a
voice he had not yet heard called out sharply:

"Gargoyle with the eyebrows, what is thy name?"

Gargoyle with the eyebrows!

"S'pose that's meant for me," thought Plunger, "but I'm not going to
answer such impudent questions."

"The noble president speaketh. Answer, Gargoyle with the wiry thatch,"
came a voice in Plunger's ear, accompanied by a sharp kick on the shins.

Gargoyle with the eyebrows! Gargoyle with the wiry thatch! Was there
ever such insolence? But that kick on the shins told Plunger that to
raise any protest would only bring upon him worse punishment, so he
stammered out:

"Fre--Frederick Pl--Plunger."

"Plunger! Thy name is worse than thy face."

Plunger heard sniggers on every side at this reference to his name, of
which he had always been very proud.

"It