, Crick, conducted them to the door.

"The time has come to say farewell--for the present," said Mellor, as
they all gathered round the door. "Don't forget that thou art pledged to
us by the bonds of our noble order. In token whereof, give them the
mystic wallop."

The bladders came down with a resounding thwack on the newly-made
brethren, during which the Keeper of the Portal opened the door. Plunger
and Harry darted through. Roars of laughter followed them, but they did
not look back. They did not pause till they were well on the road to
Garside.

"I say, Moncrief minor," said Plunger, drawing up breathless, "we've
dropped in for a fine thing."

The same idea had occurred to Harry, but he was not so ready to admit
it.

"How do you mean?"

"Why, we've joined hands with the enemy--the Beetles. There's no getting
out of it."

"I suppose there isn't," answered Harry gloomily.

They walked on in silence for a few moments. Then Harry glanced round,
as though half fearful that some one was following, and whispered:

"I say, Plunger."

"Well, what is it?"

"Did you notice the flag we were standing under?"

"The flag we were standing under?" repeated Plunger innocently. "Well,
not particularly. What was it like?"

"Like! I believe it was the school flag!"

"You don't say so. Never!"

"I'm positive it was."

"The school flag? This is awful! Couldn't you have let me know? What a
duffer you are! I would have sacrificed my life to get that flag! I
wouldn't have stood their nonsense like I did had I thought that was our
flag. I would have fought them till my last breath. Why--why didn't you
let me know?"

"I thought you did know."

"And to think that I crawled to them--crawled, with the flag of the old
school looking on. It's nothing to you--you're only a fresher from
Gaffer Quelch's; but to me, Plunger, it's--it's----" Not being able to
find a word strong enough to express his meaning, Plunger suddenly
turned on Harry again. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Moncrief
minor, letting me make such an ass of myself."

"How could I help it, Freddy. They made an ass of me too."

"There you go again, always poking your wretched self in. What does it
matter to you? You don't count at Garside. I do--that's the difference.
I wish you wouldn't look at these things from such a selfish point of
view. You're always thinking of yourself--a miserable fresher, as I've
said, from Gaffer Quelch's. If it ever gets abou