-tree, near which they were standing.

"You're getting warmer," smiled Wyndham. Then, as Paul walked towards
the tree: "In fact, quite hot."

Paul put his hand into the hollow of the tree, and drew out the missing
flag, wrapped in a covering of American leather-cloth, just as it had
been when Mellor and Crick had taken it to St. Bede's.

"What can I say, Wyndham?" he asked, in a thick voice as he stood there,
with the prize in his hand. For the moment there seemed to be a mist
before his eyes.

"Say? Nothing, of course! All you've got to do is to get back to Garside
as soon as you can, for I shouldn't be surprised if those fellows we saw
just now mean mischief."

The anonymous letter flashed into Paul's mind as Wyndham spoke--"Beware!
Steer clear of Bedes. Plot on foot to turn you from Garside."

Could it be that the four he had seen were concerned in that plot? It
was quite possible to believe it of Newall and Parfitt--they had always
been his enemies--but Stanley--No, he could not believe it of him.
However, he scarcely cared what happened to him now he had gained
possession of the flag. He would be able to redeem his promise. The main
thing was to get it back to its old place on the turret.

So he took Wyndham's advice, and started back to the college without
further delay.

Meanwhile the three who had started from Garside, under the guidance of
Plunger, for the purpose of capturing the flag on their own account, had
passed Wyndham and Paul, as we have seen, on the way. They little
suspected the purpose of that meeting. They never imagined that it had
anything to do with the flag.

Parfitt, the first to catch sight of the two, gloated over the
discovery. Stanley's heart fell. He now saw with his own eyes that Paul
was really on friendly terms with Wyndham. He had taken no heed of his
note of warning. He had treated it with scorn.

"He's playing a deep game," said Parfitt. "I believe he means turning
over Garside for Bede's, like Mellor did."

"I believe so, too; but he can't do it before next term, and we must get
our blow in before then. It all depends on getting hold of that flag.
Now, then, Plunger, buck up!"

Plunger increased his pace, and it was not long before he reached the
shed in which he and Moncrief minor had been initiated into the "Noble
Order of Beetles." They reached it, as arranged, fully half an hour
before the time appointed for Plunger to meet "the mystic brethren." So,
as they hope