ed. What followed has been seen.

To return to the scene outside Garside. So soon as Newall and Parfitt
had ceased chasing Plunger they turned to Stanley.

"You don't seem to be enjoying the fun, Moncrief?" said Parfitt.

"No; can't quite see where the fun lies," answered Stanley gravely.
"Seems to me that Plunger's not the only ass that wants beating. We
might use those sticks very well on ourselves. We've been just as much
sold as he has. We've been on a fool's errand. We were going to bring
the flag back, and the flag's come back without us."

"Yes; the flag's come back, sure enough," answered Newall. "And how the
dickens did it come back?--that's the puzzle. Hallo! There's your young
cousin. He ought to know something about it. Moncrief--Moncrief minor!"
he shouted.

Harry, who was crossing the grounds at the time, turned in answer to the
shouts and came towards the three boys.

"Got the flag?" he asked innocently.

"No cheek, kid, else we'll trounce you like we've just trounced your
friend Plunger!" retorted Newall sharply.

"Who brought the flag back? How did it get there?"--glancing to the
turret.

"Oh, it got there by a friend of yours--Paul Percival," answered Harry,
hitting back. "He's beaten you, just like you've beaten my friend
Plunger."

Newall scowled, and would have treated him to a taste of the swisher,
only he recollected that he was Stanley's cousin.

"Be serious, Harry," said Stanley. "Percival, did you say? Do you really
mean that the flag was brought back by him?"

"I am serious, Stan--never more so in my life. The flag was brought back
by Percival, and put in its old place on the turret by Percival."

He then told them precisely what had happened. The three boys listened
in silence. Percival had stolen a march upon them, that was quite clear.
Stanley wondered whether his note of warning had put him on his guard.
The thought that it had been of some service might have pleased Stanley,
but the memory of Percival talking to Wyndham hardened his heart against
him once more. He smothered the old feeling of friendship that would
keep trying to assert itself, in spite of himself.

"I told you that we should have to meet craft with craft!" cried Newall,
breaking the silence. "But so far Percival has beaten us. Plunger's an
ass, but he was quite right for once when he said that we'd have to get
up very early in the morning to score off Percival. What's our next
move?"

As neither Moncrie