Where to,
that's it?"

"Oh, Brownstroke, if you like; or your home. Let's turn up, you know,
and give them a jolly surprise."

Smith's face clouded over as he said, hurriedly, "I say, it's time to be
going back, or we shall get caught."

This was an effectual damper to any idea of flight, and we quickly
turned back once more to Stonebridge House.

We found our gap all right, and strolled back past the swings and up the
gravel walk as unconcernedly as possible, fully believing no one had
been witness of our escapade. We were wrong.

Hawkesbury came up to us as we neared the house, with the usual smile on
his face.

"Didn't you hear me calling?" he said. "You know it's against rules to
go out of bounds, and I thought--"

"What! who's been out of bounds?" said the voice of the Henniker at that
moment.

Hawkesbury looked dejected.

"Who did you say, Hawkesbury, had been out of bounds?"

"I'd rather not tell tales," said Hawkesbury, sweetly.

"I've been out of bounds," blurted out Smith, "and so has Batchelor. I
asked him to come, and Hawkesbury has been spying and--"

"Silence," cried Miss Henniker. "Smith and Batchelor, follow me."

We followed duly to Mr Ladislaw's study, where we were arraigned.
Hawkesbury was sent for as evidence. He came smiling, and declared he
may have been mistaken, perhaps it was two other boys; he hoped we
should not be punished, etcetera. Smith was nearly breaking out once or
twice during this, and it was all I could do to keep him in. Hawkesbury
was thanked and dismissed, and then, with the assistance of Miss
Henniker, Mr Hashford, and Mr Ladislaw, Smith and I were birched, and
forbidden the playground for a fortnight, during which period we were
required to observe absolute silence.

So ended our little adventure out for a puff of free air! Among our
fellows we gained little enough sympathy for our misfortunes. Flanagan
was the only fellow who seemed really sorry. The rest of the ill-
conditioned lot saw in the affair only a good opportunity of crowing
over their ill-starred adversary, and telling me it served me right for
chumming up to such a one.

One day, greatly to my surprise, when the Henniker was away
superintending the flogging of Flanagan for some offence or other,
Hawkesbury came over and sat beside me.

"Oh," said he, softly, "Batchelor, I've been wanting to tell you how
sorry I am I helped get you into your scrape. I didn't mean--I was only
anxious