ad not changed; but everything seemed to be overclouded and wretched
now, as I started off for the play-field, determined to waste no time,
but take the culprit to task at once.

I looked about, and could see Burr major, but Mercer was not there, and
I crossed to where I could see little Wilson, and asked if he had seen
him.

"Senna!" he cried; "yes, I saw him a little while ago. Perhaps he's by
the gardens, digging up grubs and things to make physic."

I could not smile then, but went to the gardens. He was not there, and,
thinking he might have gone up to our room, I went into the house, and
up to the dormitories; but my journey was vain, and I went down again,
and once more sought the field, to look all over at the little parties
playing cricket, dotted here and there, but no Mercer. To my great
surprise, though, I saw Dicksee talking earnestly to Burr major.

"They've made it up," I thought, and it seemed to me very contemptible
and small of Burr major to take up again with a boy who had behaved so
despicably to him.

I passed pretty near them as I went on across the field, and they both
looked at me rather curiously--in a way, in fact, which made me think
that they were plotting something against me. Perhaps a fresh fight.

"Well, I don't mind now," I said to myself. "Nothing seems of any
consequence but Tom Mercer's act. Where can he be?"

I had another look round, and then saw that Burr major, Hodson, and
Dicksee had gone up to the house together, and directly after they
disappeared, while I went on again, asking after Mercer, to find that
every one nearly had seen him only a little while before, but they could
not tell me where he was gone.

I kept on looking about, though I half suspected that he must have gone
off on some little expedition of his own, as it was half holiday; and,
at the end of another half-hour, I was about to stand near the gate, to
watch for his return, when I caught sight of him, apparently coming from
the direction of the yard, as if he had been to the loft.

"Oh, here you are then!" he cried, as, after catching sight of me, he
ran to meet me, and began vehemently. "I've been hunting everywhere for
you."

"I have been hunting everywhere for you," I said coldly.

"Have you? Well, look here, Frank, I was up in the loft last night, and
I forgot to lock up the bin."

It was just as I thought.

"I forgot it once or twice before, thinking about something else; and
now som