t you
both mean. You are going to try and heave me off, and run for it, but
don't you try it, my lads, or it will be the worse for you. It's my
turn this time, and you don't get away, so be still. Do you hear? Lie
still!"

Vane's voice sounded so deep and threatening that the lads lay perfectly
quiescent, and Distin went on.

"Better get out your handkerchief," he said, taking out his own, "and
we'll tie their hands behind them, and march them to Bates' place."

"You'll help me then?" said Vane.

"Yes."

"Might as well have helped me before, and then I shouldn't have been so
knocked about."

Distin shook his head, and began to roll up his pocket-handkerchief to
form a cord.

"There's no hurry," said Vane, thoughtfully. "I want a rest."

The lowermost boy uttered a groan, for his imprisonment was painful.

"Better let's get it over," said Distin, advancing and planting a foot
on a prisoner who looked as if he were meditating an attempt to escape.

"No hurry," said Vane, quietly, "you haven't been fighting and got
pumped out. Besides, it wants thinking about. I don't quite understand
it yet. I can't see why you should do what you did. It was so
cowardly."

"Don't I know all that," cried Distin, fiercely. "Hasn't it been eating
into me? I'm supposed to be a gentleman, and I've acted toward you like
a miserable cad, and disgraced myself forever. It's horrible and I want
to get it over."

"I don't," said Vane, slowly.

"Can't you see how maddening it is. I've got to go with you to take
these beasts--no, I will not call them that, for I tempted them with
money to do it all, and they have turned and bitten me."

"Yes: that was being hoist with your own petard, Mr Engineer," cried
Vane, merrily.

"Don't laugh at me," cried Distin with a stamp of the foot. "Can't you
see how I'm degraded; how bitter a sting it was to see you, whom I tried
to injure, come to my help. Isn't it all a judgment on me?"

"Don't know," said Vane looking at him stolidly and then frowning and
administering a sounding punch in the ribs to his restive seat, with the
effect that there was another yell.

"You make light of it," continued Distin, "for you cannot understand
what I feel. I have, I say, to take these brutes up to the police--"

"No, no," cried the two lads, piteously.

"--And then go straight to Syme, and confess everything, and of course
he'll expel me. Nice preparation for a college life; and what will