rang out from the next room. And the approaching tread of a man's feet,
quick and regular, was heard by all.

"The daft maniacs!" growled Trevelyan between his teeth.

Their door was first opened, and Mr. Peace walked in. Of course, he was
received with dead silence.

"Now, boys, you needn't feign sleep, because we know you're wide awake.
You've been talking, too. Trevelyan!"

[Illustration]

"Yes, sir."

"You are head of this room; what's the blind up for?"

"We--we like to see the stars," suggested Trevelyan.

"H'mph! Was it you who laughed just now?"

"Oh no, sir. My brother woke up a few minutes ago, and I advised him to
go to sleep."

Nothing could have sounded more innocent, and perhaps Mr. Peace would
have moved on without saying any more, but that, even as he turned to
go, there came a little crash at the window-pane.

The boys held their breath in suspense. Trevelyan bit his lip till the
blood oozed, and Cadbury covered his face with his hands. Even Jack
trembled. Only Vickers lay apparently unconcerned.

"I suppose that was a poor bird dashed itself against the window," he
murmured.

"Do you, Vickers? I don't," replied Mr. Peace, striding forward. "Ah,
your poor bird has cracked the glass, my boy! I will invite Mr. West to
come to your window to-morrow to see a star of another kind."

So saying, the master threw up the sash and laid his hand on a small
parcel roughly wrapped and tied with string. It did not escape his
notice that the string had an unusually long end, which seemed to be
attached to something until he wrested it away. The boys felt more
uncomfortable every moment.

Keeping the parcel in his hand, Mr. Peace shut the window very
deliberately, drew down the blind, and lit the gas. Then he turned the
packet over. Scrawled upon it in large printed letters were these words:

_BURY OUR BONES WITH YOURS._

Mr. Peace read them out slowly, with a pause between each. Having done
so, he looked round at the inmates of the room, surveying them one by
one. Then he stooped to inspect Trevelyan's counterpane. At last he
opened the parcel, and found what the boys knew only too surely he would
find--a handful of well-picked chicken bones. It was a trying moment.

"And where are _your_ bones?" he asked presently. There was an awkward
hesitation; then Cadbury, seeing there was no escape, replied meekly,
"Under our pillows, sir."

"How horrible!" ejaculated the master with a shudder. He walk