s about wells in cellars, and, for an
instant, even he did not know what had happened.

But an answering hullo came from beyond, and he hastened after the
others.

"Look out," said Alice; "don't tumble over that heap of bones."

Oswald did look out--of course, he would not wish to walk on any one's
bones. But he did not jump back with a scream, whatever Noel may say
when he is in a temper.

The heap really did look very like bones, partly covered with earth.
Oswald was glad to learn that they were only parsnips.

"We waited as long as we could," said Alice, "but we thought perhaps
you'd been collared for some little thing you'd forgotten all about
doing, and wouldn't be able to come back, but we found Noel had,
fortunately, got your matches. I'm so glad you weren't collared, Oswald
dear."

Some boys would have let Noel know about the matches, but Oswald didn't.
The heaps of carrots and turnips and parsnips and things were not very
interesting when you knew that they were not bleeding warriors' or
pilgrims' bones, and it was too cold to pretend for long with any
comfort to the young Pretenders. So Oswald said--

"Let's go out on the Heath and play something warm. You can't warm
yourself with matches, even if they're not your own."

That was all he said. A great hero would not stoop to argue about
matches.

And Alice said, "All right," and she and Oswald went out and played
pretending golf with some walking-sticks of Father's. But Noel and H.O.
preferred to sit stuffily over the common-room fire. So that Oswald and
Alice, as well as Dora and Dicky, who were being measured for boots,
were entirely out of the rest of what happened, and the author can only
imagine the events that now occurred.

When Noel and H.O. had roasted their legs by the fire till they were so
hot that their stockings quite hurt them, one of them must have said to
the other--I never knew which:

"Let's go and have another look at that cellar."

The other--whoever it was--foolishly consented. So they went, and they
took Oswald's dark-lantern in his absence and without his leave.

They found a hitherto unnoticed door behind the other one, and Noel says
he said, "We'd better not go in." H.O. says he said so too. But any way,
they _did_ go in.

They found themselves in a small vaulted place that we found out
afterwards had been used for mushrooms. But it was long since any fair
bud of a mushroom had blossomed in that dark retreat. The plac