draught upon my ears. But its effect upon the others is
more interesting to recall. Until now the crammer had the centre of
the stage, but at this point Raffles usurped a place which was always
his at will. People would wait for what he had to say, as these people
waited now for the simplest and most natural thing in the world.

"One moment!" he had begun.

"Well?" said the crammer, relieving me of his eyes at last.

"I don't want to lose any of the fun--"

"Nor must you," said the crammer, with emphasis.

"But we've left our bikes outside, and mine's a Beeston Humber,"
continued Raffles. "If you don't mind, we'll bring 'em in before these
fellows get away on them."

And out he went without a look to see the effect of his words, I after
him with a determined imitation of his self-control. But I would have
given something to turn round. I believe that for one moment the
shrewd instructor was taken in, but as I reached the steps I heard him
asking his pupils whether any of them had seen any bicycles outside.

That moment, however, made the difference. We were in the shrubbery,
Raffles with his electric torch drawn and blazing, when we heard the
kicking at the pantry door, and in the drive with our bicycles before
man and boys poured pell-mell down the steps.

We rushed our machines to the nearer gate, for both were shut, and we
got through and swung it home behind us in the nick of time. Even I
could mount before they could reopen the gate, which Raffles held
against them for half an instant with unnecessary gallantry. But he
would see me in front of him, and so it fell to me to lead the way.

Now, I have said that it was a very misty night (hence the whole
thing), and also that these houses were on a hill. But they were not
nearly on the top of the hill, and I did what I firmly believe that
almost everybody would have done in my place. Raffles, indeed, said he
would have done it himself, but that was his generosity, and he was the
one man who would not. What I did was to turn in the opposite
direction to the other gate, where we might so easily have been cut
off, and to pedal for my life--up-hill!

"My God!" I shouted when I found it out.

"Can you turn in your own length?" asked Raffles, following loyally.

"Not certain."

"Then stick to it. You couldn't help it. But it's the devil of a
hill!"

"And here they come!"

"Let them," said Raffles, and brandished his electric torch, our o