I think will procure his expulsion from the
school."

"State it; and every Regulator will remember the penalty of disclosing
one of the society's secrets."

"He shall be pounded till he is black and blue," said the members, in
concert.

"And every Regulator shall despise him as man and boy, to the end of
his life."

"That's so," responded the members.

"Go on, Redman," said the chief.

"Next Sunday night, the sheds, near the grove, will be set on fire. On
Friday night Grant's French exercise book will be taken from his desk.
He will fail in his lesson on Saturday, and the colonel must punish
him. This will make him mad. The exercise book will be torn up, and
pieces of it, especially the cover with his name on it, will be found
near the burnt building. Masters, who is on good terms with Grant, on a
certain pretence, known to him and me, will induce him to wait at the
shed until after dark, where he will be seen by Mr. Gault, when he goes
his rounds. A broken bunch of matches will be found in Grant's closet,
where no fellow is allowed to keep matches. Other suspicious
circumstances will appear at the time for they are in charge of proper
persons."

"You hear," said the chief.

"I don't like the plan," said one.

"Nor I," chimed in a dozen others.

"It is a mean thing," added the first objector.

"How many officers has the Society of Regulators?" demanded the chief,
sternly.

"One, whom all obey," replied the members.

"Who is he?"

"Nevers."

"I am chief, and I command that this be done," said the chief.

Twenty or thirty of the members, as Richard judged by the voices,
protested against the scheme; but the measure was ordered in spite of
this opposition.

"Is there a traitor here?" demanded the chief.

"Not one," replied the members.

The chief then urged the necessity of using strong measures. He pointed
out the danger of permitting Grant to remain in the school; and the
plan would insure his expulsion. But still the intractable ones
objected, and their names were ordered to be given. As they were
announced, Mr. Gault, aided by faith rather than sight, wrote them down
on the back of some letters he had in his pocket. The business was
finished, and it was proposed to establish a watch on the island for
the night.

"We must go," whispered Richard; and he crawled off, followed by Mr.
Gault.

They reached the water without being discovered, and embarked in the
rubber boat.

"If they place s