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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3c52600 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #67534 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67534) diff --git a/old/67534-0.txt b/old/67534-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 3e210c2..0000000 --- a/old/67534-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6609 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Black Star, by Andrew H. Walpole - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Black Star - A School Story for Boys - -Author: Andrew H. Walpole - -Release Date: March 1, 2022 [eBook #67534] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at - https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from scans of - public domain works at The National Library of Australia.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLACK STAR *** - - - - - - THE BLACK STAR - - A SCHOOL STORY FOR BOYS - - By ANDREW H. WALPOLE - - - AUSTRALIA - CORNSTALK PUBLISHING COMPANY - - ARNOLD PLACE, SYDNEY - - 1925 - - - Wholly set up and printed in Australia by - Eagle Press, Ltd., Allen Street, Waterloo - 1925 - - Registered by the Postmaster-General for transmission - through the post as a book. - - Obtainable in Great Britain at the _British Australian_ Bookstore, - 51 High Holborn, London, W.C.1, the Bookstall in the - Central Hall of Australia House, Strand, W.C., and from - all other Booksellers: and (_wholesale only_) from the Australian - Book Company, 16 Farringdon Avenue. London. E.C.4. - - _First Edition, September, 1925_ - _Second Edition, November, 1925_ - - - - -[Illustration: "I wasn't trying to get out!"] - - - - - CONTENTS - - - FARADAY'S BAG - - DOCTOR DAW AGAIN - - THE BULLY-KILLER - - THE BROKEN BOOTLACE - - UNRAVELLING A CLUE - - JACK IS ENLIGHTENED - - THE CALAMITOUS CRIPPLES - - FANE'S FATAL MISTAKE - - ALIAS BILLY FARADAY - - THE CHASE FOR THE STAR - - THE STAR MISSING - - BILLY WALKS IN HIS SLEEP - - A MYSTERY UNRAVELLED - - DOG-FACE - - A JAPE GOES WRONG - - BILLY VANISHES - - HUE AND CRY - - CONCLUSION - - - - - THE BLACK STAR - - - - - CHAPTER I - - FARADAY'S BAG - - -Jack Symonds' regret at the holidays' ending had now definitely passed, -and, strolling along the wide departure platform, he looked forward -with considerable excitement to the reunion with his pals. The train -was already crowded with his schoolfellows, who shouted at him many -noisy greetings. - -"Hullo, Jack!" - -"Hullo, yourself! Where did you get that colour?" - -"Surfing, old boy. Coming in here? No?" - -"Waiting for Billy Faraday," said Jack, and continued his stroll. The -Melbourne train had not yet arrived, and Billy consequently had not put -in his appearance. - -Jack Symonds stood with his back to one of the great station pillars, -gazing upon the animated scene with interest. There were scores of the -Deepwater College boys, in their blue-and-gold caps, drawn to the city -from far and near, to catch the school train. - -New juniors, unnaturally silent, were hustled into carriages under the -care of Mr. Kemp, the mathematics master; old friends, all smiles and -laughter, greeted one another boisterously. Porters bustled to and fro -with immense stacks of luggage. - -Jack's eye fell idly upon a tall, rather sinister-looking man standing -with folded arms, pulling occasionally at a heavy cherrywood pipe. The -man's eyes were very deep-set and dark; the mouth was thin-lipped. In -all, hardly an attractive, although certainly a striking, personality. - -As Jack's glance held the fellow casually for an instant, he was -surprised to see him start and pale perceptibly. - -"Funny," mused the boy, and turned his head to see what had caused the -change in the other's demeanour. - -It was another man--and a man, in his own way, quite as remarkable as -the first. He was short and very broad, with an immense neck; his nose -was twisted permanently to the right, as if he had been struck at some -time, a terrific blow in the face. - -Jack smiled to himself. "Retired pug," he thought, noting that the man -also carried a cauliflower ear--the left, and that his eyes were the -narrow, quick eyes of the boxer. - -"By Jove," exclaimed the tall man, as the two came together, with -mutual expressions of surprise, "what brings you here, Tiger? Thought -you were in America." - -"Business," said the bent-nosed man, shortly. "Business, my dear old -Doctor Daw--do they still call you that?" - -"Hush," said the tall man, abruptly; "... that name...." - -The rest was lost to Jack, for Doctor Daw spoke in a low whisper. The -man he had called Tiger laughed in a short, sharp manner. - -"Anyhow, whither away?" he asked. - -"Deepwater--down the coast. You getting this train?" - -The other nodded, and they both strolled in the direction of the -smoking carriages. Jack gazed after them curiously. It was peculiar -that the tall man should have said that he was going to Deepwater, for -the only sign of civilization at Deepwater Bay was the College--and he -could hardly be going there. - -"Anyhow," said Jack out loud, "here's Billy, old Bill Faraday himself, -and looking about as cheerful as an exhausted codfish." - -He slapped the newcomer on the back; but Billy did not brighten -appreciably. He was a tall, rather thin youth, with dark eyes and hair -that emphasized the present pallor of his face. - -"How are things, Jack?" - -"Top-hole, old bean--but, I say, what's the matter?" - -"Do I look bad? Fact is, old chap, I've been having a pretty rough -passage these hols. The pater died, and I'm feeling--" - -"I say! I'm awfully sorry. That band on your arm--I didn't notice." - -He gripped his pal's arm in silent sympathy. Billy understood. There -were never many words between the two, but their understanding was -perfect. - -Billy's father had been an eminent naturalist. Beyond that, the boy -knew very little of him. That he had made explorations into Central -Australia, and had attained to considerable fame in scientific circles, -Jack was also aware. Billy, however, was a quiet, reserved sort of -chap, and no one ever found out much about him or his people. To most -of the fellows at the school, indeed, he was a bit of a mystery. - -"Don't let us get in with the crowd," said Billy, nodding to an -uproariously-cheerful throng at the train windows. "Try this smoker." - -Jack followed his chum into the smoking compartment, and they had -barely stowed their bags in the rack when Symonds observed, that -sitting opposite were the two men he knew as "Doctor Daw" and "Tiger." - -There was nothing remarkable in that, but Jack noted with intense -surprise that Tiger was staring at Billy with an air of recognition. -Jack wondered. Did Billy, by any chance, happen to know him? It did not -seem likely, and yet-- - -At that moment Billy turned from the rack and sat down beside his pal. -Tiger instantly averted his gaze and looked out of the window. He -did not look at Billy again, although Jack watched him closely; and, -what was more surprising, he did not seem to know the tall man at his -side--Doctor Daw, as he had called him. Jack was puzzled more and more -by this singularity as the train left Sydney and passed down the coast, -for it seemed as if the two men knew nothing whatever of each other, -and were even deliberately ignoring each other. This, despite the fact -that Jack had overheard their recognition on the station, and had seen -them enter the train in company. - -Mystified as he was, the boy had for the present, other things to think -of. Soon he was engrossed in conversation with Billy, and the train -had halted at a little station some miles north of Deepwater, before -anything occurred to disturb the even run of their journey. - -The train had commenced to steam out of the station, when all at once -the man Tiger, as if he had suddenly remembered something, leapt from -his seat, grabbed a handbag from the rack, opened the door, and sprang -out. - -Jack, though taken aback by the suddenness of the move, was alert -enough, mentally, to recall that the man had not had a bag at Sydney. -The bag, therefore, was not his own; it was-- - -"Billy!" he yelled, "he's got your bag!" - -Never was there a more magical transformation. Billy Faraday had been -half dozing, moodily leaning back at the window, answering his chum -mechanically. At Jack's words, he jumped as if a red-hot coal had been -dropped down his collar, kicked open the door, and in a single bound -gained the platform. - -Jack was utterly amazed. Billy's action had been so quick, so -marvellously prompt, that it had left him barely time to gasp. But -then, Billy was always a fellow of impulse. Jack felt bound to follow -his pal; Billy would be sure to get into some trouble or other. - -And so Jack Symonds, prefect at Deepwater College, brilliant -three-quarter and athlete, laughed his reckless laugh and followed suit. - -He landed lightly, with perfect control of himself, despite the fact -that the train had gathered speed, and was now moving quickly. He -wheeled round, caught sight of the hurrying figure of Billy Faraday, -and followed at a run. - -The township into which Fate had thus strangely deposited the chums was -very much a one-horse affair, and a few scattered houses and rutted -country roads represented the sketchiest outlines of civilization. - -The little man had made a quick exit from the station, but obviously he -had not counted on the rapid pursuit of Jack and Billy. His coup had -been planned to allow the train to get well under way before the loss -was discovered, and the chase began. He ran swiftly along the road, and -for some minutes made very good going of it. But the bag was a heavy -handicap. In pursuit were two lithe, springy youngsters, practised -athletes and runners, and they were gaining upon him. - -Just then Fate played another card. Around the corner came the sound of -a car, and then the motor shot into view, with a professional-looking -man, clad in white dust-coat, at the wheel. He was evidently the local -doctor, but he was probably a most astonished man in the next few -seconds. - -For Tiger jumped upon the running-board and flung the handbag into the -tonneau. At the same time he presented a wicked-looking little pistol -at the doctor's head. - -"Turn her," he commanded, peremptorily. "Quickly--or I'll fire." - -The doctor was a sensible man, and the cold contact of the steel at -his temple quenched any rash attempts at resistance that might have -suggested themselves. Obediently he turned the car about. - -"Full speed--hit her up," added the man on the running-board, curtly, -and the doctor's unsteady hand reached for his levers. - -Jack Symonds uttered a groan of despair and chagrin. - -"Done us, Billy!" he panted, as the car, responsive to her driver, shot -forward at increased speed. "It's no good--we're beaten." - -And he slackened his run. But just when it seemed that the bag was -finally lost, Billy Faraday sprang another surprise--a surprise even -for Jack, who imagined he knew his chum so well. It was the most -amazing, most preposterous thing, and Jack was almost convinced that -he was dreaming. Faraday plunged his hand into his hip-pocket, and -produced an automatic revolver of the latest pattern! - -Standing boldly in the middle of the road, he commenced firing at the -doctor's back tyres. At the third shot there was an audible effect, and -the car slowed up. Tiger turned about, furious and desperate, and for a -moment Jack feared that the pistol would be directed upon them. But no; -Tiger was not anxious to run the risk of murder, and seeing that there -was no chance of his escaping with the handbag, there was nothing left -now but to make good his own departure. - -While the boys were yet some distance off, he leapt from the car and -disappeared into the scrub at the roadside. - -"Suffering cats!" exclaimed Jack, as he and Billy hurried up to the -car. "Pinch me, someone--I'm dreaming. Or am I acting in a Wild West -movie drama? Please tell me, Billy! And, dear old chap, what on earth -are you doing with that gun?" - -"Let you know afterwards," said Faraday coolly, replacing the amazing -weapon in his hip-pocket. - - - - - CHAPTER II - - DOCTOR DAW AGAIN - - -Unsatisfactory as was this postponement, Jack was destined to meet with -a further disappointment. The doctor had been pacified and given an -explanation of the affair, and Billy Faraday had declared that he did -not want to be worried further with the man Tiger. He had recovered the -bag, and he was willing to let the matter rest there. But when they got -into a later train, Jack's curiosity prompted more questioning. - -"By Jingo, Billy," he said, "that was a great sprint you made for the -bag. Anyone would have thought you had a purse of sovereigns in it, or -something." - -Billy sniffed. "Well, perhaps hardly a purse of sovereigns, but -something--" - -"Well?" prompted Jack. - -"I don't know whether I ought to tell you," said Billy, enigmatically. -He ran his fingers through his thick, black hair, and stared out of the -window. - -"Hang it all," protested Jack, "you're starting this term in a jolly -mysterious way! What's the giddy joke? What have you got up your -sleeve--or in your bag?" - -Billy shot a look of sharp inquiry at his friend. - -"You're cute, Jack," was all he said. "You've dropped to it that -there's something." - -"Also that our friend Tiger is interested in your bag. Perhaps he knows -what's in it." - -"Knows--or guesses," said Billy, with a queer smile. - -"But this is a bit too thick. And there's that revolver, too, just to -make a real, nice, soupy mystery of it. I tell you, Billy, when you -came out with the canister I--" - -He opened his mouth, spread his hands, and indicated immense surprise. - -"Perhaps I was a bit of a fool to bring it," Billy admitted. "But--it -came in jolly handy!" - -"Still, that doesn't account for it all. What is it, Billy? Can't you -tell me?" - -Billy shook his head slowly, uncertainly. "No, Jack--not yet. I -promised I'd tell you, but--I won't. I don't want to alarm you without -need, see? I may be wrong about this--all this business. The bag, the -revolver, all our little adventure may be quite meaningless, and I -don't want to be dragging you after any mares' nests--not yet awhile. -But if anything happens--" - -"Don't mind me," said Jack, weakly. "The Sphinx is a sort of uncle of -mine. I'm good at riddles! No more explanations, Billy. I'm in a knot -with them already. Don't overload my young mind any further." And he -laughed, quite falling in with his pal's present reluctance to divulge, -and dismissed the subject. - -All the same, he realized that there was indeed something behind -Billy's reticence. The two were good friends; anything in the ordinary -way they shared as a matter of course. But this--this was something -important, something serious. Strangely enough, he had an odd feeling -that this term was going to be a remarkable one--and certainly it -was opening well. Billy had hinted at further events. What was he to -expect? Truly there might be adventures in the near future. - -Or yet, on the other hand, perhaps the whole affair was nothing at -all--a mere mare's nest, as Billy had said. Either way, there was -nothing to be gained by thinking any more about it. - -When, finally, they reached the College, there were lots of things to -be done, and they spent the afternoon in the study that they shared -with two other fellows. Last term the two study-mates had left the -College, and consequently there would be two new boys this term. - -"Nobody here," said Billy Faraday, opening the door and glancing round -the room. "Place looks bare, doesn't it, with all their things gone?" - -"Wonder who's going to step into their shoes?" queried Jack -thoughtfully. - -"No idea." Billy was absorbed in unlocking his cupboard, and Jack, -glancing over his shoulder, saw the light fall on the blue barrel of -that mysterious revolver. - -"Leaving it there, Billy?" - -Billy nodded. "For the present. I'm not one of those asses that'd go -round swanking with a thing like this. Don't think I brought it for -that, old chap." - -"I don't, Billy!" - -Billy looked at his friend, and seemed on the verge of giving away -at last the real reason why he had brought the revolver. But at that -moment there came a knock at the door, and Billy quickly thrust a -small black cash-box into the far corner of the cupboard, and shut it -hurriedly. - -"Come in," said Jack, sitting on the table swinging his legs; and there -promptly entered a most amazing apparition. - -A tall, very thin youth, with horn-rimmed spectacles, stood at the -door. He carried stacks of luggage, baskets, odd bundles in paper, a -portmanteau or two, which, with an air of great relief, he proceeded to -distribute impartially over the floor of the study. - -"What--what--?" gasped Billy. - -"Ah, comrade!" demanded the new arrival, "how are you?" He fingered a -red tie of extraordinary brilliance of design. "I trust you have spent -your holidays in quiet enjoyment, and have returned flowing over with -vigour to--" At this stage a cushion struck him in the face, and he -fell gracefully backwards over a suit-case. - -He arose with the expression of a resigned martyr, and dusted his -trousers. "Comrades both," he declared, "that was unkind of you--really -it was. However, perhaps I was unduly long in coming to the point. I -should have announced," he beamed broadly, "that hence-forward I am to -be your study-mate." - -"Our what?" demanded Jack, incredulously. - -"Why, your study-mate, comrade. Come, come, where are your tongues? -What, no congratulations? Aren't you overjoyed to have me? Think -how well we are sure to get on together--think of the evenings of -happy and profitable study, self-help, also co-operation, everything -pleasant--No, I implore you, no more cushions." - -"Well, cut out the oratory," warned Jack, lowering the missile. -"Do you think we are a bally political meeting? Aren't you Patch, -though--weren't you in Cooper's House last term?" - -"That is my poor name." The newcomer executed a profound bow. "Septimus -Patch, socialist, inventor, friend of the downtrodden and oppressed--" - -"Cheese it," said Billy. "Why on earth did they move you to this house?" - -"Ah, why?" said Patch blandly, gazing at the ceiling. - -"And why, on top of that, did they pick upon this study?" - -"Who knows?" The inventor gazed dreamily out of the window. "Fate, -perhaps." - -"And, anyway," Symonds took up the tale, "what have you got in all -these traps?" - -"My chemicals--my models of invention--my books--my goods generally," -said Septimus Patch gloomily. - -Horror deepened upon the faces of the two chums. - -"Do you mean to say--?" said Billy. - -"--Rotten chemicals?" finished Jack. - -"In this study?" Billy could scarcely believe it. - -"Why not?" asked Patch, with his conciliatory smile, polishing his -enormous spectacles. "Is it not comforting to be companioned by a -man of science--I will not say genius? When time drags, you may find -infinite enjoyment in mixing up things for me, and solace in wandering -through the dark forest of science under my guidance." - -"Oh, help!" moaned Jack. - -"Moses!" gasped Billy. - -"'Dark forest of science,'" quoted Jack, throwing himself weakly into -Billy's easy chair. "This place is going to be a little paradise, isn't -it just?" - -"More like a ward in a lunatic asylum," corrected Billy with bitterness. - -"You are unduly severe on yourselves," Patch assured them blandly. -He was unpacking an enormous number of things, and distributing them -pell-mell over the floor. Jack and Billy could only sit and stare, -goggle-eyed, at the spreading disorder on their one and only carpet. - -"Pictures, too, comrades," said Septimus enthusiastically, bringing to -light a huge bundle of frames wrapped in brown paper. He exhibited the -top one proudly. - -"Good grief! What on earth's that?" demanded Jack in astonishment. -"Side elevation of a poached egg, or--" - -"That," said the owner, indignantly, dusting it with his handkerchief, -"is a diagram of the anatomy of the common flea. Much magnified, of -course. Rather good, don't you think? Where shall I put it?" - -"In the fireplace," suggested Billy, cruelly. "Do you think we want to -be gazing all day at that horror? And what's this?" - -"Butterflies." - -"Not so bad. Put them up there over that shelf." - -Septimus hoisted the huge frame into place, and got down, beaming -broadly. - -"Comrade," he said, "we are getting on quite well. Only one or two -more; here's a portrait of Sir Isaac Newton." - -"It's a good frame," commented Jack. "I've a photo of Trumper that'd -just fit in. I'll dig it out. Here, we'll put it up high for the -present." So saying he balanced a big dictionary on a chair, and -climbed up with Sir Isaac Newton in his hands. - -"Hope I can reach," he said, while Septimus Patch and Billy Faraday -watched him anxiously. It did not seem as if he could reach. He raised -himself cautiously on tiptoe, but the frame was heavy and the risk -great. The dictionary tottered. - -"Look out, Jack--you'll be over," said Billy. "Whoa!" He made a frantic -grab at his pal, but missed by about a foot. - -Jack came down with a tremendous crash, scattering a pile of Patch's -bottles right and left. There was a tinkle of broken glass and the -sound of a mild explosion; through the ensuing cloud of smoke Septimus -could be seen seated on the floor, vainly endeavouring to release his -head from the photograph frame that Jack had let fall. - -It was fortunate that Sir Isaac had had no glass in front of him, or -the results might have been serious. As it was, he was hopelessly -punctured now; the frame hung about Patch's neck like a grotesque -collar. - -"Ha, ha, ha!" The sight was so absurd that Billy could not check a -laugh at the comicality of it all, but his laugh ended abruptly. At -that moment the door opened, and a stern voice spoke. - -"What is the meaning of this?" - -Billy looked up in surprise. The voice was a strange one, but it -carried a ring of authority. - -"Just a slight accident, comrade," replied Patch. "We were hanging this -picture, and regrettably it fell. Ah, off it comes at last! But I am -afraid Sir Isaac is disfigured," he added sadly. "Yes, he does look -rather cut up." - -"I am your new history master," said the other, interrupting him. His -rasping voice made Jack swing round with a gasp of surprise. "Daw is my -name." - -"Doctor Daw!" murmured Jack. The words were literally jerked out of -him by surprise. He regretted them instantly, but it was too late. The -amazing fact was that the man now standing in the doorway was actually -the man who had travelled with them in the train--the fellow who had -been so familiar with the bag-snatching Tiger on the station, and who -had completely ignored him afterwards. Jack recalled now that the man -had said that he was going to Deepwater. It was a somewhat startling -coincidence, and it was no wonder that he had been impelled to whisper -the name that Tiger had given the new history master. - -Slight as that whisper had been, it had not escaped the ears of Doctor -Daw, who gave a violent start and took a step forward. His mouth -opened, as if he were about to say something, but no words followed. -His eyes met Jack's in a troubled, questioning stare. He seemed to say, -"How much do you know? What have you got hold of?" And then, on the -verge of an outburst, he recovered himself. - -"I have a new study-mate for you," said he quietly, although his eyes -still glittered angrily. "A new boy to the college, and from New -Zealand, who will be in your form. Fane is his name--but no doubt he -will introduce himself." - -With that he ushered in the boy Fane, and let himself out. Only, before -he closed the door, he eyed Jack narrowly--and his glance seemed to -convey a threat, a warning. There was no mistaking the malignant nature -of the look. Jack felt chilled, he knew not why. Then, the door closed, -and Mr. Daw was gone. - -"Cheerful-looking chap," commented Billy. "How are you, Fane?" - -"Well, thanks," said Fane, who was a short and rather nervous-looking -boy. He came forward and shook hands all round. "Hope we get on well -together." - -"My sentiments exactly, comrade," said Septimus Patch. "I'm new myself, -but I'll sort of father you. What are your interests? Know anything -about Science? Or Socialism?" - -Fane smiled nervously. "Neither, I'm afraid. Where can I put my things?" - -"Here you are," said Billy. "What shall we call you?" - -"My first name's Swinnerton," he admitted. "Silly name, of course--call -me Swin, if you like." - -And while Billy and Patch were attempting to make the newcomer feel -at home, Jack was looking idly out of the window. He did not know the -connection between Doctor Daw and Tiger, but he felt vaguely that he -had made an enemy. - - - - - CHAPTER III - - THE BULLY-KILLER - - -Salmon's House, to which division of Deepwater College Jack Symonds -and his study-mates belonged, was famous for its exclusive set of -youngsters--a band who had clubbed together for their own advancement, -and the confusion of everybody else, and had named themselves the -Crees. It amounted in the long run to a sort of secret society; it had -its president, but no one outside its numbers knew who he was. It was -never known for certain who the members were, either; and that gave a -delightful uncertainty to everything connected with it. - -It so happened that both Jack and his friend Billy Faraday were -members. With the others, they were notified that on a certain -afternoon a special meeting would be held. They knew well enough the -object of the meeting. Dick Richard, the founder of the Crees, and the -society's first president, had left at the end of the previous term, -and there would be some hot contention for his position. - -"Do you mean to go for the job, Jack?" asked Billy, as they strolled -across the fields to the appointed spot--a secluded position in the -rear of a waste of scrub-land. - -"Why not? It'd give me a bit of a pull, and there's no end of fun to be -got out of it," returned Jack, in his practical manner. "I don't see -anyone to give me much of a run for it." - -"Except Cummles." - -"Except Cummy, of course. And he can't do anything but bluster and kick -up a dickens of a row. What sort of a time would we have under him?" - -"No sort of a time at all. The man's got no initiative." - -"No--but any amount of push and brute strength!" Jack laughed. - -When they arrived at Three Skull Hollow--an entirely fanciful name -bestowed upon it by the Crees--they discovered that most of the -Crees were already assembled, and the loud voice of Les Cummles was -dominating the assembly. - -"Of course," he was saying, "there's absolutely no question--I'm -putting in for the job, and if anyone else thinks he'd like it, let him -say so." He stared round with a somewhat truculent expression. "Here's -Symonds and Faraday--they'll bear me out in this, I know." - -It was a direct challenge. - -"Bear you out in what?" asked Symonds quietly. - -"Why, my filling Dick's place as president--you're agreeable, aren't -you?" - -"I don't know so much about that, I was thinking of taking it over -myself." - -"Hear, hear!" said an invisible Cree, behind Cummy's back. He wheeled -round and frowned upon the party. - -"Now, what are the laws of electing the president?" he asked. - -"Nominations first, and then a show of hands--that's all we've got to -do. It's quite simple." He took a seat and addressed the assembled -Crees. "I'm in the chair--any nominations for Chief Cree?" - -"I propose Les Cummles," said one of the bully's toadies, with -clockwork readiness. - -"Good--seconded? Thank you. Now, anybody else?" - -He looked round fiercely, as if defying anybody else to speak. But, -finally, it was shown that he could not carry off the bluff. Billy -Faraday spoke in his quiet voice. - -"Jack Symonds--my nomination," he said. - -"I second that," another Cree spoke quickly, and there was a murmur of -approval. - -"Anybody else?" Cummles's tone was distinctly nasty by now, and he -glared at Bill savagely. "No--well, we'll have a show of hands." - -This time he frowned round on the Crees with real anger. He was not -a bad general, and he thought that by this show of force he would -intimidate any wavering members, and make them feel that it was perhaps -better to vote for him and feel safe. - -The upraised hands for Cummles were counted slowly; there were -twenty-one. And then the Symonds vote was counted. - -"Twenty-one also," said the Cree deputed to tell the votes. - -"Dead heat!" - -"Wait a moment," said Cummles. "As chairman, I have right to a casting -vote, and I--" - -"Rot--it's a swindle!" - -"All right, Moore--I'll settle with you afterwards," said Cummles -wickedly. "I've every right to settle--" - -"You're a big bluff!" - -Feeling was certainly running very high. Lots of the fellows who -had timidly voted for Cummles now regretted their action. Moore was -an excitable little fellow, and Cummles's threats had roused him to -defiance. - -"Enough said. I--" - -"Yah! Who do we want?" - -"Symonds!" There was no mistaking the volume of the shout. - -"Casting vote--" roared Cummles. - -"Bluffer! Another counting! Another counting!" - -"--chairman's right--" - -"It's a swindle!" - -"--therefore declare that--" - -"Symonds, Chief Cree!" - -"--I am elected to the position--" - -A tremendous hullaboloo arose from the Cree meeting, and about a dozen -free fights between heated partisans were taking place. Upright on a -raised spot Cummles was endeavouring to state that, giving his casting -vote to himself, he was elected Chief Cree. Jack and Billy were more -like amused spectators, than anything else. The furious Crees were -not anxious to be ruled by the heavy hand of Cummles, but many sought -favour in his eyes by endeavouring to quell the insurgents. - -There is no saying what might not have followed, but for the fact that -a strange diversion had been preparing itself, and now burst upon -the meeting of the Crees with no sort of warning. There was not even -any preliminary noise; but even if there had been, the uproar in the -meeting would have sufficed to drown it. Something darkened the sky -with startling abruptness; then, there was an immense crackling and -crashing in the scrub near by. - -"Look out--coming over!" yelled a voice. - -Only one or two heard the cry; Cummles, who was raging like a bull, -certainly did not. So that, when some weighty object smashed into -his back and hurled him to the ground with violence, he was taken -completely by surprise. He was precipitated into the waistcoats of a -couple of fellow-Crees who were seated upon the ground. - -"Here--help!" shouted the assaulted ones, taking his action for one of -personal violence. "What have we--" - -"Ouch!" bellowed Cummles, struggling in vain to free himself from the -tangle of arms and legs into which he had been so rudely thrown. - -"Ha, ha, ha!" When the amazed Crees had collected their wits -sufficiently to be able to take in what was happening, the humour of -the situation was apparent. The object that had collided with Cummles -tugged and clung on to a rope--and at the other end of the rope was an -immense kite-like affair that flapped and ducked in the air twenty feet -above them. The plight of the astounded Cummles and the dangling and -racing legs was farcical in the extreme. - -"Help!" came the cry of the aviator. "Grab the rope--she's getting -away. Catch hold, quickly!" - -Several of the Crees flung themselves on the rope, and, hauling -manfully, brought the big kite to the ground. It was tugging with the -strength of several bulls, and it required all their strength to -bring it to earth. It was quite a big affair, of weird construction, -something along the lines of a box-kite, and Septimus Patch himself was -seated in a light saddle in the centre of it. - -"Patch!" exclaimed Jack Symonds in astonishment. - -"That same, comrade! I fear I startled you somewhat--eh? But the -machine would not behave." - -His assistant, the boy who had been swinging on the rope in an -endeavour to hold the kite down was discovered to be Fane, the shy New -Zealander. Evidently he and Patch had struck up a friendship. - -"Yes," he said, mopping his forehead, "I had my work cut out to keep -her down--I've been dragged over a mile and a half of scrub. The -blessed thing rises quicker than the price of eggs. Old Septimus nearly -had a wetting--didn't you, Patchie, old boy?" - -"It looked like it for quite a while," admitted the inventor modestly. -"I must allow that I'd forgotten to provide for coming down again, -once I'd got up. In the future, I'll have to have about twenty juniors -hanging on to the rope. Or I might remedy that before the next ascent." - -The Crees had gathered around the big kite, examining it with evident -curiosity. - -"I say," said one of them, "she must be pretty strong to lift you up -like that." - -"Well, she's not badly designed, comrade," said Patch, with lordly -condescension. "This is Flying Fox III. Numbers I and II, I regret to -state, would not fly. They absolutely refused. Why, I don't know. But -they--" - -He found himself gripped hard by the shoulder, and turned to front the -crimson face of Cummles, who, angered as he had been by the opposition -to his presidency, had been doubly enraged by his ignominious fall. His -dignity had been injured, and as he had a certain prestige among his -fellows, he wanted redress. - -"Look here," he said, shaking Patch's shoulder till the inventor's -horn-rimmed spectacles shivered on his nose. "Look here, what the -dickens do you mean by it?" - -"Mean by what?" - -"Why, barging into my back like that, and sending me flying? It was -your wretched kite thingummy, and like your cheek!" - -"My dear fellow," said Patch. - -"Dear fellow, nothing! It's an apology I want, you glass-eyed goat! -Down on your knees, too, and repeat what I say." - -"I'm sure it wouldn't be worth repeating," said Patch coldly. "Anyway, -there was no need to flare up like that over a simple accident. -Reflect, comrade, on the injustice you are doing to yourself, and--" - -"If you don't apologize the way I say," said Cummles inflexibly, "then -you're going to be put through it." - -"Meaning?" - -"Meaning you'll get bashed," said Cummles, who was obviously in a -dangerous mood. His dignity had been injured, and he meant to show -the Crees just how he could impose his will on others. It should make -an impression, he thought. "If you think you can play your silly fool -tricks on me, then you're making the mistake of your young life! See? -Now, what about that apology?" - -"No," murmured Patch, with a worried air. He had gone very white, for -the idea of a physical encounter hardly appealed to him. "You mean -you're going to fight me?" - -"I don't fight fools like you," said Cummles trenchantly, still bent on -showing the Crees what he was made of. "I don't fight them--I just whip -them. Apologize?" - -For answer, Patch gave one look round on the circle of still, watching -faces, and then sighed. Then, with a deliberate movement, he began to -take off his coat. A gasp went up, for Cummles was a big, bull-necked -sort of fellow, and a regular terror in a fight. Poor Patch, it seemed, -was in for a very torrid time; but the spectators were forced to -admire his courage. What sort of a chance would he have, though, with a -smashing hitter like Cummles? - -It was quite unfair, and Jack Symonds for one was dead against it. -Cummles would have to learn to control his temper; it was too bad that -Patch should get whipped for a pure accident. Just as Jack was on the -point of protesting--just as, indeed, he had stepped forward to check -the fight preparations, a new voice cut in before he could utter a word. - -"Wait a moment." It was Fane, the quiet New Zealander, and he looked -shyer than ever as he introduced himself, blushing, into the circle. - -"Well?" Cummles demanded, with the truculence of a dog interrupted in -worrying a bone. - -"Patch mustn't fight--can't fight," said Fane, still in that uneasy, -self-conscious manner. "You see--it wasn't his fault, really. I was the -one that actually barged into you, and so--" - -"Are you ready to take his place then?" demanded Cummles, with brutal -directness. - -"If necessary." - -The Crees were even more disturbed at this, for if Patch was a hopeless -opponent for the bully, Fane was even more so. He was half a head -shorter than the big fellow, and his appearance was altogether quiet -and inoffensive. He removed his coat and, with the air of a veteran, -rolled up his sleeves. - -"I'll see if I can't justify my title of bully-killer," he said, -without any appearance of boasting. "Will one of you give me a knee?" - -"But look here--" said Jack. - -"Where?" - -"It's all absurd. You don't know what you're up against. Cummles here -is a fighter--" - -"You wouldn't have me back down, would you?" - -"No; but--" - -"The fight will go on," said Fane simply. "I know how to take care of -myself. Cummles was anxious to pick a quarrel, and as Patch can't fight -for sour apples--" - -Patch was standing by, with a little criss-cross mark of puzzlement -showing between his eyes. - -"I ought really--" he began. - -The sardonic voice of the bully interrupted him. "When you fellows -have finished gassing to save time," he said, "I'll be ready to thrash -you. Both, if you like--it doesn't matter to me a bit. One after the -other--who's first? But hurry up." - -He had not troubled to remove his coat, anticipating an easy time with -Patch; but now he did so, and rolled up his sleeves, moved by something -in the bearing of the quiet boy before him. - -Without any further argument, without any courtesies of combat, he and -Fane flew at each other, and there was the sound of a collision and -heavy blows. For a moment the spectators looked on with dismay, fearing -that Fane would pay dearly for his temerity and get hopelessly smashed -about. But in a minute or two their apprehension changed to excitement, -and they set up a volley of cheering. - -Fane was a dark horse--everybody recognized that at a glance. He quite -obviously knew more than a little about boxing--and fighting, too. He -had a good stance, and hit long and straight, and with both hands, like -a professional. - -Cummles was vastly shocked when, at the end of the first furious rush, -he ran fairly upon a stiff left jab that split his lip instantly. Again -and again he strove to get past that propped-out fist, but try as he -would he could not get his head out of the way, and every time it was -as if he had jammed his face against a beam of wood. - -Then, too, Fane's right hand, with heavy body-swing behind it, followed -up the left like a piston and thudded upon every portion of Cummles's -anatomy in solid drives, until he began to feel acutely miserable, and, -stung to desperation like a tormented bear, he commenced to hit with -all his force, in wild swings that Fane dodged in good style. It was a -magnificent exhibition of pluck and skill of the first water, opposed -to brute force and doggedness. Fane seemed to be able to land hits at -will. A trickle of blood from the bully's split lip coursed down that -fellow's chin, and added nothing to his appearance. - -"Go on, the bully-killer!" - -The name had caught on, and the Crees yelled it in pure enjoyment, -for they had all suffered more or less at Cummles's hands, and they -appreciated to the full this repayment of his own medicine. - -"Look at him--he's blowing like a grampus!" - -Cummles was not in the best of training at this early stage of the -term, and he was feeling the disadvantages of his condition. He was -puffing badly and perspiring profusely. His movements slowed down and -he seemed tired. Fane could not hit hard enough to knock the bigger boy -over; but there was no doubt that he was cutting him about badly. - -"Hand it out," yelled the bully's enemies, eager for the downfall of -their tyrant. "You know, Fane!" - -The Crees went simply wild with delight, for Cummles was getting the -worst trouncing of his life. They cheered the New Zealander on with -loud cries of encouragement, although it would have been impossible to -have added to the sting and venom of his attack. - -"Go on, Fane!" - -"Give it to him--he's been looking for this for a long time!" - -The bully-killer, as he had called himself, propped off another of -Cummles's blind rushes, with stinging hits. - -"Had enough?" he gasped, lowering his hands momentarily. - -"No!" wheezed Cummles, lurching forward; and with a tremendous swing he -clouted his opponent on the side of the head, sending him flying head -over heels to the ground, where he lay outstretched. - - - - - CHAPTER IV - - THE BROKEN BOOTLACE - - -Cummles stood back from his antagonist, a twisted grin of triumph on -his face, and, in the tense silence that followed, the loud and fast -sound of his breathing could be distinctly heard. - -And then, all the horror of the Crees found voice, and they exclaimed -together: - -"Foul--it's a foul!" - -"Scrag the dirty fouler!" - -The ring pressed round about Cummles with angry cries, for the bully -had offended all rules of fair play by his action in striking Fane when -that youngster had lowered his hands. For a moment Cummles thought -that he was to be mobbed, and he drew back on the defensive; then Fane -slowly rose from the ground. - -"Stand back," said Fane, "this is my job--let me finish it!" - -With the words he again attacked the bully furiously. His blows were -hard and fast, but he did not lose his head. Grimly Cummles strove to -turn the tide, to repeat that one tremendous blow; but always Fane was -just a little too quick for him. - -Finally Cummles came to the end of his resources, and bitterly bitter -though the admission was to him, he had to grant that he was beaten. -Thoroughly exhausted, and much damaged by Fane's blows, he dropped his -hands. - -"Good enough," he mumbled through swollen lips. "I'm done--hold off." - -Then for the first time Fane smiled; and like a cloak, his old nervous -manner fell about him once more. - -"You'll shake hands?" he asked. "Yes?" - -Cummles shook the proffered hand grumpily, for he could not easily -forgive the fellow who had lowered his colours so decisively in the -presence of his fellow-Crees. Then, pulling on his coat, he left the -circle without another word, followed by two or three of his intimate -cronies, who even now would not desert him. - -"Well done, Fane," said Jack Symonds, patting the New Zealander on the -shoulder. "That's just what Cummles has been looking for for months. -Now, you fellows," he went on, turning to the Crees, who stood round -murmuring congratulations, "I propose that Fane here and his friend -Patch be made members of the society. For one thing, Fane is a jolly -useful member, and--" - -"Hear, hear!" they interrupted him. - -"And what about Symonds for Chief Cree?" demanded another of them in a -loud voice. - -The reply was a burst of cheering, and Jack was duly elected. Amid much -excitement, he was presented with the Eagle feather, the emblem of -office that the founder of the Crees had left behind him when he had -left Deepwater College. Jack put it in his pocket, and then turned to -the business of getting the two new Crees elected to the band. - -They were unanimously elected, and the four occupants of Study 9 that -evening were fast friends. Even Patch was allowed to hang one or two -more of his scientific diagrams on the walls, and to place his bottles -and apparatus along the top of his cupboard. - -In the middle of the night Fane awoke with a slight groan, and felt his -face with tender touch. His right cheek-bone, where Cummles had landed -a hit during their fight, was painful; the skin had been taken off, and -now the wound was a hot, throbbing graze that worried him. - -He turned over and over again, but found sleep impossible. The wound -was worrying him too much. - -"I've got some ointment," he murmured, "and that might cool it off a -bit. But the stuff's down in the study, worse luck." - -He bore the pain in silence for a few minutes longer, and then -determined to go down to the study for the ointment. Silently he got -out of bed, and left the sleeping dormitory behind him. The great -corridors were cold and deserted, but, hurrying downstairs in his bare -feet, he quickly arrived at Study 9. Then he threw open the door. - -"Jiminy!" he gasped, involuntarily. - -The study was in darkness but for a flood of light that streamed in a -definite band from the end of what was evidently an electric torch. And -the cupboards were open, and their contents partly emptied on the floor. - -"What--who are you?" he demanded, as the glow of the torch fell upon -a big figure in a pulled-down cap and a scarf that hid the lower part -of the face. The bright eyes above the scarf challenged his, and for a -moment they stood face to face, both held immovable in surprise. Fane -realized at once that the man he had surprised was a burglar. - -He flung himself without the slightest warning upon the intruder. No -fellow at Deepwater College ever had more lion-like courage than Fane. -The man bulked much bigger than himself, but the bully-killer sprang -forward with all the vim of an attacking bulldog. - -Swift and unexpected as was his move, the burglar was a fraction -swifter. The torch went out silently, and it was as if a velvet curtain -had fallen before Fane's eyes. The man must have twisted aside with -lightning celerity, for Fane could not touch him. For a moment there -was silence, each listening for the other. Then a large black shape -blotted out the pale square of the window, and the boy realized that -the burglar was escaping. - -He ran forward, but fell over some invisible object on the floor. When -he had picked himself up, he heard the thud of the intruder's feet -alighting on the garden-beds outside, and the quick following sound of -rapid footsteps. The man had got away! - -Fane knew that pursuit was out of the question. He had no hope of -following with success; and he wondered now whether the next step would -be to inform the masters of what had occurred. On second thoughts he -determined to consult with his pals, and returning to the dormitory he -awoke Jack and Patch, and together they went to the bed where Billy -Faraday lay asleep. - -"Billy!" said Jack, shaking his chum by the shoulder. - -"Look out--the Black Star!" said Billy. "The Black Star--take care of -it!" - -"What on earth?" said Jack. "The beggar's talking in his sleep. Black -star? What does he mean?" He shook the sleeping Billy again. "Here, you -old sleeping beauty, arise! Come up!" - -"Hullo!" There was surprise and alarm in Billy's tone. "What--? Oh, I -remember--I've been dreaming. I thought you were--" - -He stopped and rubbed his eyes. "What's the matter, anyway?" - -"Come out here, old chap." - -When they got out in the corridor, Jack Symonds explained. "Fane here -was going down for a rub of ointment for his eye, and when he got in -the study there was a burglar. Here, where are you going?" - -Billy Faraday did not answer. He had gasped with alarm at Jack's words, -and set off at a rapid pace down the corridor. The others followed -him at a run, and when they entered the study found him on his knees -in front of his cupboard examining a small black cash-box, which he -clicked open, peered inside, and then, with a sigh of relief, closed it -again. - -"Nothing gone?" demanded Jack. "Not even the Black Star?" - -"Black star!" Billy whispered, looking at Jack as if he had seen a -ghost. "What--what do you know about--" - -"It's all right, Billy--only a joke of mine." - -"But--a joke?" - -"Yes. When we went to wake you up just now you were having a nightmare, -or something, and you were jabbering about a black star. Something -about taking care of it." - -Billy was silent. Then he turned to his study-mates earnestly. "See -here, you fellows," he said quietly, "we're all pals now, and I think -we can keep a secret together. You heard me talking in my sleep about -the Black Star, and perhaps you thought that it was only a nightmare, -or something I'd read in a book. It isn't. It's something real--there -_is_ a Black Star, and here it is." - -He opened the cash-box, and held out a small bundle wrapped in -tissue-paper. Jack removed the wrappings, and held the object so -revealed in the palm of his hand. There were exclamations of surprise -from all three. - -"By Jove!" said Patch in admiration. - -In Jack's hand lay a black stone as big as the top of a tea-cup. It -was beautifully smooth, polished to the last degree, and had a sort of -opalescent fire that made it wonderfully beautiful in the lamp-light. -It was shaped as a six-cornered star, and as the light played on it it -seemed veritably alive, almost appearing to wriggle in Jack's palm. - -"That's the Black Star," said Billy Faraday. - -"And that," said Septimus Patch thoughtfully, "is, I suppose, what the -burglar was after. Am I right?" - -"Perfectly right. Only that Fane here arrived in time to interrupt his -search, the fellow must have collared the Black Star." - -"But the Black Star--what is it?" asked Fane. "Something very valuable? -Why should the fellow be so anxious to get it?" - -"And that's another thing," put in Jack Symonds excitedly. "When that -man on the train tried to collar your bag, was he after the Black Star?" - -Billy frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know that," he replied. "Perhaps -he knew what was in my bag--or perhaps he was just a casual thief. -Anyway, I made sure of getting the thing back, didn't I?" - -"You did! You couldn't have run faster from a man-eating lion. Still, -old chap, what is the giddy mystery about this Black Star? There's more -in it than meets the eye." - -"I was just coming to that. It's rather a long story, but I'll cut it -as short as I can. You know, my father, who just died, was a great -naturalist, and he was deeply interested in Central Australia. He had -made a special study of the natural history of those parts, and was -considered the expert on all matters belonging to them. - -"On one of his trips into the interior he discovered a little-known -tribe of blacks. It seems that these niggers were of quite a superior -brand, and they had a sort of civilization of their own, quite -different from the low-down natives that travellers run across. They -keep much to themselves, and it was only by the purest accident that -the pater ran into them. - -"He stayed with them for a long time. There were plenty of things to -be inquired into, and with their assistance he added to his scientific -knowledge. For their part, they got to like him very much; in fact, -they wanted him to stay with them and be their chief. They even went -so far as giving him the sacred emblem of the tribe, which is, of -course, this Black Star. The possessor of this Star is all-powerful -among the natives of the Boonadilla tribe. He can have his slightest -wishes obeyed, and they handed my father a very great compliment when -they gave him this. Of course, he accepted it, and brought it back to -Melbourne with him, but he had no intention of going back and lording -it over the tribe. All that he intended doing was to show it round -among his scientific friends, partly as proof that the Boonadilla tribe -existed. That was all that was in his head at the time; and he meant -to send it back, or take it back himself on his next trip into the -interior. - -"But, as you know, there was to be no 'next trip.' The pater died, -but before he went he told me certain things about the Black Star. It -seems that one of his men on the trip got to know about it, and, being -a cunning sort of fellow, got the idea of taking the Star and getting -back to the Boonadilla people with it. The reason was, of course, that -he was going to get something out of it; and my pater told me that the -tribe had lots of alluvial gold that they'd collected around the spot -where they lived. They'd no idea of the value of the gold, and a clever -man would be able to influence them with the Black Star, so that it -would not be difficult to get away with the metal. - -"This man Lazare--some sort of a foreigner, I believe--had been at the -pater for a loan of the Black Star; but the pater knew too much of him -for that. He knew that if he lent it to Lazare, the probability was -that he would not see the thing again. So he refused. He told me that -I was to be careful not to let Lazare get hold of it, for he handed it -over to my keeping just before he--died. His instructions were that I -should take it to his old friend Mason, the geologist, who lives in -Sydney. - -"Before I left Melbourne to come back to school I wrote to Mason, but -I got an answer back to say that he was away on a trip, and would not -be back for four or five months. What was I to do? The only thing was -to take it back to school with me. This I decided to do; and I also -brought back a revolver of the pater's, which came in very handy, -as Jack can tell you. You don't want to let a word of this out, for -there'd be no end of a row if I was found out. Before I left, Lazare -himself came to see me, and asked me directly for the Black Star. He -said that there had been an understanding between the pater and himself -that he should take it back to the tribe. He was plausible, too, I -can tell you. Only that I'd been warned against the fellow, I'd have -fallen for his game like a shot. As it was, he didn't get it, and I -believe that he's been watching me like a cat watching a mouse ever -since I refused. Mind, he didn't threaten anything--he's too clever for -that. He was very polite, and said that it was a pity that I was so -obstinate, and that he would not worry any more about it. He remarked -that he had been merely carrying out the pater's orders, and that, -since I opposed him, he considered himself free of any obligation. He -said good-bye, and went away--implying that I was a silly young fool, -of course. Now, I'm pretty certain that this was Lazare here this -evening. He must have watched me closely, and possibly that was one of -his men who snatched my bag on the train." - -"By Jingo!" said Jack Symonds, "but we're going to have a lively term -this time or I'm a Dutchman! What?" - -"Comrade," said Patch, in his grand manner, extending his hand, "I -appreciate your confidence in me--believe me, I shall do all that I can -to help. You have heard, no doubt, that I am by way of being an amateur -detective? No? You surprise me. I want everything left here just as it -is. I may be able to find out something of the identity of the burglar. -This is no joke. Wait until the morning and then I'll get to work." - -"Well," said Fane practically, "we can't do anything by waiting -here--besides, there's a chance that we'll be caught out of our dormy. -Are you going to report the affair to the Head?" - -"I think not. I don't want to have to explain everything, and, besides, -no harm's been done. I'll take the Star up with me--I'll put it under -my pillow for to-night. I had no idea that the attempt would be made so -soon--else I wouldn't have left it in the cupboard. You never know your -luck." - -As they went back to the dormitory Fane and Septimus Patch could be -heard planning to get down to the study early in the morning--before -call-bell--and to make an investigation. Jack smiled, for he thought -that the amateur detective was a bit of a joke. - -"It's a biscuit to a fiver that you'll both be fast asleep when -call-bell goes," he observed, with a yawn. "I'm feeling that way -myself." - -However, when morning came and Jack Symonds and Billy Faraday awoke, -they found that the two beds occupied by Fane and Patch were empty. - -"Here, Billy," said Jack, "we've time to run down before call-over and -see what that beggar Patch's found out." - -"Right!" The two of them hurried downstairs, and discovered Patch and -Fane busily examining the turf outside the window of Study 9. Patch, -with excited eyes, was pointing out various things on the ground; as -the two pals came along he glanced smilingly up. - -"Hullo!" said Billy. "Looking for the early worm?" - -"Found it," said Patch confidently. - -"What do you mean?" - -"I've found that the burglar is really somebody belonging to the -school!" - -"Get out! How do you know that?" - -"Deduction," said Patch. "The clue of the broken bootlace." - -"Broken bootlace," repeated Billy Faraday in bewilderment. "What on -earth do you mean by that?" - -"I refer to a clue, comrade--and a valuable one at that. It means just -this. You see these two footprints here, just where the burglar landed -out of the window? And those further along, which are also his, for a -certainty?" - -"Yes--go on." - -"Well, I--hang it, there goes the second bell, and we'll have to scoot. -I'll explain it all after morning-school." - -And with that promise the mystified pals had to be content. Had Patch -actually found out something worth while, or was the whole thing merely -a false alarm? - - - - - CHAPTER V - - UNRAVELLING A CLUE - - -Mr. Salmon, who was the house-master over that section of Deepwater -College in which the chums led a more or less care-free existence, was -the best of good sorts, but hopeless as a disciplinarian. To begin -with, he was partly deaf, and disrespectful juniors took advantage of -the weakness in season and out of season. His own form, the sixth, to -which all four of the Study 9 boys belonged, also contrived to have -an easy time of it while he was in charge. So that if he observed a -certain uneasiness on the part of the sharers of the Black Star secret, -he might have ascribed it to post-holiday skittishness--at any rate, he -said nothing about it, and the four of them hastened into conference -immediately studies were over, and lent ear to the wise sayings of the -eccentric genius, Septimus Patch. - -"To begin with," said Patch, in his best Dear-Watson manner, "there's -precious little beyond these footprints, in the shape of clues, but to -a trained eye like mine those slight, almost meaningless marks have a -story to tell. They are to me as an open book, and--" - -"Cut out the cackle," said Jack Symonds brusquely, "and return to the -washing. Get on with it." - -"Examine this footprint closely," invited Patch, "and tell me what you -see." - -"A footprint, of course," said Jack. "In other words, a depression -in the earth, caused by the yielding of the soil under a boot, which -causes it to assume the shape--" - -"Ass!" said Septimus cuttingly. "I mean, do you observe anything -peculiar about it?" - -"No. Why?" - -"You see that snake-like mark across the place where the sole has -rested?" - -"We're not blind, professor. What of it?" - -"Well, that's where the bootlace was stamped into the earth under -the foot. You see that! Now, that means that the fellow had his boot -unlaced." - -"Marvellous!" exclaimed Jack. "How do you do it?" he added, peering -anxiously at Patch. "Are you quite sure that you have come to no harm? -The severe mental effort--" - -"Cut the joking a moment. The man's boots were unlaced. What was the -reason for that? Is it likely that a man who was planning a burglary -would come in with unlaced boots? The thing is absurd. There are no -houses within miles of this place, and if the fellow had been hiding -in the bush, he would scarcely have had his boots unlaced. No; the -deduction from that lace is that the chap belonged to the school." - -"Yes, that sounds pretty right. You mean, he put on his boots to give -the impression that he'd come from outside, but as he'd just slipped -them on, he didn't lace them up, meaning to take them off again shortly -afterwards." - -"That's just it, comrade. Also, he was probably carrying them in his -hand and getting around the corridors in stockinged feet. I think we've -just about narrowed the search down to the school." - -"Yes;" broke in Billy Faraday, who had been listening to the discussion -with deep interest, "that's all right, but it's absurd to imagine that -anyone from the Coll. had a hand in this affair. Fane says that the -chap was a big fellow--" - -"There wasn't much light," said Fane, "and I didn't see him for more -than half a minute. All the same, he looked big. There was a scarf over -the bottom of his face, of course, so I couldn't tell him that way." - -"We've got no chance of finding out who he is, then," said Billy. "Even -if it was one of the chaps, which is hard to believe. I had an idea -that it was the bag-snatcher in the train, but he was quite short." - -"Wait just a minute," interrupted Patch. "You want to hear all the -detective's got to say, and then you can back-chat each other all day -if you want to. I say we can find out who that chap was, and merely by -this footprint again." - -"Spit it out," invited Jack. - -"Well, you can see the mark of the metal tag of that lace, can't you? -And you will observe that it's broken in half. The jagged edge has left -an unmistakable impression--see it? Just a minute." - -He bent down, took a knife from his pocket, and detached a tiny square -of the mud with the impression of the broken tag in it. This he held -in the palm of his hand, and continued. "All we've got to do now is -to find who owns the pair of boots that'd make an impression like -this. There can't be any mistake, and it shouldn't take us long to run -through all the boots in the school." - -"When?" - -"To-night, when they're downstairs for cleaning. They are brought back -by the boy about half-past five--if we get down to-night we'd be able -to examine them safely." - -"Good on you," said Jack, slapping Septimus on the back with -heartiness. "I didn't think you could do it, but it's a good notion all -the same. By George, we ought to be able to find out who it is!" - -"But--who could it be?" asked Billy, a furrow of puzzlement showing -itself on his forehead. "That's what gets me! I can't imagine--" - -"The bootlace will show--don't worry," said Septimus. "We can't do -anything until we find that." - -The four of them were wondering, as they sat in class that afternoon, -who the intruder could be, and they looked at their class-mates with -suspicious eyes. Big Martin, on account of his size, came in for -furtive glances, but it was manifestly absurd that he could have been -the culprit. - -At this early stage of the term, nobody felt much like work, -particularly Septimus Patch, who always contrived to be doing as much -of his own private business as possible, and never paid much attention -to the lesson in hand. Just at this moment he had arranged a big -barrier of books all along the front of his desk, and, concealed behind -the screen, he was tinkering with a weir-looking model of many springs, -screws, and cogwheels. - -Consequently he did not notice that the boy in front of him had -been surreptitiously unlacing his boots. His first intimation that -something was amiss was when he felt a sharp tug at his feet, and -both his boots came off. He gasped with horror, and, peering over his -barricade, observed that his two boots were travelling the round of -the class, in different directions. His loud socks, of purplish and -yellow colour-scheme, brought a snigger from the class. He wriggled, -protesting. - -"Patch!" It was the voice of Mr. Salmon, who was all unconscious of the -diversion, but who saw Patch's movement. "Are you paying attention?" - -"Yes, sir," mumbled Patch, reddening, and glaring, through his great -horn-rimmed glasses, at his companions. "Back here with the giddy old -boots, you asses!" he whispered, in a furious aside. - -"Well, then," said Mr. Salmon, arranging his spectacles so that he -could get a good view of the boy, "we were talking about Charles XII. -Patch, tell me why he was unsuccessful against Peter in this campaign." - -"You said, sir?" replied Patch. - -"Why was he unsuccessful?" - -"Ah, why?" said Patch, innocently. - -"I don't believe you've been paying any attention whatever." The master -ran round the class with a rapid cross-fire of questions, but the -answers were unsatisfactory. He frowned, and coughed. "Here, Patch, you -come out and read the account aloud," he commanded. - -"Here, back with those boots," said Patch, frantically. But the boots -had arrived at the other end of the room, and seemed likely to remain -there. - -"Do you hear me, boy?" demanded Mr. Salmon. "Come out at once. I never -saw such indolence!" - -With a groan Patch got up, and, amid the chuckles of the class, stepped -forward to the dais where Mr. Salmon stood. But he had barely set foot -on the stage, when he began a series of extraordinary antics. - -"Ouch!" he howled, leaping four feet in the air, and bouncing with a -thud. He danced about the dais on one foot, upsetting globes and maps, -and tipping over one of the front desks upon its unfortunate occupant. -"Take it out--take it out!" - -"Ha, ha, ha!" roared the class, both at the wild leaps of Patch and the -astounded horror of Mr. Salmon. - -"Boy, boy!" cried the latter, "have you gone mad? Stop this at -once--stop it, I say! Really I--!" - -"Yow! It's sticking into me--quick! My foot--it's sharp!" - -"His foot's sharp?" queried Mr. Salmon. "Patch--calm yourself, my poor -fellow," he went on, imagining that, if Patch had really gone off his -head, it would be safer to keep him calm. - -"You are quite all right--you really are. Just keep calm, and the -effects will--" - -"Ha, ha, ha!" The class was convulsed, and rocked with merriment as -Septimus Patch was seen to sit down on the floor and painfully extract -a drawing-tack from his stockinged foot. The tack had been lying -harmlessly on the dais, and Patch had planted his foot fairly upon it. -Mr. Salmon adjusted his spectacles, and took in the amazing sight. The -vivid colours of Patch's hose met his eye, and he gasped. - -"Boy! What do you mean by this? Where are your boots?" - -"Ah, where?" said Patch dreamily. - -Mr. Salmon coloured deeply. "You are insolent--you will be punished," -he affirmed. "Explain at once. Where have you put your boots?" - -Squinting over the tops of his goggles, Patch descried his boots in -place underneath his desk, standing demurely side by side as if nothing -had ever been amiss with them. - -"You will forgive me, comrade," he said, in his most buttery tones, -"but I had to take them off. My feet got very hot." - -"Your feet got hot?" - -"Yes--just a physical weakness of mine. Whenever it occurs I simply -have to take my boots off. I can't bear them." - -"So you are hot-footed as well as hot-headed!" said Mr. Salmon. - -The class simply roared. They kicked their feet, and rattled rulers -on the desk. They always made a stupendous row whenever Mr. Salmon -cracked one of his very mild jokes, and the genial house-master was so -very deaf that the din came to his ears in the form of a loud titter, -which had always pleased him greatly. The noise they made now could be -heard a couple of corridors away, but Mr. Salmon nodded and smiled, -satisfied with the reception of his sally. - -"Go back to your seat, boy," he said, restored to good humour once -more. "If your feet feel warm, it is doubtless because you wear such -very hot socks." - -At this remark there was a repetition of the hideous row; and Patch -strolled back to his seat and his model-making without the slightest -concern. - -After "lights-out" that night the four pals got out of their dormitory, -and in slippers made their way down to the boot-room, where they -tumbled around among boots and blacking and brushes, before Patch -applied a light to a fragment of candle that shed a flickering -illumination over the rows of neatly cleaned boots. - -"Now for it," said Billy Faraday, and without any more ado they set to -work to examine the great stack of boots. It was fully half an hour -before they had run through the pile, and then they had drawn a blank. - -"It's no go," said Jack Symonds. "How now, professor?" - -"The other House," said Patch calmly. - -"What--Cooper's?" - -"Of course," said Septimus. "Forward, comrades all!" - -They crossed the quadrangle and the playing-fields to the other house -of Deepwater College--Cooper's House. - -"You were here last term, of course," said Jack Symonds to Patch. "You -know your way about?" - -"Rather, comrade; like the palm of my hand. Give us a leg up through -this window." - -Jack obliged him with a shove that nearly sent the investigator on -to his head in the passageway beyond. In a little while the four had -gained the boot-room, and there a much more cautious examination took -place--more cautious because, if Cooper's masters or boys discovered -them by any chance, then things would go hard with the intruders. - -Inside of an hour the detectives had satisfied themselves that the -boots had not been worn by any of the boys of Deepwater College. - -"You've drawn another blank, Patchy," said Billy Faraday. "How do you -account for this?" - -"Account for it?" asked Patch, in wonderment. "What do you mean? This -only brings us closer to our solution, as the great Holmes said--" - -"Which Holmes? Oliver Wendell?" inquired Jack, with an air of acute -interest. - -"Sherlock Holmes, of course," returned Patch, with scorn. "I forgot -that you are unfamiliar with the classics. Well, he laid it down as an -axiom, once, that when you have disproved all but one of a number of -solutions, that solution must be the correct one, no matter how absurd -it seems." - -"I get you. But how does it apply?" - -"Why, if it wasn't one of the boys here, it must have been one of the -masters that made the footprint." - -"But what master would come at that game?" asked Billy incredulously. -"Think it was old Salmon?" - -"By the Great Moa!" exclaimed Jack in a loud tone, which called rebukes -from his companions. - -"Cut the shindy," advised Patch tersely, "or you'll have the whole -House down on us. What's stung you?" - -"Doctor Daw!" whispered Jack. "What about him?" - -"Is he in his right mind?" asked Patch anxiously. "And who may Doctor -Daw be? I've heard of his daughter, Marjory, but that was in my -nursery-rhyme days. Expound." - -In low tones, and as briefly as possible, Jack explained the strange -connection which he suspected between Doctor Daw, the new master, and -Tiger, the man who had run off with Billy's bag. - -"What could be more likely," he said, "but that the two are in league -with one another, and associates of old Lazare what's-his-name? Why -didn't I think of it before?" - -"This is important," said Patch, seriously. "Daw is a big man, and it -might well have been him. Now, the only thing to do is to compare his -bootlaces with that impression we've got. And how are we to do that?" - -"Sneak up into his room and take a look at them," said Jack. - -"Who's going, though? Four of us can't do it." - -"Draw lots, then. Here, wait a minute till I collect some pieces of -grass." - -Outside, in the shadow of the school buildings, they drew for the -honour of investigating the room of Mr. Daw, and the shortest straw -fell to the lot of Jack. - -"You can go up now," said Fane, suddenly. "I remember that Daw went out -this evening, and he hasn't come back yet, for he'd have to pass the -boot-room to do so. If you're slippy you can get up there, examine the -boots and get away again in about a minute." - -"I'll do it," said Jack, as they came through once more to the -corridors of Salmon's House. He rubbed his chin with his forefinger. -"Let me see," he asked, "isn't there an electric torch of yours in the -study?" - -"Of mine?" said Billy doubtfully. "We'll see." They proceeded to the -study, and there Billy unearthed an old, but still serviceable, torch. -Armed with this, Jack went upstairs to the upper floor, where the -masters' rooms were. - -"Tit for tat," he murmured, turning the handle of Daw's door and -opening it quietly. He let himself inside, and closed the door -noiselessly. For half a minute he stood still, to assure himself -that Doctor Daw had not returned, and then, flashing his torch, made -a hurried search for the master's boots. He found a few pairs, all -showing signs of recent use, but none with the distinctive tag. - -"Ten to one he's wearing them," murmured Jack. At that moment his heart -beat furiously. Steps were coming along the corridor, and they stopped -outside the door. For a second he was paralysed; then he acted swiftly. -He had barely time to roll under the bed before Doctor Daw himself -entered the room--and with him his strange friend Tiger! - - - - - CHAPTER VI - - JACK IS ENLIGHTENED - - -Jack Symonds had barely time to make certain that his hurried dive -under the bed had not been observed, when Doctor Daw and Tiger were -well within the room. - -"A bit late for a call," said Daw grimly, "but there's no one to -notice, luckily. Different last night, though." - -"How so?" said Tiger. There came the sound of a match being struck, and -Jack could presently smell the distinctive odour of tobacco. "How do -you make that out?" - -"Why, I had a cut for the Star," said Daw quickly. "And do you know -what happened? I'd searched through about half the cupboards down there -in the study where he's pretty sure to have it thus early. All at once, -the door opened, and in walks one of the kids--" - -"Not young Faraday?" - -"No; a new chap from New Zealand; and instead of being scared, he -jumped at me like a terrier on a rat. I got away, but only just. I tell -you, Tiger, I--" - -"See here," interrupted the other, "don't call me that name. It--well, -you never know who might hear it, and--anyway, my name's Humbolt. Well, -how did you get on with this kid? Scared you some, I'll bet!" - -"I won't say he didn't," confessed Daw. "The lucky thing was, I had a -scarf over my face, and he can't say who did it. Probably thinks it was -some outsider. But the Star won't be in that study now, you can gamble -on that. I've one of the kids a bit under my thumb, through knowing him -down in Victoria, and he's keeping a fairly close watch on what this -Faraday does, and where he goes, and all that sort of thing." - -Jack, beneath the bed, opened his eyes wide at this piece of news, and -wondered who the boy could be. Nobody, he decided, in his immediate -circle; but the fact that the youngster came from Victoria was a clue -that would perhaps come in handy. - -"I'll put Patch on to that," he thought, and gave himself over to -listening to what the two plotters were saying. - -"Ah, well," Humbolt was heard to murmur, with a sigh of relief, "I'm -real glad you didn't give away the box of tricks last night. We'd have -been pretty well diddled if they suspected that you--you know." - -"That's safe enough," said Doctor Daw confidently; and Jack felt like -chuckling at the thought that Daw was quite mistaken. - -"You didn't reckon on Patch being a 'tec," he murmured, smiling to -himself. - -"I guess it's lucky that I met you," said Daw suddenly. "Do you know, -I never liked playing a lone hand, and with you close by I feel a lot -safer. And Lazare's the man to pay well, believe me, if only we can -collar that Star. Hang me, it ought to be simple enough! Don't forget -those instructions for Friday night, will you?" - -"Trust me, Doc. And now, what about those goods--and the money?" - -"They're in my leather handbag, somewhere." Doctor Daw stifled an -immense yawn. "I'm feeling like sleep--you wouldn't credit how it -knocks you up trying to teach these blockheads here." - -"Of course, you always were a good teacher," sneered Humbolt. - -"I used to be, once," returned Doctor Daw. - -"Until you carelessly stole that money and left clues that a blind man -could follow, and, of course, got what you were looking for. Twelve -months, wasn't it--or was it two years? I've forgotten." - -"You'd better forget the whole lot," answered Daw, with a threatening -note in his voice. "You leave my past history alone, and I won't rake -up yours. That stands, doesn't it? After this business I'm going -straight." - -"Straight?" Humbolt laughed. "Never in your life, Doctor. You got in -here on forged references, and do you mean to say--" - -"That I'm going to stay here? Certainly. Supposing we get the Star--no -suspicion attaches to me. I'll just stay on; there'll be no question as -to my honesty." - -"Oh, won't there?" thought Jack. "Just you wait and see, that's all. -There'll be quite a lot of question, if I know anything!" - -"Well, don't let me keep you up any longer," said Humbolt in his usual -cynical tone. "Where's this handbag?" - -"Somewhere about. Have a look, will you? Probably under the bed, or -somewhere. Never can remember where I put my things!" - -Jack felt his blood run cold at the words. Under the bed! He glanced -about him, and saw that the handbag was certainly not there. All -the same, if they were to look, the fat would be in the fire with a -vengeance! What the two would do to one who had obviously overheard -their very compromising conversation, Jack did not dare to imagine. -He wriggled back against the wall, praying that he would not be seen; -but he realized that the chances of escaping notice were very slender -indeed. For what seemed an age he heard the two of them walking about, -and heard the noise of furniture moved; and still they did not come -near the bed. - -What if they knew, and were merely making a mockery of his suspense and -dread? The thought was a disconcerting one. Jack felt like scrambling -from under the bed, and facing them, consequences or no consequences. -He felt certain that they had seen him, had heard him--knew in some -way, and were just tormenting him. Just at the moment when the strain -seemed too great to be borne, a leg appeared at the side of the bed, -and the counterpane was lifted. In another second the person would -stoop and peer under the bed. With bulging eyes, Jack Symonds awaited -his exposure. - -"It's all right--I've got it." It was Doctor Daw's voice, from across -the room, and Humbolt let fall the counterpane once more. Jack almost -fainted with relief. - -Shortly afterwards, to his joy, both left the room, Daw intimating -that he would see his companion safely off the premises; and Jack -crawled out of his hiding-place, feeling stiff and cramped, but glad -indeed that he had been permitted to take a glance at the plot that was -preparing itself against his chum. - -He hurried through the dark corridors, and slipped into the dormitory -without being noticed by the monitor in charge. His pals were all -eagerness to be told what had happened to him; but he was in no mood -for explanations. - -"I'll tell you in the morning," he said. "I'm jolly sleepy." - -And that was all that they could get out of him. The next morning, -however, he had a lot to say, and especially to Billy Faraday. - -"Look here, Billy," he said, "you really must take care of that Star, -because Lazare and these others have some scheme going for Friday -night. What it was, or what was proposed, I've got no idea; but Daw -told the other chap to be ready, or words to that effect. Can't we hide -the thing somewhere?" - -"Yes, but where?" - -"And there's another thing, too. Daw mentioned a kid--one of the -fellows here--that's under his thumb, and who's going to keep an eye on -what we do." - -"Jingo!" said Billy. "The dickens he is! Wonder who it is?" - -"Here's Patch, and perhaps he can find out for us. How are you, my -giddy old sleuth-hound? I may as well tell you that you scored a bull -with that bootlace clue." - -"Comrades, I'm delighted. You compared the laces?" - -"No. You see, Daw had the boots on. But I heard all about it, and I -don't doubt that your clue would have worked out to the last bend in -the tag on the lace. There's something else, though--" And Jack told -him the strange conversation that he had overheard, particularly with -reference to the spy that Daw controlled among the ranks of the college -boys. - -"Interesting, comrade, deeply interesting," said the schoolboy -detective, rubbing his chin in the approved Sherlock Holmes manner. -"It seems to me that the field is not too large, either. I mean, the -boy must be in this house to keep any sort of watch over Faraday here, -and as he comes from Victoria, that narrows the field still further. -You twig? There are only a limited number of chaps in Salmon's House -hailing from Victoria. And we can whittle them down one by one. I'll -get a list of them, and we'll eliminate those above suspicion. That -will leave under a dozen, I should say, to be watched." - -"Patch, you old genius!" Jack Symonds smote him heartily between the -shoulders, and the old genius was projected into the fireplace, whence -he recovered himself with injured dignity. - -"It's only attention to detail, that's all," murmured Septimus -deprecatingly. "I picked that up from Dupin--" - -"From whom?" demanded Jack. - -"Dupin--that's Edgar Allan Poe's detective, and a real snorting -detective at that. Ever read any of it?" - -"Dunno. Didn't old Edgar write somethin' about the Bells--Bells--Bells, -yells, shells, or some rot like that? My giddy sister recites some -yards of rubbish to that effect." - -"That's the fellow. Any rate, he wrote 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue.'" - -"Gur-r-r!" said Jack, frowning heavily. "Sort of sequel to 'The -Bloodstained Putty-knife, or the Bricklayer's Revenge.'" - -Septimus smiled as one who indulges the caprices of a child. "Comrade, -you will never make a detective," he said. "I've got the book here, -with the yarns in it, if you'd care to read them. Meanwhile--" - -"Look here," interrupted Billy Faraday, a shade impatiently. "There's -not much time before morning-school, and I'd like to hide the Star -before we go any further. Of course, I might stick it in the pouch of -my belt and carry it about with me, but don't you think that's just -the scheme that'd strike Lazare and his crowd as being most natural. I -might be knocked down and searched; anything might happen." - -"One of the boards in this floor is loose," said Jack thoughtfully. -"How would it be to prise it up and drop the Star down there? We could -replace the carpet, and nobody would be any the wiser." - -But Septimus Patch had what he considered a better idea. "We were just -now talking," he observed, "of Dupin, the first scientific detective -in fiction. There is a story about him, called 'The Purloined Letter.' -The strength of it is that a fellow is known to have a letter which he -has stolen, but it baffles the detectives to find it. They go all over -his room, rip up the boards, sound the cabinets for secret drawers, -take accurate measurements of the tables, probe everything, but the -merry old letter is still missing, although they know for a fact that -it's somewhere about the fellow's house. They call old Dupin in, and he -finds it right away." - -"How?" - -"By using his brains, comrade; by simple reasoning. Here, hand me that -book of Poe's, and I'll read some of his reasoning." - -A day or two before, Jack and Billy would have laughed at Patch's -request, and refused his help; but they had to admit that he had used -his brains in regard to the footprint clue, and they were willing to -give him a chance to safeguard the Black Star on the strength of that -first triumph. - -"Here you are," said Billy a little sceptically, throwing over the -desired volume. "Show us what you can do." - -Patch whipped over the pages with accustomed fingers, and began to -read. "Says Dupin, 'There is a game of puzzles which is played upon a -map. One party playing requires another to find a given word--the name -of a town, river, State, or empire--any word, in short, upon the motley -and perplexed surface of the chart. A novice in the game generally -seeks to embarrass his opponents by giving them the most minutely -lettered names; but the adept selects such words as stretch, in large -characters, from one end of the chart to the other. These escape -observation by dint of being excessively obvious." - -"That's all right," agreed Jack. "I've noticed that myself. But what -happened?" - -"That's the whole point of the yarn," returned Patch. "Dupin came to -the conclusion that the thief had not concealed the letter at all. He -pratted along to the chap's house, and saw that he had several cards in -a letter-rack, and a solitary letter. The appearance of the letter was -quite different to the missing one. But Dupin says, 'In scrutinizing -the edges of the paper I observed them to be more chafed than -necessary. They presented the broken appearance which is manifested -when a stiff paper, having been folded and pressed with a folder, is -refolded in a reversed direction, in the same creases or edges which -had formed the original fold. This discovery was sufficient. It was -clear to me that the letter had been turned, as a glove, inside out, -re-directed and re-sealed.' Well, after that," pursued Patch, shutting -the book, "he came next day with another letter done up in the same -way. He got a fellow to fire off a pistol and raise a shindy in the -street below, and while the thief was looking to see what was up he got -the stolen letter and put his own in its place. In the letter he'd put -a stinging quotation to the effect that there was no copyright on that -particular trick." - -"I'll bet the thief got a surprise when he came to open it up," -chuckled Jack, who had been following the story with interest. "But I -see what you are driving at--you don't want to conceal the Star at all?" - -"Not as open as all that," said Patch. "But let us get hold of some -place that's so obvious that nobody would ever dream of looking there." - -"Billy can wear it as a tie-pin," suggested Jack, with a laugh. "Or we -could put it up over the mantelpiece." - -"No, comrade; a little subtlety is necessary. What about that old -jacket of yours, Billy? That one hanging up in the corner? We could -sew the Star up in the lining, and leave the jacket there. We'd notice -in a moment if the jacket were gone. But nobody would think of that as -a hiding-place, and that's why it is the safest place in the world. -Savvy?" - -"Sure thing. Do you think it's the best place?" - -"Of course I do, comrade. Now, I've got a needle and cotton somewhere, -I think, and if you like I'll do the job now." - -Somewhat reluctantly Billy passed over the Black Star, and with deft -hands Patch ripped up the lining under the shoulder-padding of the -coat. Then, while Jack looked to see that they were not overheard at -the door, and while Billy kept watch at the window, Septimus embedded -the Star in the padding, and closed the seam again as neatly as a -tailor. - -"There," he commented, hanging the coat up again in its accustomed -position. "The fellow who finds that we've left the Star in such -an easy position will be cuter than most people. Now we'll have to -cut--it's nearly form-time." - -And with their preparation in the most hazy and uncertain state, the -three occupants of Study No. 9 hurried down to class. That afternoon -the Star was still in place, and Billy breathed freely. "I suppose -it's as safe there as anywhere," he thought. "I say, Jack, what's that -hideous din?" - - - - - CHAPTER VII - - THE CALAMITOUS CRIPPLES - - -Jack looked out of the window. Then he gurgled. - -"By the Brass-eyed bull!" he exclaimed. "Look here, just cast your -optic in this direction, old fellow. That's all, old man--just a look!" - -From the quadrangle below them came the blare of bugles, and the gaps -were filled up by a miscellaneous din emanating from tins, whistles, -combs and paper. Billy hurried over, and the two chums leaned from -their window in astonishment. - -"A giddy procession," murmured Billy. - -It was; but a procession of the kind rarely seen outside of a circus. -There were about forty boys in the show; and every one of them was -attired as a cripple of the most dilapidated kind. They all looked as -if they had been rolled upon by a steam-roller, and then passed through -a chaff-cutter. Bandages enwrapped their heads, and their arms and legs -appeared to be broken in numerous places. Many carried crutches, and an -odd effect was given by one humorist who elected to appear on stilts, -which were liberally bandaged. Two buglers headed the procession; and -most of the others had instruments of some sort or other. At arranged -intervals they gave vent to sepulchral groans. In the van was a -tattered banner, bearing the words, "The Calamitous Cripples. Break -your leg and join." - -"What is it?" asked the mystified Jack. "What's the giddy wheeze?" - -Billy Faraday was far too absorbed in watching the amazing spectacle to -answer him, and Jack's question lapsed. The procession drew nearer and -nearer, and the noise was ear-splitting. The Cripples drew themselves -up before the window of Study 9, and Jack was moved to call out, -"Lovely! Is it the National Anthem or Alexander's Ragtime Band? I never -could tell the difference." - -His shaft of wit, however, went almost unnoticed in the general uproar, -and Billy Faraday grasped a more cutting form of witticism; he got a -handful of pennies and half-pennies, and threw them one at a time to -the serenading party below. - -Cummles, hammering at a tin drum with zest, received one of the coins -full on the bridge of the nose, and it broke short his performance. -He held up his hand, and with a final crash of sound the Cripples -completed their selection. - -"Know," roared Cummles at the top of his voice, "that a new Society -has been formed, called the Calamitous Cripples! We let everybody -join--the more the merrier! And our object is--" He turned to his -supporters for the rest. - -"--death to the Crees!" roared the crowd, in disconcerting chorus. - -So this was the strength of the new society--it was a rival show to -the Crees! Jack realized that Cummles was getting his own back for -his rejection and disgrace at the last Cree meeting, and he whistled -softly. But Cummles was speaking again. - -"We therefore begin on the Chief Cree!" he yelled, and as at a given -signal all the Cripples raised their hands, and sent a volley of hard, -tightly-rolled paper balls at Jack and Billy as they stood open-mouthed -at the window. - -The fusillade took the two Crees by surprise, and Jack for the moment -did not know what to do; but he soon settled that question, and with -Billy jumped out of the window, and rushed the banner of the Calamitous -Cripples. It was flagrantly against rules to jump out of the window at -all, and soon a free fight was taking place around the banner of the -Cripples. - -"To it, Crees!" yelled Jack, wrestling furiously with one of the banner -supporters. Someone had grasped his leg, and he could not keep upright -much longer; sooner or later he would have to go down. - -"Ouch!" Down he went, and down went half a dozen others in a panting, -scrambling, tossing mass. - -There was wild disorder for lively minutes, but force of numbers -gave victory to the Cripples, who rescued their tattered banner and -scampered away with it. Jack stood looking after them with fire in his -eye. - -"Jingo," he observed to Billy Faraday, "but I can see some immense -japes this term, with the Crees and the Cripples. What do you think?" - -"We've got to score on them," said Billy emphatically, "and score right -away. Watch us notch ahead." - -Jack nodded meaningly; then, as someone touched him on the arm, he -wheeled round. It was Septimus Patch, and the schoolboy detective's -eyes were shining. He was plainly full of some scheme or other. - -"Comrades!" he said. "Don't waste your time here--I've got the best -idea out for the discovery of the fellow that's giving Daw a hand." - -"What are you going to do--advertise?" - -Patch smiled tolerantly. "Daw--Doctor Daw, as you call him--said that -this chap, whoever he is, is keeping an eye on Billy here?" - -"That's so." - -"Well, why shouldn't we--" he looked around to make certain that they -were not overheard, "--why shouldn't we lead the fellow out on a false -scent?" - -"Meaning?" - -"Sort of red herring business, you know. The three of us could sneak -out before call-over and make it appear as if we were going to hide the -Star somewhere out in the bush. If there is anyone on the watch, it's -the Commonwealth Bank to a peanut that he'll slink out after us." - -"Good word--slink," said Jack approvingly. "Yes, Patchie, the idea's -not so dusty. We've got time. We could lie in ambush for the beggar and -catch him red-handed." - -"Better leave him alone--just make certain who he is," warned Septimus, -polishing his great horn-rimmed glasses. "You see, if we just lie low -and say nuffin, like Brer Rabbit, the spy won't know that we're fly to -his little game." - -"Good for you, Picklock Holmes," said Jack. "You mean, he'll think that -he's working quite safely, unknown to anyone, and all the time we know, -and are pulling his leg so much that he'll need a boat-hook to take his -boots off." - -"Prezactly, comrade," returned Septimus, chaffingly. "Your brain is -bucking up lately, isn't it? We never know what we can do till we try, -do we? However, to the bright, brisk business! You"--turning to Billy -Faraday--"you slip up into the study and pretend to bring something -out with you--we'll watch here." - -"We're the giddy conspirators, old boy," said Jack. "Get a move on--we -haven't any too much time." - -In a few minutes the three boys had set out from the school, striking -into the thick belt of scrub-lands that lay towards the north. They -pressed forward for a good ten minutes, and at the end of that time -Billy strode on alone, making as much noise as he could, while Jack and -the amateur detective crouched behind the undergrowth, to watch closely -for any follower. - -Billy's footsteps died away, and there came only the faint sound of his -passage through the scrub; then that in turn faded till it was almost -inaudible. - -"'Fraid we've drawn blank, old boy," said Jack in a low whisper. "Can't -hear anything, can you?" - -"Wait," was all that Patch had for answer; he had his head cocked to -one side in a listening attitude, and all at once he raised a finger -for silence. - -During a tense ten seconds he listened, Jack scarcely taking breath, -and then the detective nodded as one who had satisfied himself. - -"Get down," he whispered; "somebody coming." - -Sure enough, almost at once came the sound of footsteps; and Jack, -peering through the interstices of a wall of greenery, could barely -restrain a gasp as he saw a tall, pasty-faced, weedy youth strolling -negligently along the faint path that Billy Faraday had followed, and, -although he wore the college cap of blue and gold, he was smoking an -expensive brand of cigarette. - -In dead silence the two watched him pass their field of vision, and -then he, too, was swallowed up in the bush. - -Jack turned to Patch with a criss-cross mark of puzzlement creasing his -eyebrows. "Now, what do you make of that?" he asked softly. "That's -Redisham, and the dirty slacker's smoking at that. But is he following -Billy or not?" - -"Or is it only coincidence that he comes from Victoria?" asked Septimus -in the same discreet voice. "Very funny, isn't it?" - -"Now, you know what sort of a fellow Redisham is," went on Jack. "He's -just the sort that'd have gambling debts, and all that, although his -father's got piles of cash, they say. Question is, is he clever enough -to be used as a tool?" - -"Comrade, I don't know," admitted Septimus, slowly shaking his head. -"It's often these foolish-looking fellows that turn out pretty -cunning in the long run. All the same, Redisham--the man's an ass, a -weak-minded ass with an eye for 'loud' dress, and--" - -"--and no eye for catching a cricket ball, or any sort of sport, -except betting--if you can call that sport," Jack snorted. "Little -Montague Redisham isn't the sneak in this case, I fancy." - -"Well, then, what's he doing?" countered the amateur detective, with -index finger marking his point. "It looks jolly fishy, doesn't it?" - -"Might have come out to smoke that rotten cigarette of his." - -"I thought of that, but the coincidence of the time, and the direction -of his outing, is hard to get over. Anyhow, we'll find out, we'll find -out--don't worry." - -They got out of their cramping positions behind the undergrowth and -stepped out into the little glade. Barely had they done so when there -came a loud cry from some distance ahead--and Jack knew the voice as -well as his own. - -It was Billy's voice. - -"Help--help!" - -Jack jumped about a foot in the air, and shot a sharp glance at -Septimus Patch. "Jiminy!" he said, quickly, "that's old Billy--wonder -what's up? Here--after him." - -Symonds and Patch put their heads down and ran. Heedless of the -undergrowth that set traps for their feet and that tore at them in the -shape of thorn-bushes, they charged madly forward, and all at once Jack -stopped and picked something up from the ground. - -"Here--look at this!" It was Billy's cap, with the Deepwater College -badge in the front of it; and Patch pulled up and glanced keenly at the -ground with sharp eyes. - -"A struggle--see?" he panted, pointing to the way the bracken had been -tossed about and the turf trampled by heavy heels. "A struggle, and -then--then--what happened?" - -"Don't say he's been knocked on the head and dragged off," groaned -Jack, looking about him helplessly. "Here, Patchie, have a look at -these marks--what are they?" - -"Good--good," observed Patch, scanning them closely. "See, Billy got -away and ran for it--the other chap after him. See how the big, heavy -print is stamped over that other? They were running, the both of -them--and--" - -"Come on," said Jack curtly; and the two of them tore off once more, -stopping to pick up the trail every now and then until they were -startled by a loud, frenzied crashing through the brushes. - -"Hullo!" exclaimed Patch, stopping; and into their arms, almost, Billy -Faraday staggered, hatless and dishevelled. He was panting heavily, and -seemed almost done; a sharp twig had scratched his cheek badly, for it -was bleeding. - -"Billy--you're all right?" demanded his chum, seizing him by the arm. - -Before Billy could pant out an answer, another fellow came up at a run, -and halted, half-hidden in the scrub, at the sight of the two who now -reinforced the fugitive. His cap, pulled down over his eyes, hid his -face pretty well; but Jack knew at once that it was Tiger Humbolt who -stood staring at them. - -It was Septimus Patch who decided the next move. - -"After him--I've got a gun!" he yelled at the top of his voice; and -Humbolt started and then, wheeling about, vanished into the thick bush -at a run. He knew that Billy had fired a revolver at him during his -attempted escape with the handbag, and he was disposed to take Patch's -cry at its face value. As Patch had intended, of course; for he did not -attempt to give chase. Instead, he glanced at his watch. - -"Ten minutes to call-over," he said; "we'd better get back." - -On the way back to the college Billy explained that he had been -standing in a thicket when Humbolt had jumped on him from behind and -carried him to the ground. After a struggle he had broken free and run -for his life. - -"I doubled on my tracks," he concluded, "and came back again, when I -ran into you. That's all--lucky it wasn't worse." - -"And did you see Monty Redisham?" asked Patch. - -"Redisham--that rich blighter in the Sixth? The prefect?" - -"The slacker," said Jack trenchantly. He went on to explain how -Redisham had come into the mystery, and Billy said that the plot was -now thicker than ever. - -"I can't make it out," he said, thoughtfully, dabbing his scratched -cheek with his handkerchief. "No, I didn't see the brute at all. He was -following me, you say?" - -"Looked like it, comrade," said Patch, "but then we can't say for -certain. I'll have to give the matter some thought," he went on, with a -resumption of his light-hearted manner. - -"Another thing requiring some thought," put in Jack, "is, how are we -going to score off those Cripple lunatics? We want to shake them up -pretty suddenly, you know. I think we'll call a special meeting of the -Crees in our study to-night, and we'll think up something really smart." - -When the Crees had assembled, managing in some inexplicable manner to -cram themselves into Study 9, Jack was delighted to learn that one of -the fellows was ready with a plan. - -"Chief Black Feather," he said, in the approved style of address, "may -I suggest a scheme for the downfall of those scoundrel palefaces--I -mean Cripples?" - -"Of course," said Jack at once. "In fact, I was going to ask you -fellows to come to light with some such idea. Spring the giddy wheeze, -mon brave French," he explained grandly, "very hard." - -"Well," said the Cree, "the bright idea is this. I happen to have heard -that the Cripples are holding a meeting to-morrow afternoon--they've -got one of the classrooms on the north wing for the purpose. Now, I -happen to know that up in the ceiling over that wing there are several -bags of sawdust--been stored there for ages, and I think the Head's -forgotten all about them. Now, it's a shame to waste them, and there's -a nice big man-hole in the classroom, and--" - -"I think we see the rest!" said Jack with a laugh. "Which classroom are -they in?" - -"The end one--the drawing-room, next to the extra French set." - -"Good--nominations for four fellows to carry out the scheme? I'll make -one myself." - -Three others were accordingly chosen to deluge the Cripples' meeting -with sawdust, and on the following afternoon the conspirators gained -access to the space between the ceiling and roof. A busy meeting of the -Cripples, with closed doors and windows, was in progress; and there was -going to be no mistake whatever about the disorder and surprise that -would follow the avalanche of sawdust. - -"The jape of the century!" averred Jack Symonds in a low whisper. "What -about the cover for the man-hole? Have you got it?" - -"Yes, she lifts pretty easily, but I won't pull her right out, or -they'll be ready for us. Now, how are we going to open fire?" - -"Wait a second." Jack took a swift look round at his assistants, -flashing the electric torch that he had brought with him. "I've got -it. We'll each take a bag, and as soon as Martin whips the cover off -the trap, I'll let fly--then you, and you next, and Martin last. See? -That'll give him time to grab his bag after taking the cover off. All -ready?" - -"Let her go, Gallagher," murmured the Crees, lifting the big, -open-mouthed bags; and at a word from Jack, Big Martin whisked the -cover off the man-hole. A square of light opened in the dark floor -beneath them, and there came the murmur of voices from the aperture. - -That was all that the Crees had time to take in, for the next moment -Jack had tipped the great bag forward, and the sawdust gushed out in a -stream. The two other bags followed, and Martin finished the good work -with his contribution, to the dismay obtaining in the room below. - -Jack leaned forward, convulsed with laughter, and cast a glance down -into the room; then his face lost its smile, and his jaw dropped. - -"Hokey!" he said. "Now we've done it!" - -"Why? What?" asked the others, pressing forward. - -"We lifted the wrong trap," murmured Jack in a voice of horror. "That's -Monsieur Anastasie and the extra French set!" - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - - FANE'S FATAL MISTAKE - - -Strange as it may seem, the coolest person who looked on the appalling -scene in the classroom presided over by the French master was Jack -Symonds himself. Recovering from his surprise, he could gaze down and -enjoy the havoc even as he knew that, unless something intervened to -save them, he and his companions were booked for a severe spasm of -trouble--and trouble of the direst order. - -But the classroom scene was irresistibly funny--too funny for words. -Monsieur Anastasie stood like a sawdust statue, his comical moustache -powdered with sawdust, too amazed, too dumbfounded, to utter a word of -protest or surprise. Before him the sawdust was spread in an irregular -layer, almost knee-deep, and it was piled on tables and chairs, and the -boys of the extra French set in generous fashion. - -All at once, the French master found his voice--with a vengeance. "What -is ze meaning of zis?" he cried, dusting at his coat, and sending the -sawdust flying in clouds. "Pah! I am smother--I am choke! Abominable!" - -He raved and danced on the platform, scooping the sawdust in handfuls -from his person, and then shaking indignant fists at the open man-hole. - -"Peste! I will not have ze tomfool antic! Ah, but you shall answer for -him before quickly," he choked. "Sacrebleu! It is an outrage--it is vat -you call indignation! Ze ear of ze headmaster shall be apprised of zis!" - -The extra French set, half-guessing what had happened, commenced to -roar with laughter at those who had received the contents of the bags -upon their heads, and the furious Anastasie became more wild and -incoherent than ever. - -"Ah, you laugh?" he cried. "You identify me comical? But you shall not -entertain ze ribald laughter for longer! Remember ze proverb--he laughs -loudest who gathers no moss!" - -There was a perfect yell at this brilliant effort on the part of -Monsieur Anastasie, who was always tangling his proverbs in the most -ludicrous manner. - -But the laughter was cut short when Jack Symonds began to appear in -instalments through the open man-hole. His feet showed first; then his -legs dangled; in a moment he was hanging by his hands. Then, he let go, -and came to the floor as lightly as a feather. - -"I must explain--" he commenced. - -But Monsieur Anastasie literally overwhelmed him with a torrent of -French and English phrases, and he could not get a word in on any -account. - -"Ah, you are ze misdemeanour!" said the excitable Frenchman bitingly. -"You play at Père Santa Claus, hein? Explain yourself without ze -hesitate! You shall disport yourself before ze headmaster, quoi!" - -"I'm really sorry for what's happened," said Jack, seeking to cool the -master's wrath by appearing calm himself. "It was all an accident--" - -"Ah, an accident!" - -"Yes, that's so--" - -"Ze sawdust has tipped himself over?" - -"I don't mean that. You see, sir, we were going to play a joke on those -cads--I mean those fellows next door. We did not mean to harm you in -any way. Only thing was, though, we mistook the giddy--that is, the -man-hole up there. The two of them are close together, and in the dark -we opened the wrong one." - -He stood awaiting the verdict of Monsieur Anastasie, who took the frank -confession in silence. Then he dusted a little sawdust off his sleeve. - -"I rejoice myself you have owned up, Symonds. Ze business was very -foolish, and you are too big to intermeddle yourself with ze foolish -tricks of little boys. I was going to inform ze headmaster of your -prank, entendez-vous? But no--you are not a bad boy. You must disperse -ze sawdust." - -And the hot-tempered little French master actually smiled. It was his -way. He flew into a furious rage in a second or two; but it never -lasted long. And in this case Jack's open confession had somehow subtly -pleased him. He turned to his class. - -"It is wise, is it not," he observed, "to be certain always? Think what -our friend would have saved had he ze forethought to look into ze room. -Remember ze proverb: a look before you leap saves nine!" - -"Ha, ha, ha!" The class chuckled its appreciation of this portmanteaued -proverb, while Jack and others of the Crees who had nothing to do, -hastily collected the sawdust and shamefacedly put it into the sacks -that they had emptied with such gusto. Monsieur Anastasie, deep in the -mysteries of French grammar, permitted himself an occasional broad -smile, quite restored to his native good-humour. - -Just as Jack was about to leave the room, however, the French master -walked over to him and spoke quietly. - -"Two hundred lines," he said, "will repair ze mistake. From -Corneille--Le Cid. And put in all ze accents." - -He smiled and nodded as if he had just handed Jack a five-pound note, -and Jack got out into the corridor, feeling that he had made a fool of -himself. - -"Jingo, though!" he exclaimed, "I was jolly lucky not to be carpeted -before the Head. What a dickens of a mess I would have landed myself -into! Hullo, Patchie!" - -"How fares it, comrade?" asked Patch, in his usual grand manner, -saluting Jack with an elaborate salaam. "What is this rumour that comes -to my ears that you have met with a set-back in the course of that jape -intended for the Cripples? Untrue, of course?" - -"No such luck. We made an awful bloomer, and we'll have it in for those -Cripple blighters worse than ever now. Instead of letting the Cripples -have the sawdust, we made a slight miscalculation, and tipped it all -over old 'Annie' and his class." - -"'Annie,' I take it, is Monsieur Anastasie? I suppose he was sore?" - -"Oh, he cut up a bit at first, but he soon cooled down. In fact, he was -rather decent about it. Handed me two hundred lines, that's all." - -"Bad luck, comrade. But it might have been worse, mightn't it?" - -"Oh, easily! I might have dropped on Annie's head, and killed him, or -perhaps the sawdust might have choked one of those grinning beggars in -the extra French set. Or there might have been a tribe of death-adders -hidden in the sawdust. Oh, yes; I came off pretty well considering." He -laughed his usual happy, careless laugh. "Why, I've gone and forgotten -that trial swim for this afternoon--down at the baths. Coming along?" - -"Er--no thanks. In fact, comrade, I may confide that I--well, I can't -swim." - -"Oh, get out--you must. On a hot afternoon like this, too. Come along, -I'll give you a few pointers about the game. What on earth would you -do if you were left on a sinking ship with no lifebelts and unable to -swim?" - -Patch seemed to ponder the situation. "I expect I should sink," he -announced brightly. - -"Come, I'll tell you what I'll do," said Jack. "I'll defy an indignant -world, and teach you the noble art of supporting yourself in the -aqueous elephant--I mean element. That is, after the trial swim." - -"What is this trial swim, comrade? For that matter, any sort of a swim -would be a trial--for me." - -"Joke?" asked Jack, carelessly. "Fact is, old fellow, this is a -preliminary canter, so to speak, for a hundred-yards championship of -the Coll. Friend Billy is in for the event and he's a hot favourite -too. You'll see. It's a pound to a peanut that the Cup goes to Salmon's -House this year. I'm just going to give Billy a bit of a sprint over -the length." - -"I'm sure it will be most exciting, comrade. I never did like baths, -though. The sight of all that water--ugh! Tell you what, I've just -remembered that I'd made an appointment. Beastly forgetful of me, but--" - -"No, you don't," laughed Jack, grabbing the Socialist's arm and -dragging him towards the entrance to the baths. "You must learn -swimming some time--why not now. Hop into a costume--wait till my -swim's over." - -In a few minutes Patch stood shivering upon the edge in a costume -several sizes too large for him, while Jack took a ten seconds' -start on Billy in a hundred-yards sprint. Septimus looked on with -an eye of cold disfavour as the two chums swept the length of the -baths in a cloud of foam and bubbles. Billy had perfected a very neat -trudgeon-crawl, and he beat Jack, who was no mean hand at the game, by -a matter of three seconds, despite the start that the latter had had. - -Later on when Billy ran off to change, Jack caught sight of the -miserable Septimus Patch and recalled his intention of giving the -inventor a few lessons. - -"Here," said Jack, "come along to the shallow end--look slippy." - -Septimus paced gingerly after him along the wet boards, and all at once -he executed a most astounding manÅ“uvre. His feet went from under him, -and he landed head-first in the water. - -"Good gracious. What's the beggar up to?" asked Jack, who had imagined -that Patch had dived into the deeper part of the bath. "I say," he went -on, as Patch's head appeared, "you can swim--after all?" - -"Swim--glug!" said Patch, as a wavelet curved into his -conveniently-opened mouth. "No--help! I'm drowning--glug!" - -He paddled his way frantically to a ladder near by, and hauled himself -out. - -"You asked me to look slippy, and I slipped!" he said. "Believe me, -it's no joke. How far did the water fall when I swallowed that little -lot--ugh! I had a young Niagara trickling down my throat! Comrade, does -it all taste like that?" - -Jack choked with laughter. "Mind your step," he warned. "Here, this is -the shallow end. Hop in--it's only up to your waist." - -He prepared to demonstrate the art of kicking while holding to a step -on the level of the water, and Septimus appeared to manage that part of -the business well enough. Jack then showed his study-mate a few simple -arm movements, and invited Septimus to try while being supported in the -water by his middle. - -After a few minutes of this sport, Patch wriggled out of his mentor's -grasp and spluttered indignantly. - -"Do you want to drown me?" he asked. "I'll buy a gun and let you shoot -me--it'd be quicker." - -"Why, what's up?" - -"Up, do you say? Down more fits it--at least that's where my head was, -under water, while you were watching my feet! I don't want to die a -lingering death, thanks. I've had enough for the first lesson--and I'd -like to take the others by post." - -As he clambered out of the bath, his loose costume hanging about him in -ridiculous folds, a roar of laughter went up from the fellows bathing -there. - -When they got back to the study they met Billy Faraday. He was grinning -broadly. "I hear you've been teaching the inventor how to swim!" he -laughed. "I believe he found the water quite wet?" - -"Yes, comrade," answered Patch genially, "and so would you if only you -were more familiar with that unknown quantity." - -"Well, you ought--" began Billy; but he broke off with a sharp, "I say!" - -"What's the matter?" - -"The coat--it's gone! And the Star's in it, too!" - -Jack and Septimus looked up in surprise, and were startled to observe -that it was even as Billy had said--the coat was gone. They jumped up -and made a hurried search. - -"Jingo, this is serious!" murmured Jack. "It's gone, right enough. -Wonder whether that beast Redisham--?" - -"It's got misplaced, perhaps," said Patch, who had put down his book -and joined in the hunt. "Mislaid somewhere or other--" - -"But I never wear it!" said Billy. "How could it?" - -"Fane--Fane's the solution, I think," jerked out the amateur detective, -rubbing his chin hard. "We didn't tell him, I remember, that we'd -hidden the Star, and perhaps he's--but here he is." - -"Yes, here I am," said Fane, closing the door. "You fellows look -excited--what's up?" - -"Look here--did you move a coat of Billy's? It was hanging up in this -corner." - -"Billy's coat!" exclaimed Fane, turning a trifle pale. "What's the -matter with Billy's coat?" - -"Matter enough, comrade," said Patch grimly. "We didn't tell you--we -forgot, as a matter of fact--we didn't tell you that we'd sewn the -Black Star up in one of the seams of that coat, to hide it. And now the -coat's gone." - -"My only aunt!" gasped Fane, falling into a chair. "Is that right? Was -the Star in that coat?" - -"Yes. Why?" - -"Why?" echoed Fane. "I sold that coat for five bob to an Indian hawker -yesterday afternoon! And I expect he's miles off by this time!" - - - - - CHAPTER IX - - ALIAS BILLY FARADAY - - -For almost a minute the three chums stared in hypnotized fashion at the -bent head of Fane, as the bully-killer sat dispiritedly in his chair. - -"You mean you--" gurgled Billy at length. - -"I'm awfully sorry, old pal, but there it is," said Fane, with the -stolid calmness of despair. "I'd give anything to be able to say -I'm mistaken, but it's no go. I see my mistake now. The coat's just -the dead ringer of one I've got myself, and like an ass, I mistook -them. Only just now, when you mentioned Billy's coat being missing, I -remembered that my own coat hasn't been unpacked." - -The four boys were silent for several seconds. The sharp, sudden blow, -the renewed assurance from Fane that the coat had actually gone, left -the three pals dumbfounded. - -"Well," said Jack gloomily, "it's gone, right enough. We've lost it." - -"Billy, Billy!" cried Fane, "it was my fault absolutely. I don't know -what made me so terribly careless. I'm no end cut up about it--isn't -there anything I can do?" - -"Nothing suggests itself at the moment," said Patch, with a recovery -of his calm manner. "The thing would be, of course, to get hold of the -hawker and buy the coat back. But--" He shook his head, with pursed -lips. Then, all at once, he smacked Jack heavily upon the back--so -heavily that Jack indignantly jumped a foot in the air. - -"Great Caesar!" he gasped, "What did you do that for, you giddy -lunatic? You've dislocated my neck!" - -"Bother your neck!" cried Septimus. "I've got the plan to get back the -spiffing old Star--we're in luck! It's brother Egbert!" - -"Brother Egbert?" echoed Jack, staring at the inventor open-mouthed. -"Has he gone off his rocker?" he inquired anxiously of the other two. -"Poor fellow--brains all addled. Or perhaps poached. I knew he would do -it. My advice is, Patchie, wear an ice-pack on your fevered brow." - -"It's all right, comrade," Septimus assured him. "Here's another -occasion to thank your uncle Patch! Brother Egbert, I may explain, is -my brother, and he'll be down here to-night. He's making a trip down -the coast on his motor-bike, and he intended to call in at the school -on the 14th, which is to-day." - -"Well, what about it?" - -"My good baboon," said Patch pityingly, "don't you see? Egbert will be -only too pleased to take Billy, or myself, in pursuit of the jacket -and--the Black Star. I think I should go, because it was really my -fault that the coat went. Edgar A. Poe didn't mention anything about -stray accidents that might happen in any good, well-regulated family, -or their bearing on his no-concealment wheeze. I confess I begin to -lose my respect for Edgar. The next hiding-place for the Star will be a -most abstruse one, when we get the thing back--" - -"If we do," supplemented Billy. "Look here, Patch, that was a very -defective plan of yours, I agree, but I think I'll make the trip with -brother Egbert, all the same." - -There came a rapping at the door, and Jack invited the rapper to come -in. A singular-looking young man entered, took a comprehensive glance -over its occupants, and then spoke in a drawling, bored voice. - -"Permit me to introduce myself," he said. "I am Egbert, fifth Baron -Patch. Sounds good, doesn't it, that phrase, 'barren patch'? Rumour -hath it that one Septimus, a juvenile relative of mine, is to be found -in the precincts of this study. Ah, I see I am right--how are you, -brother?" - -"Bursting with robust health and goodwill," declared Septimus modestly. -"See here, though, you've just arrived at the right moment. A rather -interesting business has been going on here, and--can I tell him -everything, Billy?" - -Billy Faraday nodded, and Septimus explained the whole matter of the -Star and its disappearance to his attentive brother, who resembled a -collection of walking-sticks as he half-lay, half-sat in one of the -chairs, his big head resting in his open palm. - -"Quite a decent little mystery," he commented, when his brother's -account had finished. "I twig what you want me to do--give chase, and -all that sort of rot, what? Well, if any of you would care for a rough, -bumpy, perilous journey on the back of a big 7-9, then I shall be happy -to oblige. As I said to the Duke last week, when he asked me for a -fiver, 'Dee-lighted, old bean!'" - -"That's that, then," said Septimus. "The only question is, who's going? -Billy wants to go, and I'm not anxious to stand in his way, see? But -though we can arrange that Billy shall not be missed to-night, it might -prove dashed awkward to-morrow, when he does not show up in class." - -"Who's taking us in the morning?" thoughtfully asked Billy. "Old -Salmon, isn't it? How on earth--" - -"Don't worry, comrade!" interrupted Patch suddenly. "I've got the most -ripping suggestion, and you'd better be off right now. Your absence -will never be noticed--I'll fix that much for you. But try and be back -by to-morrow night--I'll not guarantee to have the beaks hoodwinked -much after that time. Now, Fane said that the hawker was going south--" - -"That's right," said Fane eagerly, anxious to be of assistance to -redeem something of his error. "He was just outside the gate, and lots -of the fellows gave him old clothes, and I heard Big Martin ask him -where he was bound for--he said Moruya. He only had a covered cart and -a scraggy-looking old mare, and you ought to be able to catch up--" - -"Just what the Marquis said, when I lost my hat out of his car, and -ran back for it." It was Egbert Patch who had spoken. "We've got a lot -to do, and I think we'll vamoose. Good-bye for the present, and sweet -dreams!" - -With these words, the eccentric-looking young fellow, suddenly -animated, jumped to his feet and, grabbing Faraday by the arm, left the -room. Inside a few minutes the chattering roar of his motor-bike was -heard, and he had left the College, racing southward with Billy Faraday -clinging perilously behind him. - -"Doesn't believe in losing time," murmured Jack. "But, I say, aren't we -going to have a bit of trouble in accounting for Billy's being away, -to-morrow?" - -"My dear old Angora," returned Patch, "aren't you aware that Salmon is -as near blind and deaf as makes no difference? What's to prevent us -from making a dummy of Billy, and putting him in Billy's seat? You know -he sits right at the back of the class." - -"Good grief!" said Jack. "Is that the bright and brainy idea? Patchie, -old boy, the sooner you go to sea the better for you--and all of us. -Who ever heard of a dummy--and in school at that? Why, Salmon's sure to -smell a rat, and once he asks Billy a question, the game's bust." - -"Not so, comrade! Among my other accomplishments, I am no mean hand at -ventriloquism, and--" - -"Well, you've got a pretty tall nerve, Patchie! I'll confess that I'd -never have thought of such a dodge." - -"Its boldness," averred Septimus, "is its strength. To-morrow I shall -prove that. Meanwhile, there is a most irritating chunk of Sallust to -be prepared for the morn. Leave me to it." - -And, opening his books, the extraordinary fellow calmly set to work. -After a moment or two of silence, Jack picked up the volume from which -Patch had been taking swimming instruction, and began to turn its -leaves idly.... - -On the following morning, Mr. Salmon entered the classroom with his -usual salutation, and the whole form eyed him apprehensively. Would he -surprise them in their deception? Was an awful row impending? - -For, in the back row of the class, reclining gracefully on Billy -Faraday's seat, was a dummy figure. Attired in an old suit of Billy's, -it looked very lifelike, its arms supporting a book on the desk before -it, and its head apparently none the less attentive for being stuffed -with straw. - -As the lesson proceeded, and as the master still failed to smell a rat, -the class's fears subsided, and they began to enjoy the joke. Subdued -chuckles sounded at intervals, the presence of the dummy schoolboy -striking his companions as distinctly grotesque; but, as Patch had -said, Mr. Salmon was almost deaf and very dim of sight, and unless -anything out of the ordinary occurred, Billy's absence would pass -unnoticed. - -"Bathgate," said Mr. Salmon suddenly, "commence the translation. Line -25." - -Bathgate, a big, sleepy youth at the back corner of the class, awoke -suddenly from his dreams of better things, and began translating the -Latin in a loud, clear, albeit, a trifle hesitant, voice. - -"Speak up," commanded Mr. Salmon. - -"Ought to yell in your ear," observed Bathgate, with a humorous glance -at his mates. - -"What did you say?" asked the master. - -"I--thought--you--could--hear," said the shameless Bathgate. "Shall I -proceed?" - -"Proceed--yes! No, one moment. You've done pretty well. Go on, next -boy." - -There was a dead, stunned silence. The next boy was no boy at all, but -the effigy of Bill Faraday, and the effigy simply sat still and stared -at the master with the most guileless stare in the world. - -"Faraday--you heard me?" - -"Yes--sir," squeaked Patch, diving down under his desk, and attempting -to throw his voice in the direction of the quiescent Billy. But the -attempt met with poor success. The squeak did not come to the ears -of the master at all, and he repeated his reminder, with a trace of -irritation at the delay. - -"Faraday--I believe you've gone to sleep." - -The ingenious Patch was now brought up against a poser, but his -resourcefulness met the obstacle. He got down on the floor and -attempted to cross over to a position behind Billy's seat, which would -enable him to deputize for the thick-headed effigy. - -Unfortunately he was observed, and Mr. Salmon demanded at once to know -what he was doing. - -"Dropped my pen, sir," he explained loudly, and then frantically -whispered to Jack, "Get behind Bill's chair and speak up." - -To cover Jack's move across the aisle between the desks, Patch stood -up, and showed his pen to Mr. Salmon, as ocular evidence of the truth -of his explanation. - -"I've got it now, sir," he observed brightly. "It had rolled right -under my seat." - -"Yes, yes," said Mr. Salmon testily. "Sit down." - -But Septimus was sparring for time until Jack was ready to take up -Billy's translation. So he added, in his most foolish manner, "It's -curious, sir, where these things get to, isn't it! Once I lost a -pencil, and found it in the bottom of my trousers. Philosophers call -it--" - -"Sit down, sir!" - -"--call it the perversity of inanimate--" - -"Will you sit down?" - -"--objects, like a collar-stud, or--" - -"Patch!" - -"Very well, sir," said Patch, sitting down with the aggrieved air of -one who has been casting his pearls before swine. He glanced sharply -towards Billy's chair, and sighed with relief. - -"Perhaps we can get on with our work now," said Mr. Salmon -sarcastically. "Faraday, are you properly awake?" - -"Yes, sir!" yelled the supposed Faraday in such a loud voice that it -came to Mr. Salmon's ears in the form of a smart answer. The master -nodded. "Go on, then," he said. - -Jack went on as fast as he was able, and for five minutes the class -held its breath. At the end of that time the possibility that Billy's -deception would be discovered seemed to have passed. The master went on -through the class, and the boys were presently deep in their work; so -deep, in fact, that Bathgate felt impelled to relieve the tedium by a -little horse-play. - -Propping his book up before him, he proceeded to annoy his neighbour in -front, one MacAlister, in sundry well-thought-out ways that ended in -Mac's turning round and firing a book at Bathgate's head. - -Bathgate, who had, of course, been expecting retaliation, ducked -smartly, and the book hit the wall with a bang. Mr. Salmon looked up, -for the book happened to have been a dictionary, and the sound of its -arrival rather loud. - -"Bathgate," said the master, "don't tap." - -The class chuckled afresh, and Bathgate inserted a pin in the toe of -his boot, winking across at Jack Symonds in unmistakable "you-watch-me" -manner. Then, sitting back innocently, he let the pin sink into -MacAlister's calf. - -"Ow!" gasped MacAlister, jumping up in a rage and aiming another book -at his tormentor's grinning face. "Take that!" - -Bathgate, however, had no intention of taking it, and he slid sidewise -on his chair to avoid the missile. His move was too sudden for his -equilibrium. The chair went over, and he went over with it, pitching -head-first into the stomach of the bogus Billy Faraday. The effigy did -not protest, but slid gracefully to the floor, where it lay in the -attitude of a gentleman looking under the sofa for his collar-stud. - -"Jimjams!" gasped Septimus Patch, "That's done it!" - -Done it, it had. Mr. Salmon demanded to know why Bathgate and Faraday -were crawling around on the floor, and Bathgate, looking sheepish, said -something about falling off his chair. - -"My chair overbalanced, sir," he said. "I knocked Faraday over." - -The class was on tenterhooks. Would Mr. Salmon come up and investigate -for himself? Faraday, at any rate, lay there absolutely still. - -"Faraday," said the master, grimly, "evidently desires to emulate Doré, -the artist, who drew his pictures while lying down on his stomach. Or -is he just asleep?" - -"I think he's hurt," said the indomitable Patch, getting up again. He -meant to pull the fat out of the fire if it were humanly possible. He -grabbed the effigy and savagely hauled it into place, keeping between -it and the master all the time. He got back to his seat, but barely -had he reached it when the dummy boy doubled up at the waist like a -jack-knife, and banged its head on the floor. To Patch's horror, the -head, which was loosely attached, came off and rolled a full yard down -the passage. - -Jumping up once more, Patch grabbed the head, and, amid the laughter -of his companions, restored it to its position. The effigy of Faraday -grinned impudently at the master, its head on one side, as Patch got -back to his seat. - -"There is too much disorder," said Mr. Salmon petulantly. "Far too much -of it. Patch, and you too, Faraday, and Bathgate, take one hundred -lines." - -Just at that moment came the bell announcing the end of the period, and -Mr. Salmon, gathering his gown about him, stalked out indignantly. - -"Phew!" breathed Patch. "I don't want to have a strain like that -again for a few years. Talk about nerves! You'd want nerves of -phosphor-bronze, or something, with an obstreperous dummy like this on -your hands." - -He landed a kick into the effigy's waistcoat, and it fell on to the -floor. The class simply roared. - -"Anyhow," went on Patch, "you've got to do a hundred lines, you -grinning idiot. Thank goodness I haven't got to look after you this -afternoon." - - - - - CHAPTER X - - THE CHASE FOR THE STAR - - -Meanwhile, how had it been faring with Billy Faraday and Egbert Patch. -It will be remembered that they left by bike on the afternoon following -the departure of the hawker, so that that person had a twenty-four -hours' start on them. Not that that mattered very much. The big machine -could cut down that discrepancy with ease. The only problem left -unsettled was the question of whether or not they would be able to find -the purchaser of the precious coat. - -Through the night they sped for two or three hours, and at length came -storming into Rimvale, a small town of some importance in the coastal -district. - -Here they put up for the night; and, early next morning searched for -news of the hawker. Fortunately, they had not far to seek. An old man, -who had purchased some articles from the itinerant vendor, informed -them that the person they sought had left the town on the previous -night. - -"This is alarmingly easy!" grinned Patch, leaping into the saddle as -the big machine moved off. Billy followed suit, landing on the carrier; -and they were off once more. - -Through the long, dusty miles Egbert set his machine positively -roaring, and the distances were eaten up in fine style. To such good -effect did they travel that inside three hours they came up with the -hawker's covered cart, and asked him to pull up. - -"What the matter?" he asked, leaning down on them from his perch like a -strange bird. - -"You must excuse us, Mucilage," said Egbert Patch. "That is your name, -isn't it? But the fact is, old coffee-bean, you bought a coat back at -Deepwater College in error, and we want it back." - -"What do you mean? I paid for it." - -"Quite so, my dear Tupentine; quite so. You see, a chap sold you a coat -belonging to this fellow here, in mistake for one of his own, and we -want to buy it back. See!" And as a token of good faith, he showed a -hand filled with silver. - -The Indian wrinkled up his brows in a puzzled fashion, and then began -to rummage in his goods without another word. At length he turned to -the expectant pair and eyed them keenly. - -"You mean a brown jacket?" he asked. - -"Yes, yes," said Billy, impatiently. "You've got it there, have you? -Bring it out, and I'll give you ten bob for it." - -The Indian shook his head gravely, and calmly repacked his bundles. - -"I can't do anything, sir," he said at length. "The coat is sold." - -"Sold!" - -The other nodded, and went on to explain in his slow, but intelligible -English. It appeared that a man had bought the coat in Rimvale for six -shillings. The Indian made a small song about the fact that he had been -unable to get six-and-six for it. At all events, he did not know who -the man was. That he was young, and that he was evidently a native of -Rimvale, he was able to state. Beyond that, he knew nothing. - -"Thanks," said Billy in a low voice, turning away. It seemed that -he was pursued by the worst of bad luck. How on earth were they to -discover the owner of the coat, now? It might be that the Indian was -not telling the truth. Billy was ready to imagine that he had observed -a gleam of avarice in the fellow's eye. Of course he had not been -deceived; he knew that there must be something unusual about the coat. -And perhaps he had lied.... - -Billy groaned. "Rimvale's the only place," he said, and, mounting -behind Egbert Patch, he sped off back along the path to the little -fishing town. - -Arrived there, they stowed their machine in the local garage, and set -out on a feverish errand of investigation. But they knew that it was -pretty hopeless. - -"How on earth can we be successful?" Billy repeated to himself again -and again, and as the morning wore away his hopes sank lower and lower. - -All at once he gave a great cry, caught Patch by the arm, and pointed. - -"Look there!" he said hoarsely. "That fellow's wearing the jacket!" - -"The Dickens he is!" replied Patch, staring at a tall, rather bullying -youngster who looked as if he might be a butcher's boy. In another -moment the inventor's brother had started forward and called out to the -wearer of the missing coat. - -"Wait a moment! Hi!" he said. - -The red-faced youngster turned and eyed them with obvious disfavour. -"What do you want?" he demanded. "Who are you?" - -"I'm the man who put the salt in the sea," said Patch gravely, "and my -friend here's the man who's going to take it out. Twig? Look here, old -man, that's a nice coat you're wearing." - -"Oh, go and play!" grunted the other, turning away sullenly. "What's -the game, anyhow?" - -"I've taken a fancy to that coat, that's all. It used to belong to my -mate here, the man who rode the bull through Wagga. But another chappie -mistook it for one of his, and sold it to a nigger named Mucilage, who -in turn sold it to you--for six bob." - -"I see--and you want it back, hey? Well, it happens I've got to like -this coat, and I don't want to part with it, see?" - -Billy not only did see this particular point, but saw also that he was -up against a pretty shrewd bargainer, who was ready to turn their own -eagerness for the jacket into ready cash. He was too anxious, however, -to bluff. - -"Look here," he broke in, "I'll give you ten bob for the coat, and fix -everything up. No fuss--give me the coat, and this half-note will be -yours." - -The red-faced boy's little eyes gleamed. "Ten bob--ten bob for a coat -I've taken a fancy to," he murmured. "Look here, mate, I can't part -with the coat--not under a quid. It's a good coat." - -"It's certainly a good coat, but--" Patch was dubious. - -"Well, then," said Billy desperately, "I'll make it a quid, just to -please you. There you are--a pound note--and now, the coat." - -"Hold hard, hold hard." The country boy's interest had been roused by -this reckless bidding for the old jacket, which was scarcely worth a -third of the money Billy Faraday now flashed before his eyes. What was -wrong with the coat, he asked himself; or, rather, what was right with -it? "No, I don't think I'll sell," went on the yokel shrewdly, "until -I've had a good look over it." - -"Until you've what?" asked the horrified Billy. - -The other noted his emotion and slowly winked one eye. "Until I've -looked over it," he repeated cunningly. "You never know. What if -there's a five-pound note sewn up in the lining?" - -"A five-pound note?" gasped Billy weakly. - -"I'm going to have a look," said the rustic, taking off the jacket and -fumbling it between his fingers. "Why," he yelled, suddenly, "what's -this here?" - -Billy's heart sank into his boots as the red-faced country youth, with -a grin of the most horrible triumph, rubbed between his fingers the -slight lump under the coat-cloth that indicated where the Black Star -had been so carefully hidden. - -"There's something here, right enough," he said, cheerfully, "and we'll -have it out in a jiffey. When I've seen what it is, then you can buy -the coat--perhaps." - -And he began to open a very efficient-looking clasp-knife. But at that, -all Billy had gone through to recover the coat came up in his mind, and -a wave of fury swept over him that he should be thus baulked at the -last moment. - -Uttering an inarticulate cry, he dashed forward, snatched the jacket -out of the other's hands, and took to his heels, with Egbert merely a -pace or two in his rear. The yokel stood dumbfounded for an instant, -and then roared out at the top pitch of his voice, "Stop thief! Stop -thief!" - -The quiet, respectable little town of Rimvale witnessed the most -astounding of chases along its sleepy main street. First came Billy -and Patch, running their hardest for the garage and the big cycle, and -after them tore the outraged country lad, yelling in a voice that would -have roused the envy of any Indian chief of the prairies. - -The country boy continued to yell, "Thi--eeves!" lustily as he rushed -after the two boys. - -The solitary policeman that the town boasted, aroused by the uproar, -left the veranda of the country hotel, and stepped into the glare of -the noonday sun. - -"Hey! What's the trouble?" he asked, in the voice of one bent on -smoothing troubled waters. - -"Sto-oo-op thi-eef!" came the stentorian shout of that amazing -vocalist, the robbed boy. "Stop them two thieves!" - -Billy Faraday took a swift survey of the situation. It would not do, -he decided, to run into the arms of the policeman, who did not look -formidable, but who might cause a deal of bother. - -"This way!" he yelled, breaking off at right angles, and darting down -a narrow laneway, between two paling fences. But Billy had made, for -once, an error of judgment. The fences abutted on a brick wall of some -height, and the lane was, consequently, a blind alley. - -"We're diddled--dished," gasped Egbert Patch. - -"Not a bit," said Billy, pausing for six precious seconds, while, -with his knife, he ripped the Star from its place of concealment, and -slipped it into the pocket of his waistcoat. "Not a bit," he repeated, -throwing the coat towards the pursuers, who were already at the mouth -of the alley. "Come on!" - -With an agile spring he vaulted over the paling fence and landed in the -garden beyond. Patch followed, and the cries of the pursuers changed -abruptly from triumph to chagrin. Billy found himself confronting an -enormous man in a blue shirt, who seemed annoyed that the boy had -landed full in the centre of a bed of prize cauliflowers. - -"'Ere!" this worthy bellowed. "Oo are you?" - -"The King of Sweden!" answered Patch grandly. "My card!" He made a move -as if to hand the astonished fellow something, and before that person -could realize what was happening, he had received a hard dig in what -boxers call the "mark." He gasped, and sat down with the giant collapse -of a pricked balloon. - -Laughing, the two fugitives fled on, for the red-faced youth was -leading the pursuit over the fence, and it was risky to linger. Over -two more fences they hurried, and then found themselves confronted with -an impasse. - -This was a stone wall over which it was impossible to scramble. They -therefore cut away towards the right again, making back towards the -street. They were in the yard of a baker, as it happened, and they went -full speed for the street that meant liberty. Rounding the corner, with -pursuit perilously close, Patch had a sudden inspiration. He pulled -open a wide door, had a swift glimpse of a bakery and a couple of -white-clad forms, and then slammed it as hard as he could. - -He and Billy remained outside, of course, and ducked into the friendly -shelter of a pile of timber, just as the robbed boy, doubly red-faced -now with his exertions, and the policeman, and a couple of others -dashed up with the impetus of a fleet of fire-engines. - -"In here--heard them slam the door!" gasped the rustic triumphantly. - -"We've got 'em," said the constable, breathing hard. He flung open the -door, and an angry white figure darted out fairly into his arms. It was -the baker himself, who had been hurrying to catch the "impudent rascal" -who had slammed the door; and, as it happened, his exit had coincided -with the constable's entrance. - -For a moment they struggled blindly, the baker dabbling his floury -hands over the other's tunic with a fine eye for effect. - -"Leggo!" panted the angry constable. "No use strug--whup!" - -"Scoundrel!" roared the baker, who was enormously fat and red, and who -was no mean hand at wrestling. "Whaddeyer mean by this--ur." - -They fell over on the ground, rolling, gasping, and wheezing, like two -great porpoises entangled with seaweed. Billy and Patch were helpless -with suppressed laughter, as the two big men ramped and roared on the -ground ludicrously. But in time their excitement cooled sufficiently -to permit of recognition, and they fell back, seated on the ground, -staring at one another amazedly. - -"Why, it's old Jim!" said the baker. - -"Course it is, you fathead! What the dickens do you mean?" - -"Mean?" repeated the baker. "I like that! It's you that ought to say -what you mean! Are you drunk?" - -"Drunk? Me? Why?" - -"Why, coming and playing fool tricks on my door--" - -"Who's doing that? All I was after was two fellows funning--no, two -fellows rulling!" The constable's tongue had become a trifle twisted, -and he sought to make amends by shouting at the top of his voice. - -"I mean," he roared, "you've got two hokes bliding--no, no!--they -cinched a poat, I mean! Dash it, they dot in this gore--!" - -"You are drunk," said the baker, judicially. "Very drunk," he added, as -an afterthought. - -"Never dinn before drinker--I mean, dink before drinner--no!" yelled -the constable at the loudest tone he could raise, becoming more and -more excited and inarticulate as he went on. "No, I don't mean that! -What I mean is, two geeves thot away--they--hurry up!--colted with a -boat!" - -"A boat?" the baker asked. "Are you mad, Jim, or only--" - -"Quick!" yelled the constable, threshing the air with his arms, and -dancing first on one foot and then on the other. "Two fung yellows--!" -This was as far as he could get, and he remained speechless, his eyes -protruding from his head, his tongue tied in a furious knot. - -"Oh, my only grandfather!" murmured Billy weakly, almost helpless from -his restrained laughter. - -There is no saying what might not have happened but for the -intervention of the red-faced boy, who blurted out his story, and -demanded the opening of the door. - -"Oh!" said the baker, comprehension dawning on him at last. "But they -didn't come in here, mate--they just slammed the door, and then -bolted. That's why I thought it was Bill, here, playing jokes on me, -and--" - -But the red-faced youngster had turned and gazed about him, and the -concealment afforded by the wood-pile proved inadequate, for he uttered -a yell and his sharp little eyes gleamed. "Here!" he roared. "I see -'em. Come on!" - -Billy and Patch had profited by their rest, and were away with the -speed of the wind. The others gave instant chase, even the baker -joining in. The fugitives realized that it would be a bad move to rush -out into the open street, and they doubled on their tracks again, and -darted into a grocery store, where they were met at the door by the -grocer, in grimy white apron, who had not been favourably impressed by -the manner of their entry. - -"Ha!" he said. "What do you want?" - -"A pound of hoo-jah!" said Patch promptly. - -"What?" demanded the grocer in astonishment. - -"Some gubbins," added Patch. - -"Some--some--" - -"Don't you sell it? A pound of doo-hickey." - -"Here--" began the grocer. - -"What I really want," said Patch calmly, "is an egg. Have you one? I'd -like one called Percival, please, about fourteen hands high, and not -too frisky. Ah, the very thing!" - -He selected a couple of eggs from an open box on the counter, while -the grocer looked on open-mouthed. He was quite convinced that he was -being visited by a couple of lunatics, and he was doubly sure when he -saw Patch turn to the doorway and let the red-faced youth have an egg -fairly in the eye. - -The pursuit had been somewhat tardy in discovering where the escapees -had gone, and it was now arrested by the bombardment that Patch opened -with the eggs. The baker, panting with open mouth, received a missile -directly upon the teeth. The egg burst, and he found himself swallowing -a mass of yolk and shattered shell. The constable had to wipe away a -sticky mess before he could see; and the red-faced boy, blinded by -the first egg, had collided with a pile of jam-tins, which descended -joyfully upon his head as he lay sprawling. - -"Thanks for the eggs," murmured Patch, pressing two florins into the -grocer's palm. "Is there a back exit? Lead on, Macduffer." - -And he bolted for the rear of the shop, closely followed by Billy. -They had been working their way towards the garage, and it was only a -stone's throw to the bicycle. - -Hastily throwing his levers into position, Patch trundled the big -Indian a few yards; and, as the engine began to fire, leapt on board, -followed in a moment by the ever-ready Billy. They stormed out of the -little village of Rimvale, leaving a trail of blue exhaust-smoke and -more than one angry person. - -"Quick work, quick work!" said Patch. "That's the life, isn't it? As -I said, when I gave up the job of carrying the red flag in front of a -steam roller, 'The excitement's killing me.' But we got the merry old -Star, and that's the main thing!" - -"Jingo, but I'm obliged to you," said Billy gratefully. "I don't know -what I should have done without you and the old bike! And that's a -fact." - -"Don't apologize," returned Patch cheerily. "We'll be back about -five--that is, if the idiot policeman doesn't take it into his head to -ring up and send a posse of constabulary on our track. I wonder how -your mates have been doing back at Deepwater? Trust that brainy young -brother of mine to concoct something ingenious to account for your -absence! Wonder how he did it?" - -That question was soon to be answered, when they arrived back at the -College, and Billy was able to question the others as to what had -transpired during his absence. He was vastly amused at the account of -how he had been impersonated in the classroom. - -He roared with laughter over the events narrated, and appeared a -different fellow altogether now that the Black Star was once again in -his keeping. - -"What about hiding the Star this time?" said Jack. - -"No Edgar Allan What's-this stunts," said Billy, grimly. "I'm going to -put it under that loose flooring-board in the study. When the carpet's -back in place no one could ever find it." - -And that evening the Star was duly interred in its new hiding-place, -the three study-mates standing round Billy Faraday as he replaced the -board and the carpet, and left everything intact. "Let's hope it's safe -this time," he breathed. - -As the three boys returned from lunch next day, Jack opened the study -door and fell back with an exclamation. - -"Redisham!" he said. - -"Yes, Redisham," said the owner of the name, in an obviously forced -attempt to appear at ease. "What about it?" - -The intruder was standing in the middle of the study, and it was -evident that their entry had surprised him. But there was nothing to -show that he had been up to any shady games. Jack closed the door. -He had remembered that they had their suspicions of Monty Redisham, -already--and it was not usual, at Deepwater, for visits to be paid to -studies during the occupants' absence. - -"What about it?" repeated Redisham, with a shade of defiance that -showed that he knew he was suspected. - -"Oh, nothing," said Jack carelessly. "What are you after?" - -Redisham met his gaze squarely, and then glanced at Billy Faraday and -Patch, who also were staring at him meaningly. He shifted from one foot -to the other. - -"I just came in to borrow a dicker," he explained. - -"And that, I suppose," said Jack, "is why you shut the door?" - -Redisham's lip curled. "I don't know what you are getting at, Symonds," -he said. "It's true that the door blew to, in a gust of wind just now, -but--" - -The three pals looked at him queerly, and he resolved on a bold stroke. -"Why, hang it," he said, taking the bull by the horns, "you look as if -you thought--thought I was trying to pinch some of your mouldy traps!" - -It was well done of Redisham. He met the charge before it was thrown at -him. He experienced a distinct ascendancy. - -"Oh, not at all," said Jack politely. "It looked queer for a moment -that was all--the door shut, and all that. Of course," he went on, with -elaborate irony, "if it had been somebody else, then--!" - -Redisham flushed under the sarcasm, and sat down with an affectation -of carelessness, showing his violent green socks as he pulled up his -immaculate trouser-legs. - -"I'm glad to hear it," he observed, his little eyes flashing. "How did -the race go this afternoon?" - -For a moment Jack did not reply, but eyed their visitor narrowly. He -would have given a good deal to be in a position to search the pockets -of the greasy, smiling senior. But there was nothing to go on--nothing -at all. Politeness had to be preserved. He too, sat down. Billy and -Septimus Patch did not move from the door. - -"And how's your friend, Mr. Daw, progressing?" asked Jack casually. - -Either Redisham was a good actor, or he was genuinely surprised by the -question. "My aunt!" he exclaimed. "Who told you that he was a friend -of mine?" - -"I thought it was general knowledge," replied Jack. "We all heard that -you considered him a little tin god, or something like that. I confess -I could never have much respect for him--unless perhaps I was in his -debt, or something--" - -He paused, and shot a glance at Redisham to watch the effect of this -loaded remark. But the senior took it very well indeed. - -"General knowledge is wrong, then," he said blandly. "Daw may be all -right--to those who know him, but I'm not one, or even likely to be. -You don't mind if I go now?" - -"Wouldn't you like to try a cup of brew?" - -"Not this time, thanks. I'll bring this dicker back directly I've used -it. Ta-ta." And he closed the door behind him. Billy spoke impulsively. - -"Well, that's fishy if you like! Wonder whether the brute found -anything? Perhaps it's better to have a look." - -He rolled back the carpet, and lifted the loose board. For a moment he -lay face down with his arm fumbling in the cavity. Then he rolled over -and sat up, his face gone suddenly white. - -"Jiminy!" he gasped. "The thing's not there!" - - - - - CHAPTER XI - - THE STAR MISSING - - -Jack Symonds uttered a cry of amazement, and even Septimus was stirred -out of his usual calm. - -"Not there!" repeated Jack. "Old fellow, are you certain? Surely it's -not gone already!" - -Billy rose to his feet with a gesture of deep despair. "Look for -yourself, then," he said. "It's no go, Jack--I made certain before I -spoke. She's gone this time--and I expect gone for good." - -"Don't say that, comrade!" urged Septimus, striking him on the -shoulder. "We got it back once, so why not again? Look here, there's--" - -"Wait!" Jack interrupted him. "Ten to one it's that oily brute -Redisham! He had the thing in his pocket all the time we were speaking -to him. Oh, he's cool and all that, but I'm going along to ask him -right out what he's done with it! There!" - -Septimus Patch pulled him back from the door. "No, no, Jack!" he -pleaded. "We've got no evidence that he's taken it, and if you went -along that way he'd just laugh in your face, that's what he'd do. -It looks to me as if he did pinch the Star, but--well, we can't do -anything to him; he's got the whip hand over us. We'll find another -way, never fear." - -"But what way _is_ there?" objected Jack. - -Patch did not reply, but stared out of the window in deep thought. -His eyes were narrowed to mere slits behind his great tortoise-shell -glasses. He rubbed his hands together nervously. - -"Give me time--give me time," he asked. "There must be a better -way--let me think." - -"And we're giving the beggar more time to hide it," said Billy Faraday. - -"If he took it," said Septimus. - -"What do you mean?" - -"Why, just this. He must have been tremendously slick to have found the -hiding-place, secured the Star, and replaced everything as before! How -long could he have been in the room? Not long. Yet he had the nerve to -do all that, knowing that we might be back any minute. Besides, why -hadn't he gone when we arrived?" - -"Why?" - -"Seems to me he was just spying round. You remember he was standing in -front of our lockers. Supposing that he had found the Star where we hid -it. Would he be likely to hang round until we came? You can bet your -life he'd be off in a moment! Again, why replace the carpet and the -board? It only took longer, and delay was most dangerous for Redisham. -Put yourself in his place. If you'd found the Star, wouldn't you have -bolted right away? There'd be no sense in fixing up the carpet--your -big idea would be to make yourself scarce, see?" - -"So you think the Star went before Redisham came here?" - -"I think so, comrade. Perhaps it went last night, and, if so, we know -who took it!" - -"Doctor Daw," murmured Jack. - -"Of course, Monty Redisham is up to some dirty game or other. Quite -likely he's in Daw's debt, and Daw is using him as a tool. But if we go -to Redisham, and let him know we've suspected him to that extent, and -that we've been robbed, then he'll tell Daw everything." - -"But what are we going to do about it?" - -"Lie low. Redisham can wait--I've got a scheme for fixing him later, -getting him into a trap. But Daw's got to be watched--and watched -closely." - -"Well?" - -The schoolboy detective looked thoughtful. Then he spoke with -assurance. "Look here, comrades--Hullo, here's Fane!" - -"What's the matter?" asked Fane immediately. - -Patch explained, and then went on: "I was just going to suggest a -scheme. Jack heard Daw say that he wanted to stay on here at Deepwater. -Therefore, he's not likely to bolt with the Star, if he's got it. We'll -watch him, see where he goes, and while he's out one of us can ransack -his room. Probably, though, he has the Star on his person, and he'll be -anxious to get it across to Lazare or Humbolt. As soon as he does that, -we can have either of them arrested quietly, before they have time to -get far!" - -"Otherwise?" queried Jack. - -"Otherwise," said Patch quietly, "we'll have to go to the Head, tell -all we know, and trust to luck that we'll be able to outwit the brutes! -But you know how clumsy that notion is--the Head would almost want -written confessions and affidavits before he'd venture to arrest a -master! And Daw would swear black, blue and all colours that he'd never -seen the Star, and didn't want to. You see how hard it would be for us -to do anything?" - -Accordingly a close watch was kept by one of the four pals on Doctor -Daw; but they had to admit that the man was a wonderfully good actor, -for he showed no signs of confusion or excitement, and remained indoors -for the greater part of the time. For two nights he did not go out. - -One of these nights, however uneventful for Doctor Daw, was certainly -crammed with incident for Redisham. Patch had promised that he would -catch the greasy senior in a trap, and he held good his word. The -society of the Crees proved to be the instrument of his downfall. - -During preparation one evening, Redisham was surprised by a knock on -his study door. Hastily extinguishing his cigarette, which, in flagrant -defiance of all rules, he was smoking, he called out, "Come in!" - -A very small and innocent junior entered. - -"Please, Redisham," he said, "Mr. Daw said he wants to see you outside -the Chemistry classroom door at once." - -"What's that? Doctor--I mean Mr. Daw wants to see me now. Isn't he -taking prep. in Big School?" - -"Well, he is, but he stepped outside for a few minutes, and sent me up -to find you. I think he only wants you for a moment." - -"Confound him!" muttered Redisham, putting on his cap. "All right, -youngster--cut away." - -The senior lumbered down the stairs, a big, awkward figure that moved -clumsily. It was nearly dark outside, but he distinguished the form of -Mr. Daw outside the chemistry-room. - -As he approached, the master slipped into the porch, and beckoned -Redisham to follow. - -"Come in here," he whispered. Inside, it was darker than ever. "Well," -the master pursued, "and did you find it?" - -Redisham shook his head. "No luck," he grumbled. - -"Did you look?" said Daw cuttingly. - -"Yes, I did! Honestly, I didn't have much time, but I looked hard -enough. The young blighters came back and found me in the room at that!" - -"All right. But see me behind the gymnasium after lights-out, to-night. -I've found something--I want you." - -Redisham uttered a grumbling protest. "I say, it's confoundedly risky -to be strolling round after lights-out. You've always got me doing it -now, and I'll be getting into trouble." - -The master uttered a short laugh. "You'll be there, anyhow! And now -I've got to get back to preparation." - -They parted; but Redisham would have been considerably startled to -have watched the master, who did not go back to Big School, but who -joined Symonds and Patch at the side of the chemistry-room, and shook -with laughter. Also, as all the juniors of Salmon's house could have -informed Redisham, Mr. Daw had undoubtedly been in Big School all the -evening, in charge of preparation. Two facts that might have caused him -some perturbation, had he been aware of them. - -As it was, he walked into the trap laid for him as guilelessly as a -snared chicken. He strolled round after lights-out to the side of the -gymnasium, as directed by the bogus Doctor Daw, and waited, kicking his -heels for a good five minutes. - -"The man's a thundering nuisance!" groaned the unfortunate senior, -looking round him. "Gee! What's that?" - -His ejaculation had been drawn forth by the sight of a couple of men -who, dimly visible in the half-light, had appeared round the end of the -gymnasium. - -Redisham wheeled round with a dismayed gasp, and prepared for flight. -But he remained where he was, rooted to the ground with horror. About -five similar dark forms had appeared quite silently behind him, and now -confronted him evilly. With a shock of dismay he perceived that they -wore black masks, and had their collars turned up about their ears. - -"What--what d-do you w-want?" he said in a remarkably husky voice that -somehow would not obey him. Redisham was a bit of a diplomat at times, -but he had no physical courage. All his strength seemed to have left -his legs, and he shook like a leaf in a gale. - -"Shurrup!" came the low retort in ruffianly tones, from the foremost of -the ugly-looking band. "Stow the lingo, or we'll throttle you! You one -of the school kids, hey?" - -"Y-yes." - -The miserable Redisham heard footsteps behind him, and knew that the -other two were close. He wished with all his heart that Daw would -arrive. He would have been a good deal less hopeful had he known that -Daw was, at that moment, asleep in bed. Suddenly he was bowled over by -his cowardly assailants, and gagged. - -In approved bandit style he was trussed hand and foot, and a bandage -was finally tied over his eyes, completely excluding everything from -his sight. He groaned. What on earth had happened? He was being carried -by two of the men over rough country, and presently he lost count -of their steps. They went miles and miles, as it seemed; his heart -descended into his boots. He could already see himself tied up in a -sack and thrown into a lonely part of the river. - -Suddenly the journey ended. As a matter of fact, he had been carried -five times round the playing-fields, with suitable changes of ground, -and the Crees had taken it in turns to lug him about, for he was of -no mean weight. They now entered Salmon's and on tiptoe brought their -prisoner into the boot-room. - -Flat on the floor Redisham was laid, and the bandage was removed from -his eyes. An oil lamp guttered above his head, throwing a faint, -uncertain light that wavered to and fro, making everything indistinct. -Before him sat the most fearsome figure of the lot--a short, thick man -in a sweater and wearing a beard, who held a revolver in his hand--a -wicked-looking thing that sent a frightened shiver down the senior's -back. In point of fact, this was Billy's weapon, which he had brought -out of its concealment for the purpose; undeniably it gave a touch of -colour to the scene. - -It was, as a matter of cold fact, unloaded; but Redisham in the depths -of his funk could not know that. He lay and stared up at it goggle-eyed. - -"Now," said the leader of the gang of roughs, "you're miles away from -anyone here, so it's no use yelling. Get me? Take his mufflers off, -Snyder." - -The man addressed as Snyder elevated himself out of the gloom and came -slowly forward. He undid the bandages that held Redisham in durance, -and the fear-stricken senior sat up, chafing his legs. - -"See here, younker!" It was the awesome chief speaking again. "Are your -people worth much?" - -"I--what do you mean?" spluttered Redisham. - -"I means what I says!" said the fellow, in a low voice of concentrated -fury. "Answer up, an' look slippy, or perhaps my finger'll slip on this -'ere trigger, and--" - -"Please d-don't shoot!" quavered Redisham. "Do you mean have my people -got much money?" - -"Yes--have they?" - -"Not very much--really." - -"Crab apples!" cried the ferocious leader, angrily. "How much would -they hand out to get you back, you miserable worm?" - -"To g-get me back?" - -"To buy you back! Shiver my timbers, but you've got more talk than a -Madras monkey. How much ransom, hey? Five hundred?" - -"I don't think so. Why, are you g-going--" - -"Yes, my hearty, we're going to hold you to ransom!" came the -disconcerting answer. "Is the figure five hundred?" - -"But that's to-too much," shivered Redisham, squirming on the floor -beneath the menace of the revolver, which the chief held in almost -playful fashion four inches from his left eye. - -"Too much! I should say it was too much!" rejoined the other, with -promptness. "Five hundred for a bit of a puppy like you! Why, I'd not -give five hundred pence! I'd throw the main deck overboard before I'd -think of it! Wouldn't I?" he asked. - -"I'm sure you would," said Redisham hurriedly. - -"I expect your parents'll be downright glad to get rid of you, hey?" - -"I--I suppose so." - -"Well, belay my scuppers, if they don't part up with the boodle you'll -be shipped to South America, that's all!" - -"S--south America?" - -"South America I said! They buy men for ten pounds apiece, to work 'em -in the copper-mines. Think of it, hey! Workin' there year in, year out, -and never see this place any more! Lovely prospect, ain't it? Like the -idea?" - -"N--no," said Redisham, to whom the idea did not appeal in the remotest -way. - -"Gr-r-rr! Of course you don't! But if your old man don't pay up, -well--we'll have to get our tenner from you. Won't we, Snyder?" - -"Sure," said Snyder. "But we'd only get eight for this goat--he's all -flabby, no muscle, no chest, no nothink! Jest skin an' bone, that's all -he is! Feel him!" - -He did so, with his boot. - -"That's so," agreed the chief. "He's just the spit of that bloke we -shipped last summer--the bloke that pegged out on the voyage. Remember?" - -"You bet," answered Snyder tersely. "They had to sling him overboard, -and the sharks got the captain's tenner-worth! Just as well we got the -money first, hey, mates?" - -The mates all responded with a low, sinister laugh that made Redisham's -blood run cold. - -"See here," he pleaded. "Let me g-go!" - -"Gr-r-rr!" snarled the chief. "Let you go! Likely, ain't it? Now, you -stay here while we go upstairs and write a little note to your old -man. You can add something that'll make them hurry up with the tin!" - -"Or it's the South American mines for you!" grated Snyder, approaching -his face closely to Redisham's. - -"And no funny business," added the chief warningly, taking the lamp and -looking back as he closed the door. "You stay here like a good kid, an' -remember it's no use singing out. Mind you're here when we come back -or--" - -He touched the butt of his revolver significantly, and closed the door. -Dense darkness shut down on the miserable Redisham. - -When he had waited twenty minutes in the same position, he was -under the impression that he had waited several hours. He had never -experienced anything like the dead, changeless silence that now -reigned. For what seemed an age there was no sound--not even the -smallest sound. And then, feeling that he would scream out if he did -not do something, he commenced to explore his surroundings. He collided -with an immense table, on which were piled boots--in incredible -quantities. He could make nothing of this mystery. At every stage it -became more and more weird. Boots! What could that mean? He was still -wondering when he barged into something solid, and it went over with -an ear-splitting crash. For some seconds there was silence. Then came -footsteps; the door opened. - -"I wasn't trying to get out!" he protested feebly; and then his jaw -fell. The figure before him was Mr. Glenister, of Salmon's, and the -young master was carrying a candle! - - - - - CHAPTER XII - - BILLY WALKS IN HIS SLEEP - - -Redisham did not pause a moment. He flung himself forward, grasped the -amazed master round the waist, and held on with all his strength. - -"Oh, save me!" he gasped. "Hurry up, sir! Take me away--before they -come back!" - -"What--what?" muttered the master, fully convinced that Redisham had -gone off his head. "What do you mean?" - -"The bandits, the bandits!" babbled Redisham. "They said they'd come -back--" - -"Come back?" queried the dazed master. "The bandits? Let me go! I don't -understand--" - -"Oh, hurry up, hurry up," murmured Monty, in an agony of apprehension. -"They've got pistols, and everything, and they'll get ten pounds for -you if they catch you. It's awful! Come back to the school, sir--hurry!" - -"Back to the school? Redisham, wake up! You must be dreaming--we're at -the school now, and I want to know what you're doing in the boot-room -at this time of night." - -"You--what?" asked Monty Redisham, putting his hand to his head and -staring round wildly. "Are we at the College?" - -"Of course we are! Where else did you think you were?" - -"But I thought--I thought," gasped Redisham, still failing to -understand. "Then they didn't kidnap me?" - -"No, no; of course they didn't." - -"And they won't write for a ransom?" - -"No--you've been having a nightmare, boy. Overeating, and reading -novels! Come, get back to bed at once." - -Hardly knowing whether he was standing on his head or his heels, -Redisham was conducted back to his dormitory, where he undressed and -got into bed. There, for the first time, it began to dawn upon him that -he had been the victim of a practical joke. Hot waves of anger swept -over him at the recollection. He had made a complete fool of himself. - -"Dash it all," he muttered savagely, "what an ass I was! Ten to one it -was those confounded Crees--got me outside the gym, carted me about, -and took me into the boot-room. Well, this beats the band!" - -He nearly choked with fury at the thought of his ignominious treatment. - -"Wonder how they knew?" he went on. "Must have heard Daw--or perhaps -it wasn't Daw at all! I see it all now! Thought at the time Daw was -speaking rather strangely.... Jove!" he muttered, as another aspect -of the case struck him, "some beggars must know ... about Daw and me! -Symonds and Faraday and, and--oh, what a night!" - -He pulled the sheets over his head with a groan, and tried to sleep. - -As for Jack, he was in immense feather over the business. Not only had -they satisfied themselves that Redisham knew nothing about the missing -Star, but the four pals had also had the time of their lives. Those of -the Crees who had had a hand in the tormenting of Redisham were all -agreed that the jape was the boldest on record, and the tale, as passed -on in an elaborated form, brought a chain of chuckles from everybody in -Salmon's. And even at that Redisham was lucky; they knew nothing of his -discovery by Mr. Glenister. All things considered, it was wiser to keep -silence. - -"I say, Jack," said Fane the next afternoon, "do you see by the paper -that Harry Nelson is coming down to Windsor?" - -"Nelson, the light-weight champion?" - -"Yes. He's going to box an exhibition with some fellow or other at the -opening of the new Sports Club up there. Look here--it's all in this," -he added, throwing the paper across. - -Jack read in silence for a few minutes. Nelson, the Australian -champion, was going to pay a visit to Windsor, a large mining centre -some ten miles north of Deepwater Bay. The exhibition was timed to come -off that night. - -"Nelson's real first-class, I've heard," said Jack. - -"Yes, that's what they say about him," agreed Fane. "I say, how would -it be to slip out to-night and see him?" - -"If we--" - -"The roads are pretty decent, and we could get on our grids all -right--it shouldn't take more than an hour to reach there, at the -outside." - -Jack was silent. The proposition appealed to him greatly. "I've a good -mind to come," he said at last. "Of course, there's the risk--" - -"I know; but there's not much risk, after all--and it's worth it." - -"Yes; it's worth while seeing Nelson.... All right, then, count me in. -How about Billy or Patchie?" - -Fane shook his head. "I doubt whether they'd want to come. In any -case four fellows missing from the dormitory would be a bit over the -odds--it wouldn't take much to get us pinched." - -"You're right. Well, don't forget." - -And they might have been seen speeding over the dark road to Windsor, -later on, on their bicycles. They arrived in the town just before the -performance was due to start, and got seats close up, near the stage, -which had been converted into a ring. - -All around them there was the noise of the crowded audience. Jack and -Fane sat down guiltily, wearing plain tweed caps in the place of their -college caps, but full of excitement. There was not long to wait. - -"Gen'l'men!" shouted the announcer hoarsely; "Harry Nelson, -light-weight champeen of Orstralyer!" - -Nelson smiled and bowed. He had a square, alert-looking face and bright -eyes. - -The champion had brought his own sparring-partner, and shortly his -robe was slung off, and he got to work. Jack and Fane whistled with -admiration at the man's magnificent physique. It seemed incredible that -such strength could be packed away in so small a parcel, for he was no -more than five inches over the five-foot mark. - -The spar was a brilliant one, as Nelson had opportunities for display -that a serious contest would not have afforded him. Jack and Fane sat -entranced at the show, watching the fast little fellow dancing about -the ring as lightly as a feather. They were sorry when the bout came -to an end. Nelson remained in his corner, and presently the announcer -came forward with a surprise to spring on the house. - -"I have much pleasure in stating," he said, "that Nelson will box four -rounds with any man under eleven stone in the audience. If anyone can -last the full four rounds, the management will present him with five -pounds!" - -"Hold me back!" said Jack, pretending to struggle towards the aisle, -but taking care not to be successful. - -"Hullo!" said Fane, suddenly. "Somebody giving it a flutter!" - -Jack looked across the crowded house, and as the challenger gained the -stage he let out a gasp of astonishment. For the man was none other -than Humbolt, the intimate of Doctor Daw, and the colleague of the -mysterious Lazare! - -Jack remembered, now, that when he had first seen the fellow he had -marked him down as an ex-pugilist. What sort of a showing would he -make? Humbolt bent and whispered mysteriously in the announcer's ear. - -"Gen'l'men!" cried the announcer, placing his hand upon the head of the -grinning Tiger, "Doctor Daw--Doctor Daw!" - -"Go on, Doc!" yelled some irrepressible from the back of the hall. - -Jack was choking with laughter. The dour Humbolt must have a sense of -humour after all, he thought, thus to assume the name of his colleague -as a nom-de-guerre. The mental picture of the oily, shifty Daw in a -boxing-ring caused Jack inward convulsions, which he had only just -overcome when the gong went for the first round. - -"Doctor Daw," in trousers and singlet, met a very different Nelson from -the pretty sparrer of a few minutes ago. The light-weight champion went -for his man in deadly earnest, and the sound of blows filled the hall. -But Humbolt was no fool--far from it. He saw that Nelson was taking -him cheaply, and waited his chance. He was badly knocked about for two -rounds, or so it seemed from the audience. In reality he was taking any -amount of punches on gloves or forearms. - -In the third round a startling diversion occurred. Nelson was hammering -his man in fine style, when suddenly "Doctor Daw" stepped forward with -his right foot and slid his left back, thus reversing his feet. Then -his left glove shot into the champion's unguarded body, and his right -shoulder seemed to jerk back with the venom and force of the blow. - -Down went Nelson amid a startled roar--and stayed down. Humbolt grinned -widely, and strolled back to his corner. The champion was palpably -knocked out, and with one of the neatest "plexus" hits that any man -present had seen. - -As soon as the light-weight champion had recovered his wind, he made a -hurried exit. He was not staying to tackle any more dark horses of this -stamp. And Humbolt was presented with the five-pound note in full view -of the audience. - -"By jove, that was neat!" said Fane. "Nelson took the fellow far too -cheaply--and, of course, 'Doctor Daw' was heavier. All the same--" - -"You're right, laddie," said a venerable-looking old man sitting on -Jack's left. "Nelson took that fellow too cheaply and I'll bet he -didn't know who he was, or--" - -"Why? Who was it?" - -"Nobody here knows, seemingly," returned the white-bearded man, "but -that was Jim Camp, who used to be light-weight champion about twenty -years ago. That hit was his famous 'shift'--he knocked out scores of -opponents with it, and then left the game suddenly--I don't know why. -At any rate, it was believed that he'd gone to America. I've been -puzzling ever since he started who he was--and I'm sure now, after -seeing that old 'shift' again." - -"Jove, that's interesting," said Jack. "Do you know whether 'Jim Camp' -was his real name?" - -"No, it wasn't his right name. I've forgotten what his right name -was--something foreign, or foreign-sounding--" - -"Not Humbolt?" suggested Jack gently. - -"Humbolt! Bless my soul, I believe you're right! A funny fellow he was, -too--not altogether straight out of the ring, they used to say. Of -course, I don't know.... And he was always terribly afraid of snakes. -One time he had a contest with a fellow who knew all about this snake -business, and the cunning dodger actually came in with a belt made out -of snake-skin--one of these big cobras, you know, with large markings -that you could see a mile off. - -"The buckle of the belt was a snake's-head design with the tail in its -mouth, and it fairly gave Jim Camp the shivers. He fought about three -rounds, and then his towel came in. He couldn't get near the thing, you -see. Funny, isn't it, how we're all scared of some silly thing like -that? Jim, they said, always made it an article in his agreements after -that that the belt should be of plain design, with no snaky fancy-work -on it, and so the trick wasn't tried again." - -The veteran smiled at his memories, and the boys, finding it was -rather late, decided to go. They did not care to stop for the rest of -the programme, which was a twenty-round contest; and, getting their -bicycles back from the shop, made off towards Deepwater. - -They arrived safely, and without detection. - -"What a term this has been," murmured Jack, "all flittings out and in, -night and day. Rummy, isn't it?" - -They entered the school by an accessible window, and made their way -along the silent corridors. As they passed through, Fane gripped Jack's -arm tightly. - -"Jack!" he said. "What's that?" - -In a moment his question had answered itself. "That" was the shadowy -figure of a boy in his pyjamas; and as he passed a moonlit window -they saw that it was Billy Faraday. They saw also, that he was -sleep-walking, and that he carried the Black Star in his hand ... then -out of the shadows a dark figure leapt upon the sleeping boy and flung -him to the ground. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - - A MYSTERY UNRAVELLED - - -Such was the rapid succession of events that Fane and Jack Symonds -remained for a few seconds rooted to the spot, by sheer stupefaction -and surprise. That Billy should thus be walking in his sleep, and -bearing the lost Star in his hands, was strange enough, but that he -should be attacked before their very eyes was quite astounding. They -might well have been pardoned for a moment of inaction. Then the -tension snapped. "Come on!" said Jack quietly. "It's that beast Daw!" - -In their stockinged feet the two boys darted along the corridor. Billy -Faraday had come back to the waking world with a startled cry, and -seemed quite incapable of movement, while Doctor Daw, in his black -suit, bent over him like a carrion crow, and struggled to wrest the -Star from the boy's grasp. - -He succeeded at last, and with a low cry of triumph, turned to escape. -At that moment he was tackled madly by a bunched-up body that he might, -given the requisite time, have recognized as Fane's. His legs were -whisked from beneath him, and he sat down with an agonizing thump, -while Jack Symonds collapsed upon him with all his heavy weight. The -Black Star escaped from his fingers, and slithered along the tiled -floor, where the now awakened Billy secured it eagerly. - -"Give it up, give it up," ground out Jack, apparently endeavouring to -fracture the tiles with Daw's head. "Come on--you're caught this time!" - -"Gr-rr-r!" gurgled Daw. "Clug--gump!" - -"All right," panted Billy in Jack's ear. "I've got it!" - -Slowly the two boys allowed the infuriated master to regain his feet. -He did so, and stood there, panting and scowling at them. - -"You brats--you brats!" he gritted, between his teeth. "You infernal -brats!" - -"I fancy," said Jack quietly, "that we've put a finger in your -pie--what?" - -Mr. Daw took a step forward, and his eyes blazed with intense anger. It -looked very much as if he would strike the cool youngster before him, -but his hand fell to his side again. - -"Yes," went on Jack, "we've just about spoked your wheel!" - -Daw seemed to make an immense effort for self-control. He swallowed -several times. Then, "I don't know what you mean, you insolent puppy!" -he burst out. "And I'd like to know just what you mean by attacking -your master in this disgraceful manner--and also what you are doing out -of your dormitory at this time of night!" - -"Well, I like that!" exclaimed Jack. "After you jumped on poor Billy -here, and--" - -"That was my mistake," said Daw, who had recovered a great measure -of his composure. "I took him for a burglar, as was quite natural. -No boy should be out of his dormitory at this hour. I was bent on -capturing what I imagined to be an intruder. But your offence demands -explanation--and I must have it, at once." - -"What about the Black Star?" asked Jack boldly. - -Daw's self-control was excellent. "Black Star?" he repeated. "You are -trying to be impudent, I suppose! Well, you'll suffer for it, upon -my word. Go back to your dormitory at once--I'll send for you in the -morning." - -He turned and stalked away, a tall, black figure passing the floods of -moonlight that entered the row of windows. The three chums watched him -out of sight with mingled feelings. - -"Well," said Jack grimly, "that was quick work, with a vengeance! I -don't know what really happened now, if you ask me. Billy, old chap, -what on earth were you doing with the Star? Where did you find it?" - -"That's what beats me," said Billy, scratching his tousled hair. "I was -asleep, wasn't I?" - -"You were, until that brute Daw bolted at you. Didn't know you were a -sleep-walker, all the same." - -"Nor did I, old fellow. I thought I was safe in my little bunk, and I -woke up to find myself on the floor and Daw falling all over me. I tell -you, it shook me up a bit! I didn't know whether I was asleep or awake." - -"That's all right," broke in Fane, "but, you mysterious blighter, where -did the Star come from? Seems to me this beats Conan Doyle and his -spooks into a cocked hat. I suppose a bally spirit guided you to the -spot, or something--ten to one it was Daw's room, and the blinking old -thief bolted after you and tried to get the Star back. Does that fit?" - -"My only aunt!" exclaimed Jack. "My head's fairly spinning with -the business. Old Billy must have supernatural powers--any of your -ancestors witches, or anything like that, old man? Come on, don't let -us worry about the rotten affair any more to-night. I've bitten off -more mystery than I can chew! Off to bed, and be jolly thankful that -we've got the Star back again. It is the real Star, by the way, and not -a fake?" - -"Oh, it's the real Star all right," returned Billy. "It's not going out -of my pocket until we can find an absolutely safe hiding-place. Twice -lost and twice found! Bit of a record, don't you think?" - -"Bit of whacking great luck," said Jack. - -Billy grinned happily, overjoyed at the recovery of the Star, and the -three of them trooped off to their dormitory. - -The next morning Septimus Patch listened to a full account of the -events of that memorable night, and regretted that he had been absent, -"snoring," as he expressed it, "in a manner more worthy of a pig than -an investigator." - -"What do you make of Billy's find?" Jack asked him, and the inventor -wrinkled his brows in perplexity. - -"Well, for one thing," he said, "I don't believe that Daw had the Star. -It seems incredible that Billy could have walked in his sleep and just -collared the thing calmly! Look at it--the idea's piffle, plain piffle. -No, the solution is something different, but I'm blessed if I can -find--wait a moment!" - -He held his head in both hands, and walked rapidly up and down the -carpet of the study. Then he turned and looked out on the quadrangle -for a few minutes. When he again faced his pals, they observed that his -face was alight with what might prove the solution of the mystery. - -"I believe I've got it, comrades," he said. "I believe I know what -happened. Billy took the Star out of the hollow under the loose board, -and hid it elsewhere. Last night he returned in his sleep and got it -back again." - -"My poor fellow!" exclaimed Jack. "It is so very painful." - -"What's painful?" - -"That rush of brains to the head! Doesn't your cranium feel -tight--almost bursting?" - -"Seriously, comrade." Patch's idea rode superior to Jack's frivolity. -"Just cast your mind back over what happened. Billy had concealed the -Star, but, of course, he didn't know that it was safe, even under the -boards. The business preyed on his mind. It worked on him to such an -extent that in his sleep one night he came and took the Star away--to -put it in some safer place, goodness knows where. - -"Then, we find that the Star is missing--how long after Billy shifted -it, we don't know. But it was gone, we all know that. Billy here knew -nothing about his sleep-walking--didn't even know that he was addicted -to sleep-walking. And so he remembered nothing of having moved the -Star. Of course, he worried some more about the thing, and did the same -thing again--went out, got the Star from where he had hidden it, and -was bringing it to another place, when Daw happened to spot him, and, -of course, pounced on it." - -"By Jingo!" said Fane, regarding Patch with an admiring eye. - -"Yes, that's what happened, comrades. And goodness knows where Billy -would have put it if he hadn't been pulled up--perhaps in the Head's -waistcoat, or else up the fireplace. Lucky things panned out as they -did, eh?" - -"I keep telling Billy he ought to go on the Stock Exchange," said Jack. -"His luck's blown in the bottle, all wool and a yard wide!" - -"Of course, we'll have to guard against this sort of thing in the -future, however good his luck is. Next time coincidences might fail -to--to--" - -"--to coincide," finished Jack brightly. "Exactly. The best thing for -us to do is to let me hide the Star, and then Billy can't get at it -without my telling him, sleep-walking or otherwise." - -"That's the ticket! You take the thing and hide it in some secure place -or other--be sure we don't make a miss of it, this time--and then you -can tell Fane and me, but not Billy. I don't think I walk in my sleep, -and, as for Fane, he walks often enough when he should be asleep, but -that's a different matter." - -And so it was arranged. Jack concealed the Star that afternoon, in -the most unlikely of places. He got an old rubber-grip from a bat, -and inserted the Star in this, while he tied both ends securely with -twine. The whole thing he attached to a fine fishing-line. Walking -along to the river, he flung the Star into the water, and fixed the end -of the line to the root of a tree some six inches under water. The line -would never be seen; and unless something very like a miracle occurred, -the package could hardly be recovered from the thick mud at the bottom -of the river. He breathed a sigh of relief. - -"Well, it's safe enough there," he murmured, looking round him. He had -been only a few minutes at work, and there was no one in sight. "And -nobody's noticed," he added, strolling off in the direction of the -school. - -Still pondering the matter of the Black Star and all the trouble and -excitement it had brought in its train, he was passing a clump of -thorn-bushes, called by the College "Willy-Whiskers," when the hum of -voices was borne to his ears by the breeze. - -"Hullo!" said Jack, and pulled up. The place Willy-Whiskers was used, -nowadays, only as a fighting-ground, when some particularly important -encounter was mooted. Here the spectators could yell to their hearts' -content, without fear of being "dropped on" by a passing master. Jack -wondered. Was a fight in progress? - -Irresolutely he moved forward; the sounds were totally unlike those -usually accompanying schoolboy battles. Instead, it looked much as if -there was a meeting of some sort being held in the heart of the thick -tangle of thorn, the quaint shape of which had given it its name. - -"... Those rotten Crees ... we'll be able ... shock of their lives ..." -came the words, with significant gaps; and Jack immediately considered -it his business to investigate. He thought that this was a meeting of -the Calamitous Cripples, the rival society to the Crees--and he was not -mistaken. - -Approaching silently in the long grass, Jack Symonds peered curiously -through the interstices of the jungle-like mass of thorn. There was -Cummles, the renegade Cree, holding the floor, as usual; his fellows -were asking him questions, to which he was replying confidently. - -"We'll reel off as many copies of the notice as we'll want," he was -saying. "The Crees will all fall for the wheeze, and everything should -go well, with ordinary luck." - -"How about the notice?" asked one of the Cripples. - -"I've got a copy of it here," said Cummles; "we've got a jelly -thingummy in our study that'll print off as many sheets as you like. -I'll read it: 'Dear brother Cree, This is to let you know that a -special banquet is being given by the under-signed in honour of Jack -Symonds, Chief Cree, in the old Science room on Friday night next, at -half-past nine. As it is intended as a surprise to the Chief, the -matter must be kept a secret from him and his immediate friends. All -Crees to be present. Signed, S. Fane.'" - -"That's all right!" agreed the Cripples, readily. "But how does it go -on then?" - -"Why, it's just like falling off a log--they all crowd into the old -Science room, and then one of us will slip out and lock the door. Then -the fun starts. We've saved up lots of bottles of that sulphuretted -hydrogen stuff--you know, that rotten-egg smell--and we're just going -to let them loose on the poor beggars. And other things that I've -thought of. When they're just about done, old Simpole here will light a -flashlight affair and take their photo--all sneezing and wrinkling up -their noses with snuff and the awful smells--and we'll circulate that -photo, or copies of it, all over the House. We'll call it, 'A Meeting -of the Crees,' or something like that. The Crees will just about buck -up when they see it, and it'll be the most spiffing score this term. -Think of them--all dancing and prancing there, looking as scared as a -lot of boxed-up rabbits!" - -"I vote it a bonzer scheme!" came the admiring voice of one of -Cummles's friends. "The only thing is, will it work all right?" - -"Will it work?" demanded Cummles indignantly. "I should just say it -will! How on earth can it go wrong?" - -His questioner subsided into silence, and then Jack deemed it prudent -to move quietly away. - -"Will it work?" repeated the Chief Cree to himself. "Well, rather! Only -in a different way from the one these Cripples intend...." - -He chuckled to himself as he threw open the door of Study No. 9. Billy -Faraday and Patch were there, and they had a queer-looking contraption -on the table that Jack did not remember to have seen before. Patch's -fingers were liberally stained with black ink, and as Jack entered he -scratched his forehead in a worried manner, leaving sundry streaks and -blotches on his face. - -"Hullo, Patchie!" exclaimed Jack. "What a dandy you are--always -titivating yourself up. If it's not rouge or face-powder, then it's -ink. A nice thick coating of tar would improve the appearance of your -face wonderfully." - -"Well, comrade, I do not grudge you your meed of humour. I know it's a -bright spot in an otherwise gloomy life. But you might put it to better -use--what about writing a funny column for our paper?" - -"For your what?" - -"Paper, comrade," explained Patch pityingly. "In the big cities they -print the news on big sheets of paper, which people buy and often read. -Ours will not stop at news, though. Critical comment on curious members -of the school--frightful libels on all and sundry--all that sort of -thing." - -Jack's interest was now thoroughly aroused. - -"What," he said, "you're not going to run a rival show to the -_Gazette_?" - -The _Deepwater Gazette_ was the somewhat staid official journal of -the College, which issued twice a year, and was religiously bought by -the collegers, who read nothing of it excepting the sporting records. -Patch showed, by a shake of his head, that he did not mean to push the -official paper out of business. - -"No, comrade," he said; "our paper will be brighter, full of -snappy snips, and nifty news, quips and jests. This is a small -printing-press"--he indicated the machine on the table--"and we'll turn -out any number of copies, and--" - -"Hold hard," said Jack suddenly, interrupting him, "I've just -remembered...." - -He went on to tell the tale of the plot that the Cripples were -preparing against them. When he had come to the end of his recital his -companions whistled concernedly. But he went on--speaking in a low -voice to them as they sat attentively listening to him--to outline a -scheme for the reversal of the proposed jape. When he had finished they -were both grinning broadly. - -"Comrade," said Patch, "you have some of the elements of the practical -joker in you." - -"It'll be a tremendous thud for Cummles and his bright boys, at any -rate," Jack assured him. "And Simpole isn't the only one who can take -photographs!" - - - - - CHAPTER XIV - - DOG-FACE - - -On the following Thursday afternoon there was a half-holiday, and Jack -Symonds found himself suddenly without occupation. He had intended -to go for a ramble into the bush behind the college, but at the last -moment his proposed companion had been unable to accompany him. He was -therefore at a loose end, but it was not in him to remain idle for long. - -"What are you going to do with your useless self?" he demanded of Billy -jocularly. - -"Didn't you know? Some of us are going for a sail on the bay." - -"Are you? What ripping luck! Any room for a bad sailor who doesn't know -a mainbrace from a companion hatchway?" - -"I think we can find room," said Billy. "Don't you think so, Patchie?" - -"I do, comrade. That is, provided he doesn't get his feet in the -scuppers or start dancing a jig on the keel." - -"Good-oh!" said Jack. "Are you coming now? Yes? Half a mo', till I run -down into the Gym. and change. I'll meet you at the landing stage." - -A spanking breeze was blowing as the little party of five put off from -the jetty and slid out carefully into the blue expanse of the bay. -The steering and management of the little craft, which was merely an -undecked skiff, was undertaken by Billy Faraday. The boat was fitted -with a single balance lug sail, but it was fairly large, and soon they -were running before the wind at a smart clip. - -"By Jingo!" said Jack, smacking Patchie upon the back, "this is -exhilarating, isn't it?" - -"Yes, comrade, it's not bad. When we get a little farther out you may -paddle your feet in the water," said Patch, kindly. "This, my lad, is -the sea, the abode of the finny tribe--it is mainly composed of water, -but there is a proportion of salt added, as you will observe if you -drink about a quart of it." - -"Get out," laughed Jack. "You're kidding me--aren't you? You're taking -advantage of my youth and ignorance. And is it all wet?" - -"Every drop," Patch assured him solemnly. "Think of it--all that -immense mass, and not a dry spot anywhere throughout it. Doesn't the -thought stagger you?" - -"Now you put it in that way, it does," agreed Jack. "Beginning to blow -a bit, isn't it?" - -"Yes, comrade. If it keeps on blowing like this you'll have to hold on -to your hat." - -The playful wind caught Patch's words and tossed them away. - -"You what?" yelled Jack. - -"Your hat, comrade. You know what a hat is, don't you?" - -"Yes--a thing the chap passes round after the cornet solo. I know. A -cousin of mine had one once." - -Jack's spirits, in fact, were becoming more and more volatile; this -lively fooling only served to render him more buoyant than ever. - -He now jumped up, making the boat rock perilously, and drawing a howl -of protest from his fellow-mariners. Throwing out an arm he began to -issue orders in traditional sea-dog style. - -"Now then, my hearties!" he bellowed. "Lay on there, you pack of -land-lubbers! Hoist the keel to the capstan-head--throw the main deck -overboard! Step lively, now!" - -"Oh, my only aunt!" groaned Patch, who felt distinctly unsafe in his -position right underneath the straddling, swaying figure of Symonds. -"You burbling lunatic--!" - -"Belay there!" sang out Jack, unheeding. "Reel in the scuppers--make -fast the poop!" - -"Sit down, you're rocking the boat!" implored Patch in anguished -accents. - -"Unship the propeller-shaft--get a head of steam in the bowsprit!" -came the amazing orders. - -"Sit down!" wailed Patch. "You colossal idiot, sit--ouch! Gerroff!" - -Jack had obeyed the order--quite involuntarily, as it happened. The -bows of the boat had encountered a short, choppy sea, and Jack was sent -flying into Patch's lap as a result. - -"Wow!" gasped the inventor. "You're crushing--life out of--gerrup! -Help!" - -"Ha, ha, ha!" gurgled the three unfeeling spectators. - -When the slight disturbance thus occasioned had quietened somewhat, the -amateur sailors had leisure to observe that the sea had risen--had, -in fact, developed a distinct chop. The breeze, also, had become -appreciably harder. - -"Jiminy, what do you call this?" asked Jack, as a lash of spray cut -inboard, driven by the wind. "A giddy old gale, that's what it is!" - -"Gale?" asked Patch superbly. "When you've been to sea as long as I -have, my lad, you'll know better than to call a bit of a blow like this -a gale." - -"Well," sneered Jack, poking him in the ribs, "what's your name for it, -then, my good admiral?" - -"We sailors call this a stiff calm," said Patch, and the others yelled -with laughter. "Yes, that's all it is to the man who knows the sea. You -should just see a real gale, my boy! Why, I remember that in the Bay of -Biscay I--" - -He waved an arm grandly to emphasize the brilliant lie that he was -evolving, but, at that moment, to a lurch of the boat, he slipped from -his seat into the bottom-boards, where he lay floundering like a landed -fish, in two or three inches of dirty water. - -"Dear me!" said Jack, bending over him with a look of kindly concern. -"Is that what you did in the Bay of Biscay? Poor fellow, what a time -you must have gone through! And alive to tell the tale--alive and -kicking," he added, as Patch's wildly-waving legs described in the air -most of the problems of Euclid, together with some that Euclid never -thought of. - -"Ump! Ur!" said Patch, regaining his equilibrium with an effort. - -"Don't say you've finished!" said Jack, clasping his hands in mock -dismay. "You will do it again, won't you? I just loved that part where -you stood on one ear--I thought that so clever!" - -"It was quite unintentional," said Patch, wringing the water out of his -trousers. - -"You are too modest!" returned the irrepressible Jack. "Why, do you -know how long it'd take me to learn all that? The best part of a year, -and even then I'd have to--" - -Amid the mocking laughter of Septimus Patch and the others, Jack -found himself in the same plight as the unfortunate inventor had just -quitted. A lift and twist of the boat upon a wave-crest, a slippery -seat canted at an angle, had been the elements of his downfall. He lay -upon his back, struggling. - -"Well, comrade," grinned Patch, "that's very good for an amateur!" He -stood over Jack's prostrate form, and began to recite. "Here, a sheer -hulk, lies poor Tom Bowling! The darling of his crew! No more he'll -hear--" - -At this moment the sail indulged in that whimsical operation termed by -sailors a "gybe all standing"--it wriggled violently from side to side, -and the boom struck Patch on the head as he endeavoured to dodge it. - -"Help!" he howled, pitching head-first into Jack's lap as the latter -sat at the tiller. "The giddy thing's run amok, or something--it just -jumped at me and thumped me on the head. I tell you--" - -"Let's hope you haven't hurt it," said Jack anxiously. "You ought to be -careful with a head like yours--it's liable to break something! Don't -sling it about in that wild way; you'll do some damage with it one of -these days, and then you'll be sorry you didn't listen to the wise -words of your uncle Jack." - -"My boy," said Patch, "I begin to have a horrible suspicion of you. -I think you've been trying to be funny! I thought you'd been looking -queer all this trip--" - -"Beloved One," Jack told him, "I haven't got to try to be funny. It -comes sort of natural." - -"Quite so, comrade, quite so. It's your face that does it. You -happen to have been born with one of those faces that cause horrible -merriment. A face that provokes ribald laughter. A face that--" - -"I can't help my face," said Jack sorrowfully. "It is cruel of you to -mention it, but I must tell the truth. Listen. When I was a child a -careless servant let a tree fall on me and--" - -"Ha, ha, ha!" roared the others, in chorus, but Billy's voice cut in -with: - -"Drop fooling, you chaps. We ran into a bit of a squall just then, and -I don't think we'll go any farther. A bit of a sea working up. Wind -against us. We'd better slip back while our luck's in." - -Accordingly the boat was worked around, and plugged into the choppy sea -that stretched between the vessel and the college jetty. - -A good four miles of water had to be traversed before they would arrive -at their destination, and Billy, although he did not mention his qualms -to his companions, felt more than a trifle nervous about the return -journey. - -The aspect of the sea had changed wonderfully since they had set out -on their trip. Banks of cloud piled angrily up in the south, grey and -threatening; and the wind was now undeniably vigorous. Moreover, the -sea had risen; the waves were swift and vicious, jumping at the boat in -just that manner that the expert boatman dislikes. Added to that was -the fact that the boat was small and heavily-laden. - -"Jiminy," said Jack, "we're in for a blow on the way back." As he spoke -the wind whipped the crest off a wave ahead of them and sheeted it -over the occupants of the boat. The sail jumped and the mast groaned, -and as Billy tacked expertly the boat heeled over dangerously, and -unquestionably, without the drop-keel, the whole concern would have -capsized. - -Gust after gust now smote the vessel, and it required all of Billy's -admirable coolness and splendid skill to keep them on their course. - -"I don't like the look of the sky," said Jack suddenly to his friend. - -"Neither do I, old man," returned Billy seriously. "It's getting very -dark, and there's rain in those clouds, or I'm no judge." - -Presently the hands were at work bailing out the water, for, despite -all of Billy's management, some seas were shipped, and the boat -was hardly of the kind to afford to become much flooded. And, most -dismaying sign of all, the going became worse as time went on. Beyond -question, the gale was growing. - -The minatory rumbling of thunder now became audible, and the sky was -rapidly overcast. In the consequent gloom, the boys lost sight of the -far shore, which had previously been visible as a dark mass. - -Crash! A tremendous peal of thunder seemed to split the heavens; it was -directly overhead, which made it appear that the fury of the coming -storm was directed particularly against the temeritous yachtsmen. -Instantly down came the rain, sweeping over the sea in an enormous, -sustained shower. The boys were wet through in an instant; and when, in -a furious gust, the sail flapped against the mast, it was in wet folds. - -Blinding as a close veil, the rain effectually sheeted out any sign of -land whatever, and Billy Faraday felt a momentary qualm. He thought -that it was now impossible to steer for shore, and he knew full well -that there were only one or two places in the bay where a decent -landing was possible. - -"Look here," he shouted, above the roaring of the rain and the -continuous smashing of waves on the bows. "Look here, you chaps--I -think we'd better cut before the wind, and miss call-over. I'm not in -love with our chances of pulling through this welter." - -"But where will you make for?" - -"Dog-face," replied Billy. Dog-face was the name of a small island in -Deepwater Bay, and its name was the result of a fanciful resemblance of -the place, on certain days, to the face of a bulldog. It was out of -bounds, and rarely visited by the boys, who had to get special permits -to do so. However, there were no attractions on Dog-face, and the -permits were seldom called for. - -"Dog-face," repeated Billy Faraday, "that's our chance! We're not going -to barge into the rocks on the other side of the bay, by jingo! But -Dog-face sports a bit of a beach, and I think I can make it...." - -His companions nodded in silent agreement. After all, Billy knew best, -and the boat was shipping more and more water as she went forward. The -captain of the little craft, therefore, put her about with the skill -of a veteran, and they were instantly running before the wind with the -utmost speed and momentum. - -"Gee!" gasped Jack. "If we miss Dog-face and slam into the rocks at -this rate, then we'll just about go up in smoke!" - -"Keep your eyes skinned, then!" said Billy between his teeth. "Hop down -the stern, you chaps--we don't want to run our nose under water." - -They tore through the boiling sea at a tremendous pace. Huge waves -pursued them, but never seemed to catch up. The sail was as tight as a -drum; a wave of foam curled away from the bows of the boat. - -"If this goes on," said Billy, all at once, casting a glance behind -him, "we'll have to lower sail. Wonder it doesn't pull the stick out -of the boat!" - -In a few minutes he cast an anxious look ahead of him and called on his -companions to say whether they discerned any signs of the tiny island. -It was a small place, and in the rain and the gloom they might easily -run past it. But then Patch gave a yell, and pointed. - -"There it is, right ahead!" he cried. - -"Good business!" said Billy Faraday. "We're safe!" - -As if in mockery of his words, a colossal gust pounced on the boat and -shook it as a terrier shakes a rat--and the thing Billy had feared came -to pass. With a crack like a pistol-shot the mast snapped off short, -and the sail and cords, in a tangled mass, collapsed over the bows. - -Jack Symonds, impulsive as ever, leaped up to secure the wreckage; but -the obstruction had brought the boat side on to the waves. That and his -sudden movement were too much for the stability of the frail craft. -As a following gust shrieked overhead the whole thing canted terribly -over--and in a moment turned turtle. - - - - - CHAPTER XV - - A JAPE GOES WRONG - - -Sudden as had been the accident, unexpectedly as it had swooped upon -them, Billy Faraday had time to yell, at the top of his voice, a -direction to the four others with him. - -"Get ashore!" he cried; and had no time for more. He soused under -the chilling flood; he went down and down, and finally, struggling, -fighting for the surface, his head emerged, and he saw four other dark -spots bobbing on the white, wind-whipped seas. - -His advice had been sound. The island was comparatively close, and -although the boat might be still afloat, if upside down, the shore -offered the better chance of security. He struck out, and had the -satisfaction of seeing the others do the same. - -In point of fact, Patch could not swim more than a few strokes, and -Jack was well aware of it. The two pals, who were always quarrelling -in friendly fashion, were thrown out together, and Jack saw Septimus, -after one or two wild strokes, vanish beneath the seas. He turned, -and, rolling over on the surface, dived as cleanly as any Arab boy -who plunges for pennies. He had been so quick that his hand caught -at Patch's clothing, and in a moment he was hauling his chum to the -surface. Arrived there, he made ready to swim ashore. - -It was heavy going, for they were both in their clothes, and Jack -was intensely grateful when a dark form slid over the waters and he -recognized the overturned boat. With great difficulty he hauled Patch -across the keel, where the young inventor hung on limply. - -Shortly afterwards they felt the crunch of sand beneath the substance -of the boat, and Jack knew that they were safe at last. Three drenched -forms darted up and dragged the boat and its occupants ashore. - -"I'd forgotten Patch was no swimmer," said Billy; "but we're safe -enough now, thank goodness--this is Dog-face." - -"Look here--there's an oar in the boat," said Jack. "We'll be able to -scull back, at any rate, when the sea goes down." - -"Better--one washed ashore before you came," said Billy. "We'll be able -to row! But I'm thinking of how they'll be worrying about us back at -Coll." - -"Can't be helped, old fellow. Jingo, this wind's cutting!" He -shivered. "I'm wet through--isn't there a place where we can shelter a -bit?" - -"We can look," returned Billy; and presently they set off to explore -the island. All at once Jack stooped and picked up a jam-tin. - -"Hullo!" he said. "Here's a jam-tin--wonder who was the tripper? Fairly -recent, too--the jam's still fresh in the bottom." - -"Show me, comrade," said Patch, taking the tin and peering into it, -his detective instincts aroused. He glanced round him. "It's a funny -thing," he went on, "but I can smell something burning--the smell of -smoke. Any of you notice it?" - -"No," answered Billy slowly. "Where's it coming from, then? Surely not -from shore." - -"Unless the old Coll's on fire," suggested Jack with a grin. - -"No--I thought ... I say, comrade, look at this--there's a giddy old -cave here!" - -"Where?" asked Jack, pushing forward. - -"There--underneath that clump of bush. I can see the opening quite -plainly, and if the smoke's not coming out of there I'll eat my hat." - -Leaping up, the schoolboy detective pushed aside the screen of bushes, -and the opening to a cave lay disclosed. Patch ducked his head and made -as if to enter, but Jack's voice arrested him in the cave's mouth. - -"Hold hard, Patchie!" - -"What's the matter?" - -"If the smoke's coming out of there, then it's odds on that somebody's -living in there. And they mightn't like you to butt in." - -"Well, comrade, I'm cold and wet--surely they wouldn't refuse to let me -come in and dry myself a bit?" He bent forward and yelled down into the -opening. "Hullo, there! Anyone at home?" - -There was no answer; he repeated the call. - -"You see," he said to Jack, "there's nobody there. I'm going in, -anyway. Coming?" - -The five of them made their way through the narrow orifice which gave -access to a cave of larger dimensions than they had expected. It was -so dark that very little of the interior could be distinguished; the -place smelt of tobacco, and there was a dying, smoky fire, which they -could not fan into a blaze. Jack stumbled over a pile of bracken and a -blanket. - -"It seems to me that somebody's been here recently," he said. "In fact, -they may get back at any moment." - -"Not in this sea," returned Billy Faraday. - -"All the same, it's probably a dirty old tramp, who'll hit the roof if -he finds us here. I vote we get out--it's not very salubrious." - -They returned to the beach, and sat down to watch the gradual -subsidence of the storm. When Billy judged that the sea had gone down -sufficiently, they put off and rowed for the College, which they -reached about ten o'clock, under the fitful light of a moon that the -clouds obscured from time to time. There was, they found, a good deal -of high excitement at the school. During the storm, which had been -quite exceptionally severe, the boys in the boat had been lost sight -of, as it was impossible to see where they had gone; one moment, the -telescope held them in plain view from the College--then, briefly -afterwards, the blinding rain had sheeted down to conceal them entirely. - -And, as their absence grew more and more protracted, the anxiety of -boys and masters both had been very considerable. - -Great was their satisfaction and relief when the storm-tossed boat came -up to the jetty; Silver and a number of other seniors, who had been -scouring the troubled waters in a launch, gave a cheer and helped them -ashore. - -Even old Salmon showed that there was a human being behind the dry -pedagogic mask that he wore. "I'm glad you're safe, boys," he said, -shaking them by the hand. - -"Thank you, sir," answered Billy Faraday. "The storm came down very -suddenly--we'd simply no chance of getting back. We were swamped, as -it was. I'm afraid we broke bounds for once--we landed on Dog-face. -Luckily, the boat and a couple of oars came ashore with us." - -They were hurried up to the school, where they changed and imbibed -generously of hot coffee, while a few privileged seniors and masters -listened to the tale of their perilous trip. After which they went to -their dormitory and to bed. - -Jack Symonds lay awake long after the regular breathing of his -companions indicated sleep. He was staring intently at an invisible -ceiling, and remained so for quite a long time. He was ruminating over -the various excitements of the day, and his mind seemed to dwell, for -no apparent reason, on one detached incident--the discovery of that -dark, smelly cave on Dog-face. - -Somehow, his fancy was intrigued by the thought of that cave. He could -not help feeling that there was some significance attached to it; he -was aware that there was something-- - -"Jiminy!" The exclamation came so loudly, so sharply, that he feared he -might have roused some of his pals. But they slumbered on. Two fellows -were snoring on different notes, and their snores quarrelled comically; -somebody groaned and turned over in his sleep; no other sounds could be -heard. - -Jack resumed his thoughts; that exclamation had betokened a -discovery--light, in fact, was dawning on his mind. Now he could see -what he had been thinking of. Ah! Of course ... Humbolt. - -Was it a fact, he wondered, that "Tiger" was the occupant of the cave? -The man, he knew, was lurking in the vicinity somewhere--what was more -natural than that he should have selected the unknown hole, hidden away -on deserted Dog-face, as his place of concealment? - -"I wonder!" said Jack to himself. The idea seemed to hold water. -Humbolt hiding on Dog-face! A little startling, but quite likely. Jack -smiled grimly at the thought that, if his suspicions were correct, it -was fortunate that Tiger had not found the intruders in possession of -the lair. "Might have turned nasty," he murmured. - -"Or, perhaps, it is only an old tramp ..." reflected the boy, turning -over, and yielding himself to sleep. - -In the morning Jack awoke, conscious of having forgotten something. Not -the Humbolt suspicion--that could wait. Then he remembered. To-day was -Friday--the great day fixed by the Cripples for the downfall of the -Crees. - -"Jingo," said Jack, "I'd nearly forgotten. Patchie, you old impostor, -what about the bean-feast to-night?" - -"Bean-feast, comrade?" - -"Certainly. Aren't you going to the great banquet, spread or luncheon, -that the Crees are giving in the old Science room?" - -"Comrade, it had escaped my mind for the moment. However, I believe I -am right in saying that all is in readiness for knocking the stuffing -out of the despicable Cripples?" - -"That's so, my genial old lunatic! And how progresses the _Busy -Bee_--that organ of wit and learning?" - -Patch smiled, and indicated a pile of printed sheets that lay on the -study table. "Those," he said, "are the inside pages--we're having -eight pages in all. The remaining four pages will not go to press -until--" - -"Exactly," chimed in Jack. "Until--what?" And, winking at his pal, he -laughed heartily. - -"It occurs to me, comrade, that we could make a bit of capital out of -the adventure of yesterday--what? Written up in terse, vivid style by -our friend Billy, it should form a regular scoop for the _Busy Bee_." - -"Of course--write it up as much as you like, but don't get too -personal. I refer to our youthful pranks in the boat. Won't do to have -Lower School getting a false notion of their seniors!" - -And Jack, who cared nothing at all for his dignity as a member of the -Fifth, grinned widely. - -Nothing of particular importance happened during the day. Perhaps that -was because all minds, Cripples and Crees alike, were looking forward -to the night. The Cripples were looking forward to the downfall and -abasement of the Crees. But the Crees, curiously enough, were expecting -the same thing about the Cripples. And with more reason. - -Cummles and his gang concealed themselves in the shadow of an ivy-clad -wall in close proximity to the old Science classroom, which, for some -reason or other, was at the present time quite unused. - -They had not long to wait. In twos and threes the Crees came slinking -through the darkness, to avoid possible detection at the hand of any -master who might happen to be passing. The little parties vanished into -the old Science room, whence arose, in the course of a few minutes, the -murmur of talk. - -"Got them beautifully," whispered Cummles, overjoyed at the success of -his plan. "They're waiting for Symonds and the other heads, but they'll -wait a long time." - -Jack, who with Billy Faraday and Patch, was hidden on the other side -of the wall, could not help smiling at the misplaced confidence of -the fellow. But the three of them remained quiet, and awaited further -developments. - -These came, but only after an uneasy quarter of an hour. One of the -Cripples had locked the door, and the sulphuretted hydrogen had been -duly released, but no wails or lamentations issued from the old Science -room. - -On the contrary, the place was as still as the grave. - -"They're keeping jolly quiet," whispered one of Cummles's lieutenants -to his leader. - -"Y-e-s," agreed Cummles, inwardly a bit chagrined to think that the -Crees were taking their medicine so quietly. Then suspicion smote -him. "I say," he murmured, "we'll just open the door and see what's -happened. Seems to me that gas might have laid them all out, or -something. Be funny if--" - -Moving silently forward, the Cripples approached the door, and stood -there in perfect silence--a silence matched only by that on the other -side of the door. - -"Well!" said Cummles, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, and -whipping open the door. The disagreeable smell from the bottles came to -their noses, and one or two drew back. - -It was just at that moment that one of the fellows at the rear sang -out, in a loud, yet guarded voice: "Look out, you chaps--here's old -Salmon." - -A dark figure was certainly approaching from the direction of the -school buildings, and it looked as if the Cripples were cornered. But -necessity drove them; and, led by Cummles himself, they all bolted into -the classroom and closed the door. - -It would have caused them a trifle of concern had they known that the -figure was merely that of Jack Symonds; and that the supposed Cripple -who had given the alarm was none other than Faraday himself. Billy had, -as a matter of fact, joined the band in the shadows, and the rest had -been easy. In the darkness he had escaped recognition; and the trick -played by the Crees worked with smooth certainty. - -Now, indeed, the tables were turned with a vengeance. The Crees, -forewarned, had merely passed through the room and had made their exit -by a window, which they were careful to close and shutter up behind -them. - -During the time of their supposed tortures, they had been quietly -awaiting events elsewhere; and now the Cripples were securely captured. -Billy Faraday sprang forward and turned the key that Cummles had -carelessly left in the door; and he laughed quietly in the darkness. - -"We've got them by their giddy wool, what?" he chuckled. "Ever see -anything so neat?" - -"We've done them brown," was Jack's opinion. Bending forward, he yelled -through the keyhole: "Cripples ahoy! This is our dirty r-revenge!" - -Cummles had realized as much when he found the room void of its -supposed inmates. - -"Let us out, you scugs!" he spluttered, half-choking with the -abominable odours of which the room now fairly reeked. - -"Nice and comfy in there?" demanded Jack. "Air a little close, perhaps!" - -"Wait till next time, you Hottentot!" was the ungentlemanly retort. - -The Crees had gathered round, and were enjoying the joke immensely. -"Do you like snuff?" inquired Jack pleasantly. - -"You--you--" choked Cummles, horrified. He knew that large bags of -snuff were fixed in the rafters, and that a twitch cord that led -outside would tip them up. He was unaware how Jack had come to know of -the existence of the snuff, but it was evident that Jack did know--and, -what was more, intended to use it. - -"Easy on, Symonds!" - -"Snuff said!" joked Jack in reply, and gave a pull to the cord that -retained the snuff in position. - -"I say, this is--arrh! atchoo! This is--hum-hum-atchoo! atchoo!--a bit -thick--at-choo! at-choo!" - -"Symonds, you beas--'-choo!" - -A volley of sneezes threatened to lift the roof off. The Cripples were -ready to die with sneezing and breathing the foul gases that pervaded -the place, but Jack had not finished yet. - -"I say--want to come out?" he inquired. - -"Yes--shoo! Arr-rum! At-choo! Quickly, let us--at-choo!--out!" - -"Well, listen," dictated the calm voice. "You must all go down on your -knees and humbly beg to be let out--get that?" - -"Yeshoo! Yes! Hurry up! Atchoo! Hishoo!" - -"If I open the door and find you another way," insisted Jack, "I'll -keep you here for another ten minutes!" - -"All right! Hishoo! At-choo!" - -"Right! All down on your knees?" - -"Yes." - -"Look up and look pretty," urged Jack, flinging open the door. The -Cripples were heartily sick of their confinement in that room of -terrors. They were all kneeling, to a man, with running eyes and moist -noses and contorted faces, begging for deliverance. - -"Now, that flare--sharp!" rapped out Jack; and as he said the words an -immense flare of light, blindingly white, threw the whole room and its -suffering occupants into being. The Cripples, too surprised to move, -remained in their attitudes of meek supplication, and Jack Symonds -laughed outright at the mere sight of them. - -Patch, though, was directing the lens of a big stand-camera on the -scene, while Billy Faraday held aloft the flare. - -"Thank you, gentlemen!" said Jack crisply, as the flare faded. The -surprise of the Cripples gave place to anger--they were furious, -realizing that they had meekly sat--or rather kneeled--for their -photographs. - -"Get 'em--hishoo!" cried Cummles; but as he dashed forward Jack and the -others whipped up the camera and made off. They did not care about -standing there and listening to the polite conversation of the Cripples. - -As for the latter, they were a sadly disgruntled lot as they sneaked -back to their dormitories, muttering threats of murder and sudden death -against the victorious Crees. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI - - BILLY VANISHES - - -One of the cricket features of the Deepwater College year, although -it was no part of the school competitions, was the traditional match -against Windsor, which was held in the mining town about the end of the -season. - -The cricketers of Windsor were keen, and generally managed to make -a decent struggle. Last year, in fact, they had beaten Deepwater; -and the collegers were burning to avenge that defeat this time. But, -as sometimes happens, there was a dearth of good cricketers at the -College--their team was lacking the one or two brilliant players that -pull a side out of the ruck. - -"All mediocrities, every man Jack of 'em," said Martin, the captain -of cricket at Deepwater. "If they all played on their top form, we'd -scratch up an average score. But the worst of the beggars is, they're -so jolly unreliable. Might make a good hatful of runs one day, and a -blob the next." - -Silver, who was a fair bat when he got really set, nodded in gloomy -sympathy. "And this year we want a Trumper so badly," he replied. -"Remember the way the townies jeered at us last time? And they didn't -beat us by much. This year, it seems to me, matters will be worse. Why, -if London, or Scott, or any of our green men get the barracking really -warmly, then they'll just crumple up. Almost puts me off my play, and -I'm an old bird. Martin, old chap, it looks bad." - -"Well, better luck next time," said Martin. - -Screw, the third selector of the team, a player from Cooper's House, -sighed and cast his eye over the team-list, which, scribbled hastily -in pencil lay on the study table before them. "This is an inclusive -team--not an exclusive," he remarked, tapping his teeth with his -pencil. "What about Faraday--is he worth his place?" - -Silver considered. "Well," he answered, at length, "that fellow's a bit -of a puzzle. One match he's a rattling good player, and the next he's -a hopeless duffer. I suppose, though, he'd better go in. He's a good -sort." - -"Not that we want them because they're good sorts," said Screw sharply. -"I've more than one decent bat over in Cooper's, and only I happen to -have seen Faraday--" - -"Oh, there's no question, when he's in top form," said Martin. "Look -here, we've got the thing practically settled. What about drafting that -notice out and getting it on the board? Turn the blighters out for -practice--we've simply got to make some sort of a show." - -When the Saturday appointed for the match came round, the show that the -Deepwater fellows made was, as Silver said, "rather contemptible." - -The Windsor team, electing to go to the wickets, knocked up a breezy -276--then came the great debacle. The School, despite its strenuous -efforts, scraped together a mere 95. - -"If only we'd topped the century!" groaned Billy Faraday, at the end of -the first day's play, as it was a two days' match. "It mightn't have -looked so bad, then. But now--!" - -"We've got to pull up--that's the only thing," came the answer of -Martin, across the luncheon-table. "Slog for all we're worth when we -get in next time--and chance it. But, first of all, we'll have to shake -up our dreadfully crook bowling. Of all the feeble lobs, those of -Screw's were the feeblest and the lobbiest I ever saw." - -"Here," protested Screw. "Here, I say--" - -"Don't argue, Screwdriver, old boy! You know you were just absolutely -off--" - -"Well, you needn't--" - -"No, but I choose to. I want to wake you up--to rouse you into -something remotely resembling form! Mind, you're not the only one. I -was worse myself. Only it's never any good relying on me." - -"Rats," said Screw politely. He knew very well that when Martin assumed -this flippant mood he was liable to do damage to someone or something. -When Martin declared that it was no use to rely on him he meant that he -was out to perform wonders. But as he led his team out into the field -next day and gave the ball to Screw for the opening over of the second -innings, his dogged chin was stuck out defiantly. - -"Now, Screwdriver! This is a ball--for bowling with, not for serving up -to the batsmen in suitable form for boundary hits. See whether you can -hit the wicket. The wicket's the three little sticks with bits of wood -called bails--" - -"Gimme the ball," said Screw sharply; and Martin looked to see how the -first ball of the innings would turn out. - -Screw, with his mettle roused by Martin's chaff, took a short run and -fired down a perfectly horrible delivery, that whizzed off the pitch -and went a foot over the batsman's head. The next ball the batsman -fumbled, and jerked out to cover. Martin watched for the next ball.... - -Then he gasped, and uttered a short exclamation of delight. The third -ball had flicked the middle stump clean out of the ground! - -"That's the stuff, Screwdriver! Up guards, and at 'em." - -The next batsman took his stand with respectful attitude. The man who -had just been dismissed was one of their star players, and the manner -of his downfall was not altogether encouraging. Still-- - -He played his first couple of strokes very cautiously, then, when the -last ball of the over was delivered, jumped out and smashed it to the -boundary, four feet over the head of long-on. It was a great drive, and -the town supporters yelled with pleasure. - -Soon the home team were playing steadily, and had almost forgotten -their inauspicious start. Confidence grew; there came out one Swan, -a mighty thumper, who treated the bowling with arrogance. He was a -big fellow, with the muscles of a giant, and the way he banged the -unfortunate leather in the first over he received was horrible to -behold. - -The comments, audibly hurled from the onlookers, were not calculated -to set the School team at their ease. When Screw went on to bowl there -were alarming groans, for the luckless Cooper's House fellow, since his -initial success, had descended rapidly from good bowling to mediocre, -and from mediocre to shocking. - -Martin's jaw projected more than ever, and he persisted with his -bowling changes, but it was evident that he was getting no good out of -them. About the only man in the team who hadn't bowled was Faraday, and -when the skipper called him over he accepted the ball with no small -qualms. - -"I'm no Gregory, you know," said Billy deprecatingly. - -"No matter--surely you're as good as any of the other chumps!" said -Martin. - -"A desperate move," commented Billy, walking back to begin his run. - -He sent his first few balls so disgracefully wide as to evoke a storm -of jeers from the town supporters, who, it must be confessed, had no -scruples of sportsmanship to hold them in check. - -With Billy, this sort of treatment meant that he would really wake -up and show what he was made of. He raged inwardly, but he seemed -perfectly calm as he strolled back from the crease, his leisurely gait -drawing more comment from the crowd. - -"What price Algernon?" - -"Look out--he's going to bowl!" - -"Don't hurry--all day yet!" - -Billy was one of those fellows who are seldom disconcerted by chaff -such as that. But he was stung; and showed it by the deadly intent -he put into his next ball, which hissed furiously for the wicket in -dismaying fashion. But the leviathan of the Windsor team whirled his -bat and smote the ball generously. - -Mid-on was in two minds about the ball. It was coming to him very fast, -and would probably hurt severely if he stopped it. On the other hand, -it was a catch--of a sort. He had not decided whether to try for it or -leave it--which is a detestable state of mind for any fieldsman--when -it was upon him. He made a belated, miserable attempt--and missed by -feet. - -Instantly the scorn of the townsmen was poured out upon him. - -"Butter-fingers!" - -"Get a bag!" - -"Mind you don't get hurt, Percy!" piped an impudent treble, and mid-on -blushed to the roots of his hair. - -"The scugs!" muttered Billy savagely. He was feeling just about fed-up -with the whole business, and the total lack of sportsmanship on the -part of the crowd annoyed him intensely. At the same time, he showed no -signs, but merely put all he knew into his bowling. - -He sent along a fine delivery with his very next ball--and almost -fainted with astonishment. The slogger, Swan, had almost missed the -ball--and it was tipped fairly into the hands of Screw at short-leg. -Screw held the ball and remained staring at it as if hypnotized. Swan -opened his mouth, shut it abruptly, and stalked off the field. - -"Good man!" yelled Martin. The crowd was silent, for they had been -enjoying the slogging of Swan, and this fluke catch was not a -satisfying way of getting a man out. - -As for Billy, his determination was doubled. He got the next man, to -his own intense surprise, before he was really set; and the score was -beginning to assume a reasonable aspect--four men for thirty-nine runs. - -Martin's hopes of victory began to soar, and the amazing Billy, in -successive overs, whipped over two wickets for eight runs. - -"Where on earth have you been living, all this time," demanded Martin -of Billy, during a change-over. "Talk about hiding your giddy light -under a bushel! Demon bowler, eh? Why, you'd give Spofforth fits! Keep -it up, old chap, and I'll stand you the best feed you ever clapped eyes -on." - -Billy grinned. "This is my day out," he said in reply. As a matter of -fact, he had become worked up by the treatment of the School by the -onlookers, and the desperate state of the match. It was his way, in -matters of pressing importance, to rise to the occasion; and no one -could gain-say that he was doing so now. Martin put him on again. - -When Windsor went out, in their second innings, for a mere fifty-two -runs, the spectators could hardly credit their eyes. Why, they had -expected a rattling fine inning from the first five men, and then -a "declaration." This was most unusual! After all, there might be -something left in the School side yet--it would all depend upon how -they would bat. - -It was early evident that the school were out to win the match by -dogged run-getting. Martin and Silver played a careful partnership, -taking no chances, until Silver obtained the confidence which he had so -disastrously lacked in the first innings. - -Once there, really "set," Silver looked round and began to play a -faster and more open game. The Windsor team were sent scurrying all -over the field, chasing the leather; and the score of Deepwater College -rose notch by notch. - -All the same, there was a considerable discrepancy still between the -scores, and both sides were now striving with all their skill for a -win. Doggedly as the School batted, sneaking every run that could -possibly be sneaked, the Windsor team battered with an equal doggedness -at their defences. - -No longer, now, did the derisive comments come from the crowd. The -finish had the appearance of being exciting--very much so; and -flippancy was forgotten. Instead, roars of cheering greeted especially -adroit moves from either side; any partisanship previously allowed to -show was now lost in the expectation of a hard-fought finish. - -Martin went out, with a useful score, and Screw came in. Screw was, -generally speaking a rather weak sort of bowler, but as a batsman, the -only word that aptly describes him is "furious." There was method in -his dashing, wild-seeming attack, though; and his lively innings for -thirty runs tickled the crowd immensely. He received an ovation from -the town's supporters, and grinned happily. - -"They didn't care for my bowling," he remarked to Billy Faraday, "but -my innings seemed to please them." - -"Rather! I say, isn't old Silver knocking up a score? He's sixty-four -now, and once he's set he's liable to stay there for ever." - -"That's Silver's way. It wouldn't surprise me to see him rake in a -century. Now he's in the mood, and has his eye in, the bowlers can't -shift him!" - -"And if we've any sort of luck--" - -"--we ought to win," completed Screw, with a twinkle of pleasure in his -eye. "Jove--there's another boundary; go on, Silver! Silver!" - -When Billy's turn came to bat, he felt distinctly nervous. He had had -such incredible luck with his bowling that it was far too much to -expect that his batting would be of the same fortunate brand. - -He was second-last man, and a dozen runs were yet required to win. -Martin could hardly contain himself as he watched the bowler's run -up to the crease. By luck, or skill, or both, the School had almost -pulled the fat out of the fire--and it would be tantalizing if they -were to fail now--within sight of victory. - -Martin held his breath as the ball was delivered. None knew better than -he that Faraday was nervous--he could see it in the batsman's stand, -his whole attitude. Martin stood and looked ... and then executed a -wild leap of excitement. - -"Oh, good man! Good man!" - -"Hit like a Trumper, sir!" - -It was a splendid carpet-drive to the boundary, and it clicked against -the railings with a sound that could be heard all over the field. -Martin simply gasped. If only those two men could knock up a dozen -between them, then--! - -"Then," he yelled, slapping Screw on the back, "then we win--we win!" - -Screw was equally excited, and the two of them could scarcely wait for -the ball to be bowled. That first drive had done Faraday good--immense -good. It had cooled him and steadied him. He set out in earnest to -notch those few runs necessary for victory. He played with judgment -that sent Martin into ecstasies--played with judgment that baffled the -fieldsmen, eager as they were, and ready as they were to make him pay -for the slightest mistake. - -"Oh, boy! That's done it!" roared the School team, as Billy lifted -the ball into the outfield, and the score of Windsor was overtaken. -The two scores stood level--dead level. The bowler looked grim, and -compressed his lips. Couldn't he somehow flatten this batsman with his -next ball: Wasn't it possible to make it a drawn game, even at this -stage? - -It wasn't. Billy snicked the ball past square-leg, and ran it for two. - -"Good-oh, the Billy-boy!" - -"Oh, you little pearl!" burbled Screw, almost speechless with joy. - -The match was won--and by more than a margin. Billy and the last man -knocked up twenty-eight runs between them, and of which Billy made -twenty. Windsor found themselves up against a most unlooked-for defeat. - -It was almost dark when the youngsters had changed and were ready for -the char-à -banc which would carry them back to Deepwater. - -"Well, we did it!" said Martin to Silver, as they sat in the vehicle. -"We did it, old boy!" - -"And young Faraday's come on wonderfully," returned Silver. "Where is -he, by the way? Seems to me all the others are here now. What's keeping -him?" - -But Billy would have found a good deal of trouble in returning to -the char-à -banc. After he had dressed, he was met at the door by a -grimy-looking youngster, who, however, said that a friend of Billy's -wished to see him. - -"He's an old bloke," said the youth, and Billy wondered who the dickens -it could be. Some obscure acquaintance, he imagined, who would talk rot -about how finely he had played.... - -A motor-car was waiting in the gloom at the back of the pavilion, and -after the glare of her headlights Billy found it difficult to recognize -the man in the tonneau. He came forward questioningly. - -"My dear boy, how are you?" said a strange voice. - -"I'm afraid--" began Billy, and then gasped. For the man bent -suddenly forward and gripped him fiercely by the throat! - -Billy had no time to cry out, no time to call for help, even if the -surprise of the moment had permitted. The clutch on his throat was the -tightest and the strongest he had ever experienced; he was dragged -ruthlessly forward till his chin met the side of the car, and at the -same time a rag that smelt of some strange chemical was forced against -his nostrils. He tried hard not to breathe, but the breath came, and -with it giddiness--and darkness. - -It had been chloroform--that was the word that his whole brain shouted, -and it accompanied his nightmarish swoop into insensibility. - -Back in the char-à -banc his companions were becoming a trifle -impatient. - -"Did any of you see where Billy got to?" asked Silver. - -One of them knew--said that he had seen Billy speaking to the grimy -youth at the door, but had thought no more about it. - -"It's a funny thing--cut back and see whether he's in the -dressing-room," said Silver. - -But no; Faraday was not there--nor, indeed, anywhere in the -neighbourhood. The team spent a fruitless half-hour in the search, and -concluded that Billy must, for some strange reason or other, have gone -back to Deepwater alone. - -"Perhaps he met a friend who gave him a lift," suggested Martin. "But -it's funny he didn't let us know." - -"I believe Billy comes from Victoria, though," said Silver -thoughtfully. "Would a friend of his be hanging around this place? -Perhaps ... anyhow, we'll wait for a bit." - -They waited, but as Billy did not show up within another quarter of an -hour, they concluded that he had unaccountably gone on his own; and -they set out for the College with some misgivings, but hoping that -there was nothing wrong.... - -But before we follow them back to Deepwater it will be well if we turn -back the hands of the clock a matter of some twelve hours, and glance -at what had been taking place there. - -In the first place, there had been a considerable sensation early -in the morning, when a notice went up on the Salmon's House board; a -notice that attracted a noisy, mystified, questioning crowd of juniors -and seniors alike. - - OYEZ! OYEZ! OYEZ! - - Be it known that a new publication entitled the "BUSY BEE," will be - published this day, SATURDAY, and will be on Sale at Study No. 9, - Salmon's House--Price ONE PENNY. Negotiable VALUE in the shape of - stamps, cricket-bats, chewing gum, suspension-bridges, etc., etc., - will NOT be accepted. - - IMPORTANT!--No Free List. - - The "BUSY BEE" is a real live-wire, top-notch, rip-roaring, and - snorting good paper--you simply cannot afford to miss it! - - HOP IN NOW FOR YOUR CUT! - - Magnificent Illustrations-- - Astounding Articles-- - Criticism that Stings-- - Red-hot Revelations-- - Libel by the Armful-- - Look for the Pink Label! - - SEP. PATCH, - Printer and Publisher. - -This was the flaring notice, executed in giant capitals, and with -lavish expenditure of red and green inks, and the comment it provoked -was considerable. Curious seniors and excited fags marched in a body -to Study No. 9, and found the genial Patch, his sleeves rolled up, -standing behind an improvised counter--he had moved the study table -into the doorway. On the table stood a stack of printed papers. - -"What's this rot about a paper?" demanded one of the fellows. - -"Pay your penny, comrade," urged Patch blandly, "and see for yourself! -I thank you." - -Once started, the demand for papers was extensive, especially as the -purchasers evinced great interest in the contents of the _Busy Bee_. -Within a few minutes the stack on the table had diminished by half. In -all parts of the House fellows were studying the papers with amused -expressions. - -All at once there was a sound as of an enraged dinosaurus, and Cummles -strode angrily along the corridor. - -"Where's Patch?" he yelled. - -"Here, comrade! What do you require? Have you a spare penny? Then I -would suggest--" - -"Suggest be jiggered! This is what I've come about." He lugged a copy -of the _Busy Bee_ out of his pocket, and held it about two inches from -Patch's nose. "See that--that!" - -He pointed with his finger. "That" was a reproduced photograph, -covering half a page of the paper; and it depicted that humiliating -scene on the night--now a week back--when the Cripples had been -photographed in the old Science room. - -The thing was horrible in its deadly distinctness. Against a dark -background the white, piteous faces of the Cripples, distorted with -sneezings, dipping into handkerchiefs, in every phase of distress, -showed as plainly as a lantern-picture. - -Patch looked at it and laughed with immense heartiness. - -"Ha, ha, ha!" he chuckled. "Yes, very funny indeed! Screamingly funny! -I'm so glad you noticed it--one of the features of the issue!" - -"Funny, you goggle-eyed idiot!" roared Cummles. "Funny! You call -that--" he choked, "funny?" - -"Why, of course! Don't you think--" - -"Look here," interrupted Cummles, "it's like your thundering cheek -to print that photo, and you're not going to sell any more of your -burbling papers!" - -"No?" queried Patch politely. "Well, well! It's a lovely day, isn't it?" - -"Bother the day! Look here--look here--" - -He was quite speechless by now, and he made a sudden dart at the pile -of papers, with the evident intention of seizing the lot. - -"What are you up to now, Cummles?" asked a quiet voice. It was the -voice of Fane; and the bully-killer himself stepped from the interior -of Study 9 across to the counter. - -"I'll soon show you what I'm up to!" said Cummles, too heated to avoid -a possible row with the youngster who had thrashed him early in the -term. - -"Well, I'm sorry to interfere in your amusing little games," returned -Fane evenly. "But it happens, old tomato, that we don't want you in -here. Hook it!" - -"Hook it?" repeated Cummles furiously. - -"Yes--hook it, scoot, buzz off, vamoose!" - -"And mind the step," added Patch thoughtfully. - -Cummles gave a sort of howl. He dived forward, seeking to upset -the counter by lifting a table-leg; but Fane, vaulting over the -obstruction, landed heavily on his back and bowled him over with no -ceremony at all. - -"Ow! Oof!" howled the bully. "Gerroff! Lemme get up!" - -"Dear me--I didn't notice you there," said Fane sweetly. "Dropped -something?" - -Cummles, his face as black as thunder, jumped up and faced his -tormentor in a furious rage. He drew back his right arm, as if to swing -for the other's face.... Fane eyed him calmly. - -At last, "All right--we'll see!" fumed the bully with sharp realization -that he did not care to come to blows with the bully-killer. Those -small, hard, knuckly fists of Fane's were too damaging to be rashly -invited. "We'll see!" - -And Cummles made the best of a bad scene by striding off without -another glance at anyone. - -The _Busy Bee_ had made a sensation, there was no doubt. The reproduced -photograph of the Cripples, labelled "The Martyrs' Meeting: Cummles -and Co., and their Ju-Ju," together with the satirical article that -accompanied it, was a journalistic "boom" of the first water. And -Cummles and Co. raged impotently. They could not prevent the sale of -the _Busy Bee_, and the whole school was presently laughing at them. - -Having sold all the copies that had been printed, Patch and the others -set about their amusement for the day, which the cheerful Septimus -intended to celebrate in a way all his own. - -He had persuaded Jack to give him a hand with one of his inventions, -and Jack, having nothing in particular to do, had consented. - -All that afternoon Jack slaved in the workshop, surrounded by levers -and wheels, steel bars and cranks. On his glumly remarking that _they_ -were the two biggest cranks, Septimus cheerfully replied, "Speak for -yourself, old Sport. And when I've sold this invention for a million, -I'll remember that the ox was worthy of his hire." - -Jack groaned. - -It was not until the cricketing team had returned that they came back -to the house. Arrived there, Jack learned that Billy Faraday had not -come back with the others. - -"No," he told Silver, "he's not been back, I'm pretty sure. I wonder--" - -He bit his lip and frowned. Was it altogether possible that Billy had -fallen foul of Lazare and his gang? It seemed a trifle ridiculous, but-- - -Just then a fag entered the room, carrying a letter in his hand. - -"For you, Symonds," he said. - -"Ha!" said Jack. "This is probably from Billy, and will explain. How -did you come by it, youngster?" - -"A fellow on a bicycle was passing the gate, and he gave it to me. Said -it was for you, and I brought it along." - -"Oh, thanks. You can cut now." He looked at the address--his name, in -pencil. Then he ripped the envelope open. He pulled out a thin sheet -of paper, like a leaf from a pocket-book. He looked on it with growing -amazement, that was replaced by an expression of horror. - -"Jove--they've got him!" he said, hoarsely. - -"Got him?" repeated Silver. "What do you mean?" - -For answer, Jack passed over the sheet of paper. - -"Faraday is held a prisoner," it ran, "and says the Black Star is -with you. Keep this to yourself, and meet me, with the Star to-morrow -night, nine o'clock, at Day's Corner. Attempt no treachery, or it -will be the worse for your friend--and yourself. It is the only way. -Your failure to turn up as stated or any trickery will be the end of -Faraday.--LAZARE." - -"Whew! Is this a joke?" asked Silver. "And who the dickens is Lazare?" - -But Jack did not answer him. He stared at Silver as if he were not -there, and his face had gone perfectly white. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII - - HUE AND CRY - - -"Old fellow!" burst out Silver, clutching Jack by the arm; "you look as -if you'd seen a ghost! What in the world's all this rot? You don't mean -to say--" - -"Mean to say!" cried Jack, suddenly coming to life. "Look here, -Silver--I'll tell you the truth. This letter's from a couple of -low-down crooks who've got hold of Billy some way or other, and if we -don't look out he'll be--" - -"You mean he's been kidnapped?" - -"Kidnapped--yes. Come along to our study, old chap, and we'll see what -we can think out. I tell you, it's an ugly hole, and I'm a good bit -scared!" - -Silver followed Jack to Study No. 9, where Fane and Patch were already -ensconced. The ominous note from Lazare was passed around, and the four -sat down together to consider what would be their course of action. -Silver, of course, wanted to know a great many things all at once, but -he got, at least, an inkling of the ill-fated Black Star and what had -already happened during that memorable term. - -"Well, comrades," said Patch, "we've just got to do something! I've -been thinking. First of all, we go to the Head, and make a confession -of everything we know. Then, we'll have to get Doctor Daw arrested--he -thinks we haven't got anything against him, but we know enough to get -him hooked for conspiracy! That should put him out of the road. Then--" - -He paused and considered. - -Jack remembered something. "Oh, I've got another stunt that may be of -use! You know that cave on Dog-face? I've always thought that that's -where Humbolt was hiding--and probably Lazare as well. Now, if that's -so, then we ought to find Billy there." - -"Good for you, Jack!" cried Patch. "It should be worth trying, at any -rate. We could sneak over and hold the beggars up--nab them. That would -just settle things handsomely, but I don't know whether we'd be able--" - -"Wouldn't we?" demanded Fane, fiercely. "If Billy's there, on Dog-face, -I don't see any reason why we shouldn't row over and get him back!" - -"Humbolt's got a gun, and he might use it." - -"No matter. There's Billy's pistol here, and we'd have everything -in our favour. We could creep in on the beggars late at night, when -they're asleep--!" - -"Well, if boldness counts for anything, the scheme ought to be a good -one. But--" - -"Another thing is, if we don't do that, what on earth are we going to -do? If Jack calmly hands over the Star, we've no guarantee that Billy's -going to be let go free again! With giddy criminals like Lazare and -that other fellow, goodness knows what might happen. Why, they might -even shut Billy's mouth by--well, throwing him into the bay--anything. - -"If we try to nab the chap when he meets Jack, he'd probably smell a -rat, and do what he says! Or put a bullet into Jack--I wouldn't trust -the beggars a foot, and that's a fact! The only way is to hop into them -when they're not looking; and the trip to Dog-face looks good to me." - -Patch considered, rubbing his chin with his forefinger. He took off his -spectacles and polished them. - -Then, "It's a risk," he said. "But, now you put it that way, I reckon -we can't do anything else! If we collar Billy and get away with him, -then the other fellows could wait till afterwards, see? The police -could be put on their track, and, depend upon it, they'd be grabbed -sooner or later. But once we've got Billy safe, we can tell them to go -and eat coke!" - -"Of course we could; we'd have the whip hand over them. My opinion -is--make the trip to Dog-face now--or very soon--and tell the Head -nothing about it." - -"Why not?" - -"Well, simply because, if we tell the Head, he won't let us go." - -Patch seemed to ponder this statement for a minute. "Yes," he said -at last, "that's true enough. The Head would forbid it, and get some -blundering bobby to take the job on. Look here--who will go?" - -"The lot of us," said Jack decisively. "I suppose Silver's on, aren't -you?" - -"Sure thing," said Silver quietly. "We can get a skiff out of the -sheds. I have the key--and sneak out along the edge of the bay. It -wouldn't do if we were to strike out boldly for Dog-face! We'd be -spotted pretty quickly. But what are our plans?" - -"We'll see, comrade. First of all, we'll have to reconnoitre. Then -we'll make sure of our attack. I've got an idea--we won't go until -about two o'clock in the morning. If they've got a watch out at that -time, then all I can say is, they're pretty cautious!" - -And so, finally, it was arranged. The conspirators went to bed early -that night--and they awoke early the next morning. At five minutes past -one, to be precise, the little band of four cautiously left the school -grounds and presently came to the river, where they launched a skiff -on the softly-lapping water. - -It was an adventure that was as wine to the spirit of Jack Symonds and -his pals. They were strung to a high pitch of keenness, by the thought -of Billy Faraday and what was happening to him; and if there was a -trace of nervousness, the darkness of the night and the danger of the -venture might have excused it. - -Out they rowed into the bay, hugging the shore closely, as they turned -in the direction of Dog-face. The skiff crept along almost without -sound; there was the ruffle of parted waters, and the subdued grumbling -of the oars in the row-locks. Despite this, they made progress; and -soon the black bulk of Dog-face lay blotted against the stars. - -"Softly now," said Jack Symonds. "Quit rowing--we'll drift there. The -tide is just right, fortunately. Easy." - -In breathless silence the skiff drifted down on Dog-face. There was -much starlight, and there was no knowing whether they were being -observed or not. At any moment there might ring out a challenge, or -perhaps they might be fired upon, and no questions asked. It was a -nerve-testing time. - -Finally, the keel grated on shingle; the slight sound was swallowed up -in the wash of tiny waves on Dog-face. Patch leapt out, and after a -minute or so of whispering it was decided to leave Silver in the boat, -ready to push her out and pull for the College. The boat was backed -into the beach again so that her stern rested lightly on the shingle; -Silver, paddling softly, kept her nose pointed away from the shore. - -Then, the three others stole quietly away. Nothing was left to chance; -they took ten minutes to approach the entrance to the cave, using the -utmost caution, striving to make only the most infinitesimal sounds. - -At the mouth they listened for a long, long time; but they could hear -nothing. - -"We'll just have to chance it," Patch whispered in Jack's ear. "We'll -have to go right in. You've got the pistol--let me take the torch and -go first. You be ready to let fly if anything happens." Fane gripping a -cricket-stump in the manner of a club, brought up the rear. - -It needed a fine nerve to enter that noisome cave, at dead of night, -and not knowing what dangers attended the act. But the three pals did -not hesitate at all. They slipped inside; all was perfectly quiet. - -It suddenly occurred to Patch that perhaps they had been wrong from -the outset--perhaps their whole supposition was at fault. That would -account for the silence--there was nobody here. - -"Soon settle that," he murmured. "Ready, Jack?" - -"You bet." Jack's voice came back in an unfaltering whisper. He gripped -the revolver tightly; he could not deny that it lent him confidence. - -Patch pressed over the switch of the electric torch, and swept the cave -with light. The place was bare of any occupant. Only, in one corner, -what looked like a bundle of rags lay humped up; and Patch tiptoed -across. - -"Billy!" he said softly. And it was indeed Billy himself. They shook -him by the shoulder, heartily glad that he was alive and soon to be at -liberty. - -He opened his eyes, and stared for a moment without comprehension. -Then, "You chaps!" he said. "This is great! I never thought--here, cut -off these things." - -They snicked the cords that bound, and he stood up, rubbing his cramped -limbs, and shaking them all by the hand. - -"Jingo, but you're dinkum pals," he said. "I thought they had us -beaten, but--" - -"Who is it?" asked Patch. "Lazare and Humbolt?" - -Billy nodded. "Yes, the brutes! They tried torturing me, and they got -the information they wanted--I said that Jack had the Star. I had -to--they made me." - -Billy smiled a wry sort of smile. "They've got a little motor-launch, -too, and I suppose they thought I was safe enough here. But they may -be back at any moment. We'd better clear." - -"True for you," said Jack; and the four of them got out of the cave -into the faint starlight. "Phew! I can't say that the merry old cave is -exactly--" - -There was a sudden blaze of light, and he stopped short. - -"You will put your hands up, and drop that gun," said a strange voice. -"Look sharp!" - -Under the menace of a heavy revolver Jack had to drop his own weapon. -He almost groaned with despair. Just at the moment of their triumph, -Humbolt had returned, and, what was worse, he had already got the upper -hand. - -Helpless, the little quartette of schoolboys faced the grinning Tiger, -who was clearly enjoying his victory to the full. - -"Thought you were clever, eh?" asked Tiger, in a sneering voice. -"You're a lot of fools, that's all, and you've put your foot in it this -time, let me tell you." He turned to Billy. "Well, my young spark, is -the chap that hid the Star among this lot?" - -"He is," returned Jack quietly. "Look here, my good fellow, we're sick -and tired of hanging on to the rotten old Star. You've got us beaten -now, haven't you? If I promise to bring the Star right back with me, -you won't harm me or my friends here?" - -"No," said Tiger, shortly. "Provided you stick to your part of the -bargain." - -Jack was very much at his ease by now, but he was thinking with -lightning rapidity, and trying to remember something that the old -gentleman had told him on the night of the boxing in Windsor about this -very Humbolt. Ah, he had it! - -"Yes," he pursued, shivering, "this place gives me the creeps, and I -wish we'd never had anything to do with the Star. Why, we nearly got -bitten by a snake coming up here--" - -"What!" said Humbolt, sharply. - -"Yes, a great big black snake, and it ran into that crack you're -standing on now. A whopper, it was--" - -Jack had staked everything on that throw. He had remembered in time -what he had been told about "Jim Camp's peculiar horror of snakes," and -desperately he brought the subject into the conversation. - -It was amazingly successful. At the first mention of snakes, Humbolt -had looked distinctly uneasy. But when Jack added that the reptile had -sought refuge in the ground at his feet, the outwitted man could not -resist a long, searching glance at the fissure referred to. - -It was his undoing. Jack Symonds was ready; and, like some splendid -machine, touched off in an instant, he sprang through the air and -crashed heavily upon Humbolt. - -Taken by surprise, Tiger's grip upon his weapon naturally relaxed, and -the impact sent it flying a dozen feet away. But he was too strong, -too solid, to go to the earth. He stood and wrestled furiously. Jack -grabbed the man's arms and tried to prevent him from getting in a blow, -for he had seen the effect of Humbolt's hitting, and had no desire to -be hit himself. - -The man was very strong, a very pocket Hercules. And Jack, athletic as -he was, felt himself gradually being overmastered. The thick, short -arms struggled in his hold; one got free, and Jack felt it drawn back, -and waited, heart in mouth, for the sickening thump--but it never came. - -Instead, Humbolt staggered, gave a groan, and Jack saw that he was -falling. Hastily he glanced up and saw Fane surveying his cricket-stump -ruefully. - -"I'm sorry I hit from behind," the latter said, "but the beggar was out -to spifflicate you. I banged him on the head." - -"Good man--don't apologize," said Jack, with immense cheerfulness. -"Come on--cut!" - -Even as Jack jumped away, Humbolt, dazed as he was, made a blind grab -at his legs. The man's tenacity was admirable; he was possessed of the -instincts of a bulldog-ant. And, seeing his late captives, escaping, -he roared out at the full pitch of his lungs. - -"Lazare! Quick! Help! Lazare!" - -So Lazare was somewhere handy, then! Or was it only a bluff? Bluff or -not, they raced madly for the skiff, calling out to Silver as they ran; -and after a brief, rocky journey, came upon the shingle-beach and the -boat. - -Everything worked with silken smoothness. The four boys packed into the -boat, taking an oar each, while Patch made ready to steer. - -"Six good ones," said Silver; and Jack, with the best oar in Deepwater -College beside him, was strangely thrilled. He put lots of weight and -pull into those six strokes, and the skiff shot out from under the -black shadow of Dog-face across the smooth, tinkling water. A breath of -sea-breeze fanned their faces. - -"We've done them!" said Jack, delightedly. "After all--and I thought -we'd regularly slipped when Humbolt caught us!" - -"Don't be so sure," said Patch. "Listen." - -"What?" - -The next moment his question was answered. There came the muffled -pop-pop-popping of a motor-boat exhaust, and a white speck suddenly -shot into view, around one of the capes of Dog-face Island! - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII - - CONCLUSION - - -"Jingo!" said Jack, excitedly; "they're after us--I can hear them! Buck -up, you fellows--we'll spurt and beat 'em yet." - -In Jack and Silver the escaping skiff carried perhaps the best oarsmen -at Deepwater College; and they now bent to their task with a will, and -Fane and Billy Faraday, who were rowing in the bows, took example from -their pals. - -The skiff shot ahead; the ripple of water from the bow changed into -a rushing, steady note. The sea was calm as a millpond, and now that -they were out into the bay, the sound of the pursuing motor-boat came -staccato and clear. - -There was no pretence now of hugging the shore; they were making a -bee-line for the College jetty. But they were visible to the men on -board the motor-boat; and, fast though they were going, there was no -question as to which craft showed the superior speed. The white speck -of the power launch grew in size until it was almost distinct in the -starlight. - -Lazare, or Humbolt, or perhaps both of them, were shouting--but the -grimly-determined schoolboys paid no heed. As if they intended to pull -up! But the miscreants in the launch had another argument--and a more -forcible one. - -There came the clear report of a revolver, surprisingly minute in the -enormous space of the bay, and a bullet ricochetted from the surface -not eight feet from the skiff. - -"I say--" began Billy. - -"Don't say anything," said Patch tersely. "Two can play at that game, -Humbolt! Give me that pistol, Jack." - -"What are you going to do?" asked Billy, straining at his oar. - -Patch did not reply. He turned round, and waited until a red flash and -a delayed explosion advertised another shot. Then he lifted his pistol -carefully, and fired two shots in rapid succession at the pursuing -craft. - -Some sort of a result was instantly perceptible. There came a distinct -thump! and a snarling sort of noise that ended rather abruptly. -Followed by three shots from Humbolt in quick time, all of which were -without effect, although they whistled unpleasantly close. - -"Pull!" sang out Patch. "Pull like the dickens! I believe I've -stonkered their engine. Listen--she's misfiring like anything!" - -Indeed, the explosions of the petrol launch were now decidedly -irregular--and after a while they ceased altogether. - -"Done them!" panted Jack. "Diddled the beggars again! Patch, you ought -to get a King's Prize for that shot!" - -Triumphantly the Deepwater College fellows pulled at their oars, and -there was still no sound from the rival boat. After an interval the -engine took up its beat again--but slowly and uncertainly, as if it -were likely to break down at any moment. - -"They're going slow!" announced Patch. "We can dish them at this rate. -Isn't that the Coll. jetty across there? By jove, there's a light--it -must be the Head! Pull up, my giddy buccaneers!" - -Falling to the oars with a will, the boat's crew soon arrived at the -jetty. They listened there for any sound of the petrol launch's engine; -but the immense bay was quite still. - -"They've broken down," said Fane, "or else they've turned back, and -we can't hear them. What price capturing the beggars! Get hold of Mr. -Glenister, and a few hefty fellows out of the Sixth, and we could grab -them." - -"If so, we mustn't lose any time," said Patch. "Come along, you -fellows!" - -They raced back to the College, and hurried in through a window that -they had conveniently left open. - -There they had the greatest surprise of the night. They were moving -along the masters' corridor, on their way to the Head's study, when -Doctor Daw's door opened, and the accomplice of Lazare himself -appeared. He was carrying a handbag, and wore an overcoat--his other -attire was all for travelling. - -Lightning comprehension burst on Jack's brain. - -"You third-rate scoundrel!" he said. "So you're getting out of it, are -you?" - -"Getting out of what?" snarled Daw, obviously affrighted by the -coincidence of the boy's arrival and his departure. - -"You know," returned Jack grimly. "You'd better stay, though, because -the game's up." - -"I don't know what you mean!" ground out Daw savagely. "Let me pass, -you young cubs, or I'll find a way to make you!" - -And he lifted his arm threateningly. It was a fatal move. Young Fane, -the bully-killer, had a habit of jumping through the air and collaring -people who thus threatened him. He jumped now, and his healthy weight, -slung around in the vicinity of Daw's neck, hurled the master to the -floor with a resounding crash. Jack, only a whit slower than his pal, -jumped too, and the both of them held the fellow pinned to the floor. - -But Daw was really desperate. What had given him the alarm--had sent -him out of his room, in escape, at this hour--was not obvious. But -what was obvious was that he was madly anxious to get away. He fought -like two men, and the two powerful boys had their work cut out to -secure him. Once he planted a fist in Jack's face with tremendous -force, and Fane alone kept up the struggle. - -But Billy and Silver were at hand, and, recovering from their -indecision, they too hurled themselves upon the villain. - -Suddenly the Head's room was opened, and the Head, in dressing-gown and -carrying a light, appeared on the scene. He saw five persons struggling -in an inextricable knot upon his floor, and for the moment he did not -know what to think. His first thought was that these were burglars; -then he recognized his own boys. - -"Patch! Silver!" he ejaculated. "What is this disgraceful conduct? What -do you mean by being out of--" - -At that moment Fane secured an expert wrestling hold upon the -struggling Daw, and that person, recognizing defeat, burst into a -torrent of quite unprintable profanity. - -"My goodness!" exclaimed the Head, his ears assaulted by the outburst. -"Daw--is that you? And what is the meaning of this?" - -"I'll tell you what it means," said Jack trenchantly. "This man here is -in league with a couple of kidnappers and thieves, and we're holding -him for inspection. You'd better telephone to the police, sir. His -friends are out on the bay with a couple of revolvers and a damaged -motor-boat." - -"It's a lie," roared Daw, accompanying the words with a few vile -adjectives. - -"That will do, Daw," said the Head coldly. "There is no need to swear -like that--even if this charge is a false one. Surely you can make some -explanation. I cannot believe that you are--" - -"Sir," said Jack boldly, "I make no charge I cannot support some way -or other. This man is dangerous, and I give you my word of honour that -he should be tied up pending explanation. He must not be allowed to -escape." - -There was something in the earnestness of the boy's tone that had an -effect upon the Head. Daw, writhing and cursing ineffectually, was not -a sight calculated to inspire one with a sense of his innocence. Patch -settled the question by producing the revolver and holding it to Daw's -head, while the others bound his hands and feet. - -"This must be explained," said the Head grimly. His eyebrows had gone -up at the sight of the revolver, but its effect had been to lend colour -to a somewhat fantastic story. "I was seeking a little relaxation," he -explained, "by a quiet hour of reading, being unable to sleep. I am -interrupted--but come into my study." - -In the study, accordingly, the full story was told, and the Head was -vastly surprised. Jack withheld nothing--even describing the various -nocturnal excursions that the Star had necessitated. The adventure of -the Indian hawker and the substitution of a dummy for Billy in the -Upper Fifth class, however, he deemed it advisable to suppress. - -"You have been very frank, my boy," said the Head approvingly, "and I -quite believe your story. It is a thing that I never imagined would -happen at Deepwater--it seems, you must admit, utterly far-fetched. -No doubt you would have been well advised to have made a confidant of -myself or one of your masters at an earlier stage, but I am glad that -everything has turned out for the best. The only thing that remains is -the apprehension of those two criminals on the boat." - -"It is nearly daylight, sir," said Patch. "If you were to ring up the -police-station at Windsor, no doubt the police could prevent the escape -of the men!" - -"I shall do so, and at once," said the Head. "It is highly necessary -that they should be taken. And as for Redisham of the Sixth, I must -find occasion to speak severely to him. In my opinion he is more -misguided than depraved, and a word at this stage will mean all the -difference for him." - -"I think he could be let off lightly, sir," said Billy. "He's not a bad -fellow at heart, but I fancy Daw had some hold over him." - -"Whatever that hold may have been," said the Head gravely, "I imagine -that it will be valueless in the near future. The authorities will be -able to see to that. And now I must ring the police-station." - -He did so, and with the result that, promptly advised of the facts, the -police secured their men the next day, and were greatly pleased to have -caught Lazare in particular. The man had been wanted for years, but had -always had just that skill to keep clear of their meshes. - -Billy put his case in the hands of a lawyer, and the three associates -were convicted--and in one of His Majesty's prisons were kept from -mischief for a period of many years. - -The four friends in Study 9 were not displeased that the exciting -events of the term had now come to a definite stop. As Billy remarked, -holding the flashing, sparkling Star in his hand, "It was pretty fierce -while it lasted, but the pace was a killer! I'm glad it's all over, -real glad. Although it's served to give me three of the best pals a -fellow ever had.... Yes, chaps, it's all over--the excitement's done. -And the Black Star will be in Mason's hands before we return for next -term." - - - The Eagle Press, Ltd., Allen Street, Waterloo. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLACK STAR *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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Walpole. - </title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2,h3 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.right {text-align: right;} - -/* Images */ -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -.caption p -{ - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0; - margin: 0.25em 0; -} - -.smcap { font-variant:small-caps; } - -table { - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; -} - -.blockquot { - margin-left: 5%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - -div.titlepage { - text-align: center; - page-break-before: always; - page-break-after: always; -} - -div.titlepage p { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; - font-weight: bold; - line-height: 1.5; - margin-top: 3em; -} - -.ph1 { text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; } -.ph1 { font-size: medium; margin: .67em auto; } - - - </style> - </head> -<body> -<p style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Black Star, by Andrew H. Walpole</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Black Star</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em;'>A School Story for Boys</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Andrew H. Walpole</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: March 1, 2022 [eBook #67534]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from scans of public domain works at The National Library of Australia.)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLACK STAR ***</div> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/tp.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>THE BLACK STAR</h1> - -<h3>A SCHOOL STORY FOR BOYS</h3> - -<h2>By ANDREW H. WALPOLE</h2> - - -<p>AUSTRALIA<br /> -CORNSTALK PUBLISHING COMPANY</p> - -<p>ARNOLD PLACE, SYDNEY</p> - -<p>1925</p> - -<p>Wholly set up and printed in Australia by<br /> -Eagle Press, Ltd., Allen Street, Waterloo 1925</p> - -<p>Registered by the Postmaster-General for<br /> -transmission through the post as a book.</p> - -<p>Obtainable in Great Britain at the <i>British Australian</i> Bookstore,<br /> -51 High Holborn, London, W.C.1, the Bookstall in the<br /> -Central Hall of Australia House, Strand, W.C., and from<br /> -all other Booksellers: and (<i>wholesale only</i>) from the Australian<br /> -Book Company, 16 Farringdon Avenue. London. E.C.4.</p> - -<p><i>First Edition, September, 1925</i><br /> -<i>Second Edition, November, 1925</i></p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/frontis.jpg" alt=""/> - <div class="caption"> - <p>"I wasn't trying to get out!"</p> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - -<h2>CONTENTS</h2> - -<table summary="contents"> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</a></td><td align="left">FARADAY'S BAG</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</a></td><td align="left">DOCTOR DAW AGAIN</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</a></td><td align="left">THE BULLY-KILLER</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</a></td><td align="left">THE BROKEN BOOTLACE</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</a></td><td align="left">UNRAVELLING A CLUE</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</a></td><td align="left">JACK IS ENLIGHTENED</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</a></td><td align="left">THE CALAMITOUS CRIPPLES</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</a></td><td align="left">FANE'S FATAL MISTAKE</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</a></td><td align="left">ALIAS BILLY FARADAY</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</a></td><td align="left">THE CHASE FOR THE STAR</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI</a></td><td align="left">THE STAR MISSING</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII</a></td><td align="left">BILLY WALKS IN HIS SLEEP</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII</a></td><td align="left">A MYSTERY UNRAVELLED</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV</a></td><td align="left">DOG-FACE</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV</a></td><td align="left">A JAPE GOES WRONG</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI</a></td><td align="left">BILLY VANISHES</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII</a></td><td align="left">HUE AND CRY</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII</a></td><td align="left">CONCLUSION</td></tr> -</table> - - -<h2>THE BLACK STAR</h2> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</a></h2> - -<h3>FARADAY'S BAG</h3> - - -<p>Jack Symonds' regret at the holidays' ending had now definitely passed, -and, strolling along the wide departure platform, he looked forward -with considerable excitement to the reunion with his pals. The train -was already crowded with his schoolfellows, who shouted at him many -noisy greetings.</p> - -<p>"Hullo, Jack!"</p> - -<p>"Hullo, yourself! Where did you get that colour?"</p> - -<p>"Surfing, old boy. Coming in here? No?"</p> - -<p>"Waiting for Billy Faraday," said Jack, and continued his stroll. The -Melbourne train had not yet arrived, and Billy consequently had not put -in his appearance.</p> - -<p>Jack Symonds stood with his back to one of the great station pillars, -gazing upon the animated scene with interest. There were scores of the -Deepwater College boys, in their blue-and-gold caps, drawn to the city -from far and near, to catch the school train.</p> - -<p>New juniors, unnaturally silent, were hustled into carriages under the -care of Mr. Kemp, the mathematics master; old friends, all smiles and -laughter, greeted one another boisterously. Porters bustled to and fro -with immense stacks of luggage.</p> - -<p>Jack's eye fell idly upon a tall, rather sinister-looking man standing -with folded arms, pulling occasionally at a heavy cherrywood pipe. The -man's eyes were very deep-set and dark; the mouth was thin-lipped. In -all, hardly an attractive, although certainly a striking, personality.</p> - -<p>As Jack's glance held the fellow casually for an instant, he was -surprised to see him start and pale perceptibly.</p> - -<p>"Funny," mused the boy, and turned his head to see what had caused the -change in the other's demeanour.</p> - -<p>It was another man—and a man, in his own way, quite as remarkable as -the first. He was short and very broad, with an immense neck; his nose -was twisted permanently to the right, as if he had been struck at some -time, a terrific blow in the face.</p> - -<p>Jack smiled to himself. "Retired pug," he thought, noting that the man -also carried a cauliflower ear—the left, and that his eyes were the -narrow, quick eyes of the boxer.</p> - -<p>"By Jove," exclaimed the tall man, as the two came together, with -mutual expressions of surprise, "what brings you here, Tiger? Thought -you were in America."</p> - -<p>"Business," said the bent-nosed man, shortly. "Business, my dear old -Doctor Daw—do they still call you that?"</p> - -<p>"Hush," said the tall man, abruptly; "... that name...."</p> - -<p>The rest was lost to Jack, for Doctor Daw spoke in a low whisper. The -man he had called Tiger laughed in a short, sharp manner.</p> - -<p>"Anyhow, whither away?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Deepwater—down the coast. You getting this train?"</p> - -<p>The other nodded, and they both strolled in the direction of the -smoking carriages. Jack gazed after them curiously. It was peculiar -that the tall man should have said that he was going to Deepwater, for -the only sign of civilization at Deepwater Bay was the College—and he -could hardly be going there.</p> - -<p>"Anyhow," said Jack out loud, "here's Billy, old Bill Faraday himself, -and looking about as cheerful as an exhausted codfish."</p> - -<p>He slapped the newcomer on the back; but Billy did not brighten -appreciably. He was a tall, rather thin youth, with dark eyes and hair -that emphasized the present pallor of his face.</p> - -<p>"How are things, Jack?"</p> - -<p>"Top-hole, old bean—but, I say, what's the matter?"</p> - -<p>"Do I look bad? Fact is, old chap, I've been having a pretty rough -passage these hols. The pater died, and I'm feeling—"</p> - -<p>"I say! I'm awfully sorry. That band on your arm—I didn't notice."</p> - -<p>He gripped his pal's arm in silent sympathy. Billy understood. There -were never many words between the two, but their understanding was -perfect.</p> - -<p>Billy's father had been an eminent naturalist. Beyond that, the boy -knew very little of him. That he had made explorations into Central -Australia, and had attained to considerable fame in scientific circles, -Jack was also aware. Billy, however, was a quiet, reserved sort of -chap, and no one ever found out much about him or his people. To most -of the fellows at the school, indeed, he was a bit of a mystery.</p> - -<p>"Don't let us get in with the crowd," said Billy, nodding to an -uproariously-cheerful throng at the train windows. "Try this smoker."</p> - -<p>Jack followed his chum into the smoking compartment, and they had -barely stowed their bags in the rack when Symonds observed, that -sitting opposite were the two men he knew as "Doctor Daw" and "Tiger."</p> - -<p>There was nothing remarkable in that, but Jack noted with intense -surprise that Tiger was staring at Billy with an air of recognition. -Jack wondered. Did Billy, by any chance, happen to know him? It did not -seem likely, and yet—</p> - -<p>At that moment Billy turned from the rack and sat down beside his pal. -Tiger instantly averted his gaze and looked out of the window. He -did not look at Billy again, although Jack watched him closely; and, -what was more surprising, he did not seem to know the tall man at his -side—Doctor Daw, as he had called him. Jack was puzzled more and more -by this singularity as the train left Sydney and passed down the coast, -for it seemed as if the two men knew nothing whatever of each other, -and were even deliberately ignoring each other. This, despite the fact -that Jack had overheard their recognition on the station, and had seen -them enter the train in company.</p> - -<p>Mystified as he was, the boy had for the present, other things to think -of. Soon he was engrossed in conversation with Billy, and the train -had halted at a little station some miles north of Deepwater, before -anything occurred to disturb the even run of their journey.</p> - -<p>The train had commenced to steam out of the station, when all at once -the man Tiger, as if he had suddenly remembered something, leapt from -his seat, grabbed a handbag from the rack, opened the door, and sprang -out.</p> - -<p>Jack, though taken aback by the suddenness of the move, was alert -enough, mentally, to recall that the man had not had a bag at Sydney. -The bag, therefore, was not his own; it was—</p> - -<p>"Billy!" he yelled, "he's got your bag!"</p> - -<p>Never was there a more magical transformation. Billy Faraday had been -half dozing, moodily leaning back at the window, answering his chum -mechanically. At Jack's words, he jumped as if a red-hot coal had been -dropped down his collar, kicked open the door, and in a single bound -gained the platform.</p> - -<p>Jack was utterly amazed. Billy's action had been so quick, so -marvellously prompt, that it had left him barely time to gasp. But -then, Billy was always a fellow of impulse. Jack felt bound to follow -his pal; Billy would be sure to get into some trouble or other.</p> - -<p>And so Jack Symonds, prefect at Deepwater College, brilliant -three-quarter and athlete, laughed his reckless laugh and followed suit.</p> - -<p>He landed lightly, with perfect control of himself, despite the fact -that the train had gathered speed, and was now moving quickly. He -wheeled round, caught sight of the hurrying figure of Billy Faraday, -and followed at a run.</p> - -<p>The township into which Fate had thus strangely deposited the chums was -very much a one-horse affair, and a few scattered houses and rutted -country roads represented the sketchiest outlines of civilization.</p> - -<p>The little man had made a quick exit from the station, but obviously he -had not counted on the rapid pursuit of Jack and Billy. His coup had -been planned to allow the train to get well under way before the loss -was discovered, and the chase began. He ran swiftly along the road, and -for some minutes made very good going of it. But the bag was a heavy -handicap. In pursuit were two lithe, springy youngsters, practised -athletes and runners, and they were gaining upon him.</p> - -<p>Just then Fate played another card. Around the corner came the sound of -a car, and then the motor shot into view, with a professional-looking -man, clad in white dust-coat, at the wheel. He was evidently the local -doctor, but he was probably a most astonished man in the next few -seconds.</p> - -<p>For Tiger jumped upon the running-board and flung the handbag into the -tonneau. At the same time he presented a wicked-looking little pistol -at the doctor's head.</p> - -<p>"Turn her," he commanded, peremptorily. "Quickly—or I'll fire."</p> - -<p>The doctor was a sensible man, and the cold contact of the steel at -his temple quenched any rash attempts at resistance that might have -suggested themselves. Obediently he turned the car about.</p> - -<p>"Full speed—hit her up," added the man on the running-board, curtly, -and the doctor's unsteady hand reached for his levers.</p> - -<p>Jack Symonds uttered a groan of despair and chagrin.</p> - -<p>"Done us, Billy!" he panted, as the car, responsive to her driver, shot -forward at increased speed. "It's no good—we're beaten."</p> - -<p>And he slackened his run. But just when it seemed that the bag was -finally lost, Billy Faraday sprang another surprise—a surprise even -for Jack, who imagined he knew his chum so well. It was the most -amazing, most preposterous thing, and Jack was almost convinced that -he was dreaming. Faraday plunged his hand into his hip-pocket, and -produced an automatic revolver of the latest pattern!</p> - -<p>Standing boldly in the middle of the road, he commenced firing at the -doctor's back tyres. At the third shot there was an audible effect, and -the car slowed up. Tiger turned about, furious and desperate, and for a -moment Jack feared that the pistol would be directed upon them. But no; -Tiger was not anxious to run the risk of murder, and seeing that there -was no chance of his escaping with the handbag, there was nothing left -now but to make good his own departure.</p> - -<p>While the boys were yet some distance off, he leapt from the car and -disappeared into the scrub at the roadside.</p> - -<p>"Suffering cats!" exclaimed Jack, as he and Billy hurried up to the -car. "Pinch me, someone—I'm dreaming. Or am I acting in a Wild West -movie drama? Please tell me, Billy! And, dear old chap, what on earth -are you doing with that gun?"</p> - -<p>"Let you know afterwards," said Faraday coolly, replacing the amazing -weapon in his hip-pocket.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</a></h2> - -<h3>DOCTOR DAW AGAIN</h3> - - -<p>Unsatisfactory as was this postponement, Jack was destined to meet with -a further disappointment. The doctor had been pacified and given an -explanation of the affair, and Billy Faraday had declared that he did -not want to be worried further with the man Tiger. He had recovered the -bag, and he was willing to let the matter rest there. But when they got -into a later train, Jack's curiosity prompted more questioning.</p> - -<p>"By Jingo, Billy," he said, "that was a great sprint you made for the -bag. Anyone would have thought you had a purse of sovereigns in it, or -something."</p> - -<p>Billy sniffed. "Well, perhaps hardly a purse of sovereigns, but -something—"</p> - -<p>"Well?" prompted Jack.</p> - -<p>"I don't know whether I ought to tell you," said Billy, enigmatically. -He ran his fingers through his thick, black hair, and stared out of the -window.</p> - -<p>"Hang it all," protested Jack, "you're starting this term in a jolly -mysterious way! What's the giddy joke? What have you got up your -sleeve—or in your bag?"</p> - -<p>Billy shot a look of sharp inquiry at his friend.</p> - -<p>"You're cute, Jack," was all he said. "You've dropped to it that -there's something."</p> - -<p>"Also that our friend Tiger is interested in your bag. Perhaps he knows -what's in it."</p> - -<p>"Knows—or guesses," said Billy, with a queer smile.</p> - -<p>"But this is a bit too thick. And there's that revolver, too, just to -make a real, nice, soupy mystery of it. I tell you, Billy, when you -came out with the canister I—"</p> - -<p>He opened his mouth, spread his hands, and indicated immense surprise.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps I was a bit of a fool to bring it," Billy admitted. "But—it -came in jolly handy!"</p> - -<p>"Still, that doesn't account for it all. What is it, Billy? Can't you -tell me?"</p> - -<p>Billy shook his head slowly, uncertainly. "No, Jack—not yet. I -promised I'd tell you, but—I won't. I don't want to alarm you without -need, see? I may be wrong about this—all this business. The bag, the -revolver, all our little adventure may be quite meaningless, and I -don't want to be dragging you after any mares' nests—not yet awhile. -But if anything happens—"</p> - -<p>"Don't mind me," said Jack, weakly. "The Sphinx is a sort of uncle of -mine. I'm good at riddles! No more explanations, Billy. I'm in a knot -with them already. Don't overload my young mind any further." And he -laughed, quite falling in with his pal's present reluctance to divulge, -and dismissed the subject.</p> - -<p>All the same, he realized that there was indeed something behind -Billy's reticence. The two were good friends; anything in the ordinary -way they shared as a matter of course. But this—this was something -important, something serious. Strangely enough, he had an odd feeling -that this term was going to be a remarkable one—and certainly it -was opening well. Billy had hinted at further events. What was he to -expect? Truly there might be adventures in the near future.</p> - -<p>Or yet, on the other hand, perhaps the whole affair was nothing at -all—a mere mare's nest, as Billy had said. Either way, there was -nothing to be gained by thinking any more about it.</p> - -<p>When, finally, they reached the College, there were lots of things to -be done, and they spent the afternoon in the study that they shared -with two other fellows. Last term the two study-mates had left the -College, and consequently there would be two new boys this term.</p> - -<p>"Nobody here," said Billy Faraday, opening the door and glancing round -the room. "Place looks bare, doesn't it, with all their things gone?"</p> - -<p>"Wonder who's going to step into their shoes?" queried Jack -thoughtfully.</p> - -<p>"No idea." Billy was absorbed in unlocking his cupboard, and Jack, -glancing over his shoulder, saw the light fall on the blue barrel of -that mysterious revolver.</p> - -<p>"Leaving it there, Billy?"</p> - -<p>Billy nodded. "For the present. I'm not one of those asses that'd go -round swanking with a thing like this. Don't think I brought it for -that, old chap."</p> - -<p>"I don't, Billy!"</p> - -<p>Billy looked at his friend, and seemed on the verge of giving away -at last the real reason why he had brought the revolver. But at that -moment there came a knock at the door, and Billy quickly thrust a -small black cash-box into the far corner of the cupboard, and shut it -hurriedly.</p> - -<p>"Come in," said Jack, sitting on the table swinging his legs; and there -promptly entered a most amazing apparition.</p> - -<p>A tall, very thin youth, with horn-rimmed spectacles, stood at the -door. He carried stacks of luggage, baskets, odd bundles in paper, a -portmanteau or two, which, with an air of great relief, he proceeded to -distribute impartially over the floor of the study.</p> - -<p>"What—what—?" gasped Billy.</p> - -<p>"Ah, comrade!" demanded the new arrival, "how are you?" He fingered a -red tie of extraordinary brilliance of design. "I trust you have spent -your holidays in quiet enjoyment, and have returned flowing over with -vigour to—" At this stage a cushion struck him in the face, and he -fell gracefully backwards over a suit-case.</p> - -<p>He arose with the expression of a resigned martyr, and dusted his -trousers. "Comrades both," he declared, "that was unkind of you—really -it was. However, perhaps I was unduly long in coming to the point. I -should have announced," he beamed broadly, "that hence-forward I am to -be your study-mate."</p> - -<p>"Our what?" demanded Jack, incredulously.</p> - -<p>"Why, your study-mate, comrade. Come, come, where are your tongues? -What, no congratulations? Aren't you overjoyed to have me? Think -how well we are sure to get on together—think of the evenings of -happy and profitable study, self-help, also co-operation, everything -pleasant—No, I implore you, no more cushions."</p> - -<p>"Well, cut out the oratory," warned Jack, lowering the missile. -"Do you think we are a bally political meeting? Aren't you Patch, -though—weren't you in Cooper's House last term?"</p> - -<p>"That is my poor name." The newcomer executed a profound bow. "Septimus -Patch, socialist, inventor, friend of the downtrodden and oppressed—"</p> - -<p>"Cheese it," said Billy. "Why on earth did they move you to this house?"</p> - -<p>"Ah, why?" said Patch blandly, gazing at the ceiling.</p> - -<p>"And why, on top of that, did they pick upon this study?"</p> - -<p>"Who knows?" The inventor gazed dreamily out of the window. "Fate, -perhaps."</p> - -<p>"And, anyway," Symonds took up the tale, "what have you got in all -these traps?"</p> - -<p>"My chemicals—my models of invention—my books—my goods generally," -said Septimus Patch gloomily.</p> - -<p>Horror deepened upon the faces of the two chums.</p> - -<p>"Do you mean to say—?" said Billy.</p> - -<p>"—Rotten chemicals?" finished Jack.</p> - -<p>"In this study?" Billy could scarcely believe it.</p> - -<p>"Why not?" asked Patch, with his conciliatory smile, polishing his -enormous spectacles. "Is it not comforting to be companioned by a -man of science—I will not say genius? When time drags, you may find -infinite enjoyment in mixing up things for me, and solace in wandering -through the dark forest of science under my guidance."</p> - -<p>"Oh, help!" moaned Jack.</p> - -<p>"Moses!" gasped Billy.</p> - -<p>"'Dark forest of science,'" quoted Jack, throwing himself weakly into -Billy's easy chair. "This place is going to be a little paradise, isn't -it just?"</p> - -<p>"More like a ward in a lunatic asylum," corrected Billy with bitterness.</p> - -<p>"You are unduly severe on yourselves," Patch assured them blandly. -He was unpacking an enormous number of things, and distributing them -pell-mell over the floor. Jack and Billy could only sit and stare, -goggle-eyed, at the spreading disorder on their one and only carpet.</p> - -<p>"Pictures, too, comrades," said Septimus enthusiastically, bringing to -light a huge bundle of frames wrapped in brown paper. He exhibited the -top one proudly.</p> - -<p>"Good grief! What on earth's that?" demanded Jack in astonishment. -"Side elevation of a poached egg, or—"</p> - -<p>"That," said the owner, indignantly, dusting it with his handkerchief, -"is a diagram of the anatomy of the common flea. Much magnified, of -course. Rather good, don't you think? Where shall I put it?"</p> - -<p>"In the fireplace," suggested Billy, cruelly. "Do you think we want to -be gazing all day at that horror? And what's this?"</p> - -<p>"Butterflies."</p> - -<p>"Not so bad. Put them up there over that shelf."</p> - -<p>Septimus hoisted the huge frame into place, and got down, beaming -broadly.</p> - -<p>"Comrade," he said, "we are getting on quite well. Only one or two -more; here's a portrait of Sir Isaac Newton."</p> - -<p>"It's a good frame," commented Jack. "I've a photo of Trumper that'd -just fit in. I'll dig it out. Here, we'll put it up high for the -present." So saying he balanced a big dictionary on a chair, and -climbed up with Sir Isaac Newton in his hands.</p> - -<p>"Hope I can reach," he said, while Septimus Patch and Billy Faraday -watched him anxiously. It did not seem as if he could reach. He raised -himself cautiously on tiptoe, but the frame was heavy and the risk -great. The dictionary tottered.</p> - -<p>"Look out, Jack—you'll be over," said Billy. "Whoa!" He made a frantic -grab at his pal, but missed by about a foot.</p> - -<p>Jack came down with a tremendous crash, scattering a pile of Patch's -bottles right and left. There was a tinkle of broken glass and the -sound of a mild explosion; through the ensuing cloud of smoke Septimus -could be seen seated on the floor, vainly endeavouring to release his -head from the photograph frame that Jack had let fall.</p> - -<p>It was fortunate that Sir Isaac had had no glass in front of him, or -the results might have been serious. As it was, he was hopelessly -punctured now; the frame hung about Patch's neck like a grotesque -collar.</p> - -<p>"Ha, ha, ha!" The sight was so absurd that Billy could not check a -laugh at the comicality of it all, but his laugh ended abruptly. At -that moment the door opened, and a stern voice spoke.</p> - -<p>"What is the meaning of this?"</p> - -<p>Billy looked up in surprise. The voice was a strange one, but it -carried a ring of authority.</p> - -<p>"Just a slight accident, comrade," replied Patch. "We were hanging this -picture, and regrettably it fell. Ah, off it comes at last! But I am -afraid Sir Isaac is disfigured," he added sadly. "Yes, he does look -rather cut up."</p> - -<p>"I am your new history master," said the other, interrupting him. His -rasping voice made Jack swing round with a gasp of surprise. "Daw is my -name."</p> - -<p>"Doctor Daw!" murmured Jack. The words were literally jerked out of -him by surprise. He regretted them instantly, but it was too late. The -amazing fact was that the man now standing in the doorway was actually -the man who had travelled with them in the train—the fellow who had -been so familiar with the bag-snatching Tiger on the station, and who -had completely ignored him afterwards. Jack recalled now that the man -had said that he was going to Deepwater. It was a somewhat startling -coincidence, and it was no wonder that he had been impelled to whisper -the name that Tiger had given the new history master.</p> - -<p>Slight as that whisper had been, it had not escaped the ears of Doctor -Daw, who gave a violent start and took a step forward. His mouth -opened, as if he were about to say something, but no words followed. -His eyes met Jack's in a troubled, questioning stare. He seemed to say, -"How much do you know? What have you got hold of?" And then, on the -verge of an outburst, he recovered himself.</p> - -<p>"I have a new study-mate for you," said he quietly, although his eyes -still glittered angrily. "A new boy to the college, and from New -Zealand, who will be in your form. Fane is his name—but no doubt he -will introduce himself."</p> - -<p>With that he ushered in the boy Fane, and let himself out. Only, before -he closed the door, he eyed Jack narrowly—and his glance seemed to -convey a threat, a warning. There was no mistaking the malignant nature -of the look. Jack felt chilled, he knew not why. Then, the door closed, -and Mr. Daw was gone.</p> - -<p>"Cheerful-looking chap," commented Billy. "How are you, Fane?"</p> - -<p>"Well, thanks," said Fane, who was a short and rather nervous-looking -boy. He came forward and shook hands all round. "Hope we get on well -together."</p> - -<p>"My sentiments exactly, comrade," said Septimus Patch. "I'm new myself, -but I'll sort of father you. What are your interests? Know anything -about Science? Or Socialism?"</p> - -<p>Fane smiled nervously. "Neither, I'm afraid. Where can I put my things?"</p> - -<p>"Here you are," said Billy. "What shall we call you?"</p> - -<p>"My first name's Swinnerton," he admitted. "Silly name, of course—call -me Swin, if you like."</p> - -<p>And while Billy and Patch were attempting to make the newcomer feel -at home, Jack was looking idly out of the window. He did not know the -connection between Doctor Daw and Tiger, but he felt vaguely that he -had made an enemy.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</a></h2> - -<h3>THE BULLY-KILLER</h3> - - -<p>Salmon's House, to which division of Deepwater College Jack Symonds -and his study-mates belonged, was famous for its exclusive set of -youngsters—a band who had clubbed together for their own advancement, -and the confusion of everybody else, and had named themselves the -Crees. It amounted in the long run to a sort of secret society; it had -its president, but no one outside its numbers knew who he was. It was -never known for certain who the members were, either; and that gave a -delightful uncertainty to everything connected with it.</p> - -<p>It so happened that both Jack and his friend Billy Faraday were -members. With the others, they were notified that on a certain -afternoon a special meeting would be held. They knew well enough the -object of the meeting. Dick Richard, the founder of the Crees, and the -society's first president, had left at the end of the previous term, -and there would be some hot contention for his position.</p> - -<p>"Do you mean to go for the job, Jack?" asked Billy, as they strolled -across the fields to the appointed spot—a secluded position in the -rear of a waste of scrub-land.</p> - -<p>"Why not? It'd give me a bit of a pull, and there's no end of fun to be -got out of it," returned Jack, in his practical manner. "I don't see -anyone to give me much of a run for it."</p> - -<p>"Except Cummles."</p> - -<p>"Except Cummy, of course. And he can't do anything but bluster and kick -up a dickens of a row. What sort of a time would we have under him?"</p> - -<p>"No sort of a time at all. The man's got no initiative."</p> - -<p>"No—but any amount of push and brute strength!" Jack laughed.</p> - -<p>When they arrived at Three Skull Hollow—an entirely fanciful name -bestowed upon it by the Crees—they discovered that most of the -Crees were already assembled, and the loud voice of Les Cummles was -dominating the assembly.</p> - -<p>"Of course," he was saying, "there's absolutely no question—I'm -putting in for the job, and if anyone else thinks he'd like it, let him -say so." He stared round with a somewhat truculent expression. "Here's -Symonds and Faraday—they'll bear me out in this, I know."</p> - -<p>It was a direct challenge.</p> - -<p>"Bear you out in what?" asked Symonds quietly.</p> - -<p>"Why, my filling Dick's place as president—you're agreeable, aren't -you?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know so much about that, I was thinking of taking it over -myself."</p> - -<p>"Hear, hear!" said an invisible Cree, behind Cummy's back. He wheeled -round and frowned upon the party.</p> - -<p>"Now, what are the laws of electing the president?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Nominations first, and then a show of hands—that's all we've got to -do. It's quite simple." He took a seat and addressed the assembled -Crees. "I'm in the chair—any nominations for Chief Cree?"</p> - -<p>"I propose Les Cummles," said one of the bully's toadies, with -clockwork readiness.</p> - -<p>"Good—seconded? Thank you. Now, anybody else?"</p> - -<p>He looked round fiercely, as if defying anybody else to speak. But, -finally, it was shown that he could not carry off the bluff. Billy -Faraday spoke in his quiet voice.</p> - -<p>"Jack Symonds—my nomination," he said.</p> - -<p>"I second that," another Cree spoke quickly, and there was a murmur of -approval.</p> - -<p>"Anybody else?" Cummles's tone was distinctly nasty by now, and he -glared at Bill savagely. "No—well, we'll have a show of hands."</p> - -<p>This time he frowned round on the Crees with real anger. He was not -a bad general, and he thought that by this show of force he would -intimidate any wavering members, and make them feel that it was perhaps -better to vote for him and feel safe.</p> - -<p>The upraised hands for Cummles were counted slowly; there were -twenty-one. And then the Symonds vote was counted.</p> - -<p>"Twenty-one also," said the Cree deputed to tell the votes.</p> - -<p>"Dead heat!"</p> - -<p>"Wait a moment," said Cummles. "As chairman, I have right to a casting -vote, and I—"</p> - -<p>"Rot—it's a swindle!"</p> - -<p>"All right, Moore—I'll settle with you afterwards," said Cummles -wickedly. "I've every right to settle—"</p> - -<p>"You're a big bluff!"</p> - -<p>Feeling was certainly running very high. Lots of the fellows who -had timidly voted for Cummles now regretted their action. Moore was -an excitable little fellow, and Cummles's threats had roused him to -defiance.</p> - -<p>"Enough said. I—"</p> - -<p>"Yah! Who do we want?"</p> - -<p>"Symonds!" There was no mistaking the volume of the shout.</p> - -<p>"Casting vote—" roared Cummles.</p> - -<p>"Bluffer! Another counting! Another counting!"</p> - -<p>"—chairman's right—"</p> - -<p>"It's a swindle!"</p> - -<p>"—therefore declare that—"</p> - -<p>"Symonds, Chief Cree!"</p> - -<p>"—I am elected to the position—"</p> - -<p>A tremendous hullaboloo arose from the Cree meeting, and about a dozen -free fights between heated partisans were taking place. Upright on a -raised spot Cummles was endeavouring to state that, giving his casting -vote to himself, he was elected Chief Cree. Jack and Billy were more -like amused spectators, than anything else. The furious Crees were -not anxious to be ruled by the heavy hand of Cummles, but many sought -favour in his eyes by endeavouring to quell the insurgents.</p> - -<p>There is no saying what might not have followed, but for the fact that -a strange diversion had been preparing itself, and now burst upon -the meeting of the Crees with no sort of warning. There was not even -any preliminary noise; but even if there had been, the uproar in the -meeting would have sufficed to drown it. Something darkened the sky -with startling abruptness; then, there was an immense crackling and -crashing in the scrub near by.</p> - -<p>"Look out—coming over!" yelled a voice.</p> - -<p>Only one or two heard the cry; Cummles, who was raging like a bull, -certainly did not. So that, when some weighty object smashed into -his back and hurled him to the ground with violence, he was taken -completely by surprise. He was precipitated into the waistcoats of a -couple of fellow-Crees who were seated upon the ground.</p> - -<p>"Here—help!" shouted the assaulted ones, taking his action for one of -personal violence. "What have we—"</p> - -<p>"Ouch!" bellowed Cummles, struggling in vain to free himself from the -tangle of arms and legs into which he had been so rudely thrown.</p> - -<p>"Ha, ha, ha!" When the amazed Crees had collected their wits -sufficiently to be able to take in what was happening, the humour of -the situation was apparent. The object that had collided with Cummles -tugged and clung on to a rope—and at the other end of the rope was an -immense kite-like affair that flapped and ducked in the air twenty feet -above them. The plight of the astounded Cummles and the dangling and -racing legs was farcical in the extreme.</p> - -<p>"Help!" came the cry of the aviator. "Grab the rope—she's getting -away. Catch hold, quickly!"</p> - -<p>Several of the Crees flung themselves on the rope, and, hauling -manfully, brought the big kite to the ground. It was tugging with the -strength of several bulls, and it required all their strength to -bring it to earth. It was quite a big affair, of weird construction, -something along the lines of a box-kite, and Septimus Patch himself was -seated in a light saddle in the centre of it.</p> - -<p>"Patch!" exclaimed Jack Symonds in astonishment.</p> - -<p>"That same, comrade! I fear I startled you somewhat—eh? But the -machine would not behave."</p> - -<p>His assistant, the boy who had been swinging on the rope in an -endeavour to hold the kite down was discovered to be Fane, the shy New -Zealander. Evidently he and Patch had struck up a friendship.</p> - -<p>"Yes," he said, mopping his forehead, "I had my work cut out to keep -her down—I've been dragged over a mile and a half of scrub. The -blessed thing rises quicker than the price of eggs. Old Septimus nearly -had a wetting—didn't you, Patchie, old boy?"</p> - -<p>"It looked like it for quite a while," admitted the inventor modestly. -"I must allow that I'd forgotten to provide for coming down again, -once I'd got up. In the future, I'll have to have about twenty juniors -hanging on to the rope. Or I might remedy that before the next ascent."</p> - -<p>The Crees had gathered around the big kite, examining it with evident -curiosity.</p> - -<p>"I say," said one of them, "she must be pretty strong to lift you up -like that."</p> - -<p>"Well, she's not badly designed, comrade," said Patch, with lordly -condescension. "This is Flying Fox III. Numbers I and II, I regret to -state, would not fly. They absolutely refused. Why, I don't know. But -they—"</p> - -<p>He found himself gripped hard by the shoulder, and turned to front the -crimson face of Cummles, who, angered as he had been by the opposition -to his presidency, had been doubly enraged by his ignominious fall. His -dignity had been injured, and as he had a certain prestige among his -fellows, he wanted redress.</p> - -<p>"Look here," he said, shaking Patch's shoulder till the inventor's -horn-rimmed spectacles shivered on his nose. "Look here, what the -dickens do you mean by it?"</p> - -<p>"Mean by what?"</p> - -<p>"Why, barging into my back like that, and sending me flying? It was -your wretched kite thingummy, and like your cheek!"</p> - -<p>"My dear fellow," said Patch.</p> - -<p>"Dear fellow, nothing! It's an apology I want, you glass-eyed goat! -Down on your knees, too, and repeat what I say."</p> - -<p>"I'm sure it wouldn't be worth repeating," said Patch coldly. "Anyway, -there was no need to flare up like that over a simple accident. -Reflect, comrade, on the injustice you are doing to yourself, and—"</p> - -<p>"If you don't apologize the way I say," said Cummles inflexibly, "then -you're going to be put through it."</p> - -<p>"Meaning?"</p> - -<p>"Meaning you'll get bashed," said Cummles, who was obviously in a -dangerous mood. His dignity had been injured, and he meant to show -the Crees just how he could impose his will on others. It should make -an impression, he thought. "If you think you can play your silly fool -tricks on me, then you're making the mistake of your young life! See? -Now, what about that apology?"</p> - -<p>"No," murmured Patch, with a worried air. He had gone very white, for -the idea of a physical encounter hardly appealed to him. "You mean -you're going to fight me?"</p> - -<p>"I don't fight fools like you," said Cummles trenchantly, still bent on -showing the Crees what he was made of. "I don't fight them—I just whip -them. Apologize?"</p> - -<p>For answer, Patch gave one look round on the circle of still, watching -faces, and then sighed. Then, with a deliberate movement, he began to -take off his coat. A gasp went up, for Cummles was a big, bull-necked -sort of fellow, and a regular terror in a fight. Poor Patch, it seemed, -was in for a very torrid time; but the spectators were forced to -admire his courage. What sort of a chance would he have, though, with a -smashing hitter like Cummles?</p> - -<p>It was quite unfair, and Jack Symonds for one was dead against it. -Cummles would have to learn to control his temper; it was too bad that -Patch should get whipped for a pure accident. Just as Jack was on the -point of protesting—just as, indeed, he had stepped forward to check -the fight preparations, a new voice cut in before he could utter a word.</p> - -<p>"Wait a moment." It was Fane, the quiet New Zealander, and he looked -shyer than ever as he introduced himself, blushing, into the circle.</p> - -<p>"Well?" Cummles demanded, with the truculence of a dog interrupted in -worrying a bone.</p> - -<p>"Patch mustn't fight—can't fight," said Fane, still in that uneasy, -self-conscious manner. "You see—it wasn't his fault, really. I was the -one that actually barged into you, and so—"</p> - -<p>"Are you ready to take his place then?" demanded Cummles, with brutal -directness.</p> - -<p>"If necessary."</p> - -<p>The Crees were even more disturbed at this, for if Patch was a hopeless -opponent for the bully, Fane was even more so. He was half a head -shorter than the big fellow, and his appearance was altogether quiet -and inoffensive. He removed his coat and, with the air of a veteran, -rolled up his sleeves.</p> - -<p>"I'll see if I can't justify my title of bully-killer," he said, -without any appearance of boasting. "Will one of you give me a knee?"</p> - -<p>"But look here—" said Jack.</p> - -<p>"Where?"</p> - -<p>"It's all absurd. You don't know what you're up against. Cummles here -is a fighter—"</p> - -<p>"You wouldn't have me back down, would you?"</p> - -<p>"No; but—"</p> - -<p>"The fight will go on," said Fane simply. "I know how to take care of -myself. Cummles was anxious to pick a quarrel, and as Patch can't fight -for sour apples—"</p> - -<p>Patch was standing by, with a little criss-cross mark of puzzlement -showing between his eyes.</p> - -<p>"I ought really—" he began.</p> - -<p>The sardonic voice of the bully interrupted him. "When you fellows -have finished gassing to save time," he said, "I'll be ready to thrash -you. Both, if you like—it doesn't matter to me a bit. One after the -other—who's first? But hurry up."</p> - -<p>He had not troubled to remove his coat, anticipating an easy time with -Patch; but now he did so, and rolled up his sleeves, moved by something -in the bearing of the quiet boy before him.</p> - -<p>Without any further argument, without any courtesies of combat, he and -Fane flew at each other, and there was the sound of a collision and -heavy blows. For a moment the spectators looked on with dismay, fearing -that Fane would pay dearly for his temerity and get hopelessly smashed -about. But in a minute or two their apprehension changed to excitement, -and they set up a volley of cheering.</p> - -<p>Fane was a dark horse—everybody recognized that at a glance. He quite -obviously knew more than a little about boxing—and fighting, too. He -had a good stance, and hit long and straight, and with both hands, like -a professional.</p> - -<p>Cummles was vastly shocked when, at the end of the first furious rush, -he ran fairly upon a stiff left jab that split his lip instantly. Again -and again he strove to get past that propped-out fist, but try as he -would he could not get his head out of the way, and every time it was -as if he had jammed his face against a beam of wood.</p> - -<p>Then, too, Fane's right hand, with heavy body-swing behind it, followed -up the left like a piston and thudded upon every portion of Cummles's -anatomy in solid drives, until he began to feel acutely miserable, and, -stung to desperation like a tormented bear, he commenced to hit with -all his force, in wild swings that Fane dodged in good style. It was a -magnificent exhibition of pluck and skill of the first water, opposed -to brute force and doggedness. Fane seemed to be able to land hits at -will. A trickle of blood from the bully's split lip coursed down that -fellow's chin, and added nothing to his appearance.</p> - -<p>"Go on, the bully-killer!"</p> - -<p>The name had caught on, and the Crees yelled it in pure enjoyment, -for they had all suffered more or less at Cummles's hands, and they -appreciated to the full this repayment of his own medicine.</p> - -<p>"Look at him—he's blowing like a grampus!"</p> - -<p>Cummles was not in the best of training at this early stage of the -term, and he was feeling the disadvantages of his condition. He was -puffing badly and perspiring profusely. His movements slowed down and -he seemed tired. Fane could not hit hard enough to knock the bigger boy -over; but there was no doubt that he was cutting him about badly.</p> - -<p>"Hand it out," yelled the bully's enemies, eager for the downfall of -their tyrant. "You know, Fane!"</p> - -<p>The Crees went simply wild with delight, for Cummles was getting the -worst trouncing of his life. They cheered the New Zealander on with -loud cries of encouragement, although it would have been impossible to -have added to the sting and venom of his attack.</p> - -<p>"Go on, Fane!"</p> - -<p>"Give it to him—he's been looking for this for a long time!"</p> - -<p>The bully-killer, as he had called himself, propped off another of -Cummles's blind rushes, with stinging hits.</p> - -<p>"Had enough?" he gasped, lowering his hands momentarily.</p> - -<p>"No!" wheezed Cummles, lurching forward; and with a tremendous swing he -clouted his opponent on the side of the head, sending him flying head -over heels to the ground, where he lay outstretched.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</a></h2> - -<h3>THE BROKEN BOOTLACE</h3> - - -<p>Cummles stood back from his antagonist, a twisted grin of triumph on -his face, and, in the tense silence that followed, the loud and fast -sound of his breathing could be distinctly heard.</p> - -<p>And then, all the horror of the Crees found voice, and they exclaimed -together:</p> - -<p>"Foul—it's a foul!"</p> - -<p>"Scrag the dirty fouler!"</p> - -<p>The ring pressed round about Cummles with angry cries, for the bully -had offended all rules of fair play by his action in striking Fane when -that youngster had lowered his hands. For a moment Cummles thought -that he was to be mobbed, and he drew back on the defensive; then Fane -slowly rose from the ground.</p> - -<p>"Stand back," said Fane, "this is my job—let me finish it!"</p> - -<p>With the words he again attacked the bully furiously. His blows were -hard and fast, but he did not lose his head. Grimly Cummles strove to -turn the tide, to repeat that one tremendous blow; but always Fane was -just a little too quick for him.</p> - -<p>Finally Cummles came to the end of his resources, and bitterly bitter -though the admission was to him, he had to grant that he was beaten. -Thoroughly exhausted, and much damaged by Fane's blows, he dropped his -hands.</p> - -<p>"Good enough," he mumbled through swollen lips. "I'm done—hold off."</p> - -<p>Then for the first time Fane smiled; and like a cloak, his old nervous -manner fell about him once more.</p> - -<p>"You'll shake hands?" he asked. "Yes?"</p> - -<p>Cummles shook the proffered hand grumpily, for he could not easily -forgive the fellow who had lowered his colours so decisively in the -presence of his fellow-Crees. Then, pulling on his coat, he left the -circle without another word, followed by two or three of his intimate -cronies, who even now would not desert him.</p> - -<p>"Well done, Fane," said Jack Symonds, patting the New Zealander on the -shoulder. "That's just what Cummles has been looking for for months. -Now, you fellows," he went on, turning to the Crees, who stood round -murmuring congratulations, "I propose that Fane here and his friend -Patch be made members of the society. For one thing, Fane is a jolly -useful member, and—"</p> - -<p>"Hear, hear!" they interrupted him.</p> - -<p>"And what about Symonds for Chief Cree?" demanded another of them in a -loud voice.</p> - -<p>The reply was a burst of cheering, and Jack was duly elected. Amid much -excitement, he was presented with the Eagle feather, the emblem of -office that the founder of the Crees had left behind him when he had -left Deepwater College. Jack put it in his pocket, and then turned to -the business of getting the two new Crees elected to the band.</p> - -<p>They were unanimously elected, and the four occupants of Study 9 that -evening were fast friends. Even Patch was allowed to hang one or two -more of his scientific diagrams on the walls, and to place his bottles -and apparatus along the top of his cupboard.</p> - -<p>In the middle of the night Fane awoke with a slight groan, and felt his -face with tender touch. His right cheek-bone, where Cummles had landed -a hit during their fight, was painful; the skin had been taken off, and -now the wound was a hot, throbbing graze that worried him.</p> - -<p>He turned over and over again, but found sleep impossible. The wound -was worrying him too much.</p> - -<p>"I've got some ointment," he murmured, "and that might cool it off a -bit. But the stuff's down in the study, worse luck."</p> - -<p>He bore the pain in silence for a few minutes longer, and then -determined to go down to the study for the ointment. Silently he got -out of bed, and left the sleeping dormitory behind him. The great -corridors were cold and deserted, but, hurrying downstairs in his bare -feet, he quickly arrived at Study 9. Then he threw open the door.</p> - -<p>"Jiminy!" he gasped, involuntarily.</p> - -<p>The study was in darkness but for a flood of light that streamed in a -definite band from the end of what was evidently an electric torch. And -the cupboards were open, and their contents partly emptied on the floor.</p> - -<p>"What—who are you?" he demanded, as the glow of the torch fell upon -a big figure in a pulled-down cap and a scarf that hid the lower part -of the face. The bright eyes above the scarf challenged his, and for a -moment they stood face to face, both held immovable in surprise. Fane -realized at once that the man he had surprised was a burglar.</p> - -<p>He flung himself without the slightest warning upon the intruder. No -fellow at Deepwater College ever had more lion-like courage than Fane. -The man bulked much bigger than himself, but the bully-killer sprang -forward with all the vim of an attacking bulldog.</p> - -<p>Swift and unexpected as was his move, the burglar was a fraction -swifter. The torch went out silently, and it was as if a velvet curtain -had fallen before Fane's eyes. The man must have twisted aside with -lightning celerity, for Fane could not touch him. For a moment there -was silence, each listening for the other. Then a large black shape -blotted out the pale square of the window, and the boy realized that -the burglar was escaping.</p> - -<p>He ran forward, but fell over some invisible object on the floor. When -he had picked himself up, he heard the thud of the intruder's feet -alighting on the garden-beds outside, and the quick following sound of -rapid footsteps. The man had got away!</p> - -<p>Fane knew that pursuit was out of the question. He had no hope of -following with success; and he wondered now whether the next step would -be to inform the masters of what had occurred. On second thoughts he -determined to consult with his pals, and returning to the dormitory he -awoke Jack and Patch, and together they went to the bed where Billy -Faraday lay asleep.</p> - -<p>"Billy!" said Jack, shaking his chum by the shoulder.</p> - -<p>"Look out—the Black Star!" said Billy. "The Black Star—take care of -it!"</p> - -<p>"What on earth?" said Jack. "The beggar's talking in his sleep. Black -star? What does he mean?" He shook the sleeping Billy again. "Here, you -old sleeping beauty, arise! Come up!"</p> - -<p>"Hullo!" There was surprise and alarm in Billy's tone. "What—? Oh, I -remember—I've been dreaming. I thought you were—"</p> - -<p>He stopped and rubbed his eyes. "What's the matter, anyway?"</p> - -<p>"Come out here, old chap."</p> - -<p>When they got out in the corridor, Jack Symonds explained. "Fane here -was going down for a rub of ointment for his eye, and when he got in -the study there was a burglar. Here, where are you going?"</p> - -<p>Billy Faraday did not answer. He had gasped with alarm at Jack's words, -and set off at a rapid pace down the corridor. The others followed -him at a run, and when they entered the study found him on his knees -in front of his cupboard examining a small black cash-box, which he -clicked open, peered inside, and then, with a sigh of relief, closed it -again.</p> - -<p>"Nothing gone?" demanded Jack. "Not even the Black Star?"</p> - -<p>"Black star!" Billy whispered, looking at Jack as if he had seen a -ghost. "What—what do you know about—"</p> - -<p>"It's all right, Billy—only a joke of mine."</p> - -<p>"But—a joke?"</p> - -<p>"Yes. When we went to wake you up just now you were having a nightmare, -or something, and you were jabbering about a black star. Something -about taking care of it."</p> - -<p>Billy was silent. Then he turned to his study-mates earnestly. "See -here, you fellows," he said quietly, "we're all pals now, and I think -we can keep a secret together. You heard me talking in my sleep about -the Black Star, and perhaps you thought that it was only a nightmare, -or something I'd read in a book. It isn't. It's something real—there -<i>is</i> a Black Star, and here it is."</p> - -<p>He opened the cash-box, and held out a small bundle wrapped in -tissue-paper. Jack removed the wrappings, and held the object so -revealed in the palm of his hand. There were exclamations of surprise -from all three.</p> - -<p>"By Jove!" said Patch in admiration.</p> - -<p>In Jack's hand lay a black stone as big as the top of a tea-cup. It -was beautifully smooth, polished to the last degree, and had a sort of -opalescent fire that made it wonderfully beautiful in the lamp-light. -It was shaped as a six-cornered star, and as the light played on it it -seemed veritably alive, almost appearing to wriggle in Jack's palm.</p> - -<p>"That's the Black Star," said Billy Faraday.</p> - -<p>"And that," said Septimus Patch thoughtfully, "is, I suppose, what the -burglar was after. Am I right?"</p> - -<p>"Perfectly right. Only that Fane here arrived in time to interrupt his -search, the fellow must have collared the Black Star."</p> - -<p>"But the Black Star—what is it?" asked Fane. "Something very valuable? -Why should the fellow be so anxious to get it?"</p> - -<p>"And that's another thing," put in Jack Symonds excitedly. "When that -man on the train tried to collar your bag, was he after the Black Star?"</p> - -<p>Billy frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know that," he replied. "Perhaps -he knew what was in my bag—or perhaps he was just a casual thief. -Anyway, I made sure of getting the thing back, didn't I?"</p> - -<p>"You did! You couldn't have run faster from a man-eating lion. Still, -old chap, what is the giddy mystery about this Black Star? There's more -in it than meets the eye."</p> - -<p>"I was just coming to that. It's rather a long story, but I'll cut it -as short as I can. You know, my father, who just died, was a great -naturalist, and he was deeply interested in Central Australia. He had -made a special study of the natural history of those parts, and was -considered the expert on all matters belonging to them.</p> - -<p>"On one of his trips into the interior he discovered a little-known -tribe of blacks. It seems that these niggers were of quite a superior -brand, and they had a sort of civilization of their own, quite -different from the low-down natives that travellers run across. They -keep much to themselves, and it was only by the purest accident that -the pater ran into them.</p> - -<p>"He stayed with them for a long time. There were plenty of things to -be inquired into, and with their assistance he added to his scientific -knowledge. For their part, they got to like him very much; in fact, -they wanted him to stay with them and be their chief. They even went -so far as giving him the sacred emblem of the tribe, which is, of -course, this Black Star. The possessor of this Star is all-powerful -among the natives of the Boonadilla tribe. He can have his slightest -wishes obeyed, and they handed my father a very great compliment when -they gave him this. Of course, he accepted it, and brought it back to -Melbourne with him, but he had no intention of going back and lording -it over the tribe. All that he intended doing was to show it round -among his scientific friends, partly as proof that the Boonadilla tribe -existed. That was all that was in his head at the time; and he meant -to send it back, or take it back himself on his next trip into the -interior.</p> - -<p>"But, as you know, there was to be no 'next trip.' The pater died, -but before he went he told me certain things about the Black Star. It -seems that one of his men on the trip got to know about it, and, being -a cunning sort of fellow, got the idea of taking the Star and getting -back to the Boonadilla people with it. The reason was, of course, that -he was going to get something out of it; and my pater told me that the -tribe had lots of alluvial gold that they'd collected around the spot -where they lived. They'd no idea of the value of the gold, and a clever -man would be able to influence them with the Black Star, so that it -would not be difficult to get away with the metal.</p> - -<p>"This man Lazare—some sort of a foreigner, I believe—had been at the -pater for a loan of the Black Star; but the pater knew too much of him -for that. He knew that if he lent it to Lazare, the probability was -that he would not see the thing again. So he refused. He told me that -I was to be careful not to let Lazare get hold of it, for he handed it -over to my keeping just before he—died. His instructions were that I -should take it to his old friend Mason, the geologist, who lives in -Sydney.</p> - -<p>"Before I left Melbourne to come back to school I wrote to Mason, but -I got an answer back to say that he was away on a trip, and would not -be back for four or five months. What was I to do? The only thing was -to take it back to school with me. This I decided to do; and I also -brought back a revolver of the pater's, which came in very handy, -as Jack can tell you. You don't want to let a word of this out, for -there'd be no end of a row if I was found out. Before I left, Lazare -himself came to see me, and asked me directly for the Black Star. He -said that there had been an understanding between the pater and himself -that he should take it back to the tribe. He was plausible, too, I -can tell you. Only that I'd been warned against the fellow, I'd have -fallen for his game like a shot. As it was, he didn't get it, and I -believe that he's been watching me like a cat watching a mouse ever -since I refused. Mind, he didn't threaten anything—he's too clever for -that. He was very polite, and said that it was a pity that I was so -obstinate, and that he would not worry any more about it. He remarked -that he had been merely carrying out the pater's orders, and that, -since I opposed him, he considered himself free of any obligation. He -said good-bye, and went away—implying that I was a silly young fool, -of course. Now, I'm pretty certain that this was Lazare here this -evening. He must have watched me closely, and possibly that was one of -his men who snatched my bag on the train."</p> - -<p>"By Jingo!" said Jack Symonds, "but we're going to have a lively term -this time or I'm a Dutchman! What?"</p> - -<p>"Comrade," said Patch, in his grand manner, extending his hand, "I -appreciate your confidence in me—believe me, I shall do all that I can -to help. You have heard, no doubt, that I am by way of being an amateur -detective? No? You surprise me. I want everything left here just as it -is. I may be able to find out something of the identity of the burglar. -This is no joke. Wait until the morning and then I'll get to work."</p> - -<p>"Well," said Fane practically, "we can't do anything by waiting -here—besides, there's a chance that we'll be caught out of our dormy. -Are you going to report the affair to the Head?"</p> - -<p>"I think not. I don't want to have to explain everything, and, besides, -no harm's been done. I'll take the Star up with me—I'll put it under -my pillow for to-night. I had no idea that the attempt would be made so -soon—else I wouldn't have left it in the cupboard. You never know your -luck."</p> - -<p>As they went back to the dormitory Fane and Septimus Patch could be -heard planning to get down to the study early in the morning—before -call-bell—and to make an investigation. Jack smiled, for he thought -that the amateur detective was a bit of a joke.</p> - -<p>"It's a biscuit to a fiver that you'll both be fast asleep when -call-bell goes," he observed, with a yawn. "I'm feeling that way -myself."</p> - -<p>However, when morning came and Jack Symonds and Billy Faraday awoke, -they found that the two beds occupied by Fane and Patch were empty.</p> - -<p>"Here, Billy," said Jack, "we've time to run down before call-over and -see what that beggar Patch's found out."</p> - -<p>"Right!" The two of them hurried downstairs, and discovered Patch and -Fane busily examining the turf outside the window of Study 9. Patch, -with excited eyes, was pointing out various things on the ground; as -the two pals came along he glanced smilingly up.</p> - -<p>"Hullo!" said Billy. "Looking for the early worm?"</p> - -<p>"Found it," said Patch confidently.</p> - -<p>"What do you mean?"</p> - -<p>"I've found that the burglar is really somebody belonging to the -school!"</p> - -<p>"Get out! How do you know that?"</p> - -<p>"Deduction," said Patch. "The clue of the broken bootlace."</p> - -<p>"Broken bootlace," repeated Billy Faraday in bewilderment. "What on -earth do you mean by that?"</p> - -<p>"I refer to a clue, comrade—and a valuable one at that. It means just -this. You see these two footprints here, just where the burglar landed -out of the window? And those further along, which are also his, for a -certainty?"</p> - -<p>"Yes—go on."</p> - -<p>"Well, I—hang it, there goes the second bell, and we'll have to scoot. -I'll explain it all after morning-school."</p> - -<p>And with that promise the mystified pals had to be content. Had Patch -actually found out something worth while, or was the whole thing merely -a false alarm?</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</a></h2> - -<h3>UNRAVELLING A CLUE</h3> - - -<p>Mr. Salmon, who was the house-master over that section of Deepwater -College in which the chums led a more or less care-free existence, was -the best of good sorts, but hopeless as a disciplinarian. To begin -with, he was partly deaf, and disrespectful juniors took advantage of -the weakness in season and out of season. His own form, the sixth, to -which all four of the Study 9 boys belonged, also contrived to have -an easy time of it while he was in charge. So that if he observed a -certain uneasiness on the part of the sharers of the Black Star secret, -he might have ascribed it to post-holiday skittishness—at any rate, he -said nothing about it, and the four of them hastened into conference -immediately studies were over, and lent ear to the wise sayings of the -eccentric genius, Septimus Patch.</p> - -<p>"To begin with," said Patch, in his best Dear-Watson manner, "there's -precious little beyond these footprints, in the shape of clues, but to -a trained eye like mine those slight, almost meaningless marks have a -story to tell. They are to me as an open book, and—"</p> - -<p>"Cut out the cackle," said Jack Symonds brusquely, "and return to the -washing. Get on with it."</p> - -<p>"Examine this footprint closely," invited Patch, "and tell me what you -see."</p> - -<p>"A footprint, of course," said Jack. "In other words, a depression -in the earth, caused by the yielding of the soil under a boot, which -causes it to assume the shape—"</p> - -<p>"Ass!" said Septimus cuttingly. "I mean, do you observe anything -peculiar about it?"</p> - -<p>"No. Why?"</p> - -<p>"You see that snake-like mark across the place where the sole has -rested?"</p> - -<p>"We're not blind, professor. What of it?"</p> - -<p>"Well, that's where the bootlace was stamped into the earth under -the foot. You see that! Now, that means that the fellow had his boot -unlaced."</p> - -<p>"Marvellous!" exclaimed Jack. "How do you do it?" he added, peering -anxiously at Patch. "Are you quite sure that you have come to no harm? -The severe mental effort—"</p> - -<p>"Cut the joking a moment. The man's boots were unlaced. What was the -reason for that? Is it likely that a man who was planning a burglary -would come in with unlaced boots? The thing is absurd. There are no -houses within miles of this place, and if the fellow had been hiding -in the bush, he would scarcely have had his boots unlaced. No; the -deduction from that lace is that the chap belonged to the school."</p> - -<p>"Yes, that sounds pretty right. You mean, he put on his boots to give -the impression that he'd come from outside, but as he'd just slipped -them on, he didn't lace them up, meaning to take them off again shortly -afterwards."</p> - -<p>"That's just it, comrade. Also, he was probably carrying them in his -hand and getting around the corridors in stockinged feet. I think we've -just about narrowed the search down to the school."</p> - -<p>"Yes;" broke in Billy Faraday, who had been listening to the discussion -with deep interest, "that's all right, but it's absurd to imagine that -anyone from the Coll. had a hand in this affair. Fane says that the -chap was a big fellow—"</p> - -<p>"There wasn't much light," said Fane, "and I didn't see him for more -than half a minute. All the same, he looked big. There was a scarf over -the bottom of his face, of course, so I couldn't tell him that way."</p> - -<p>"We've got no chance of finding out who he is, then," said Billy. "Even -if it was one of the chaps, which is hard to believe. I had an idea -that it was the bag-snatcher in the train, but he was quite short."</p> - -<p>"Wait just a minute," interrupted Patch. "You want to hear all the -detective's got to say, and then you can back-chat each other all day -if you want to. I say we can find out who that chap was, and merely by -this footprint again."</p> - -<p>"Spit it out," invited Jack.</p> - -<p>"Well, you can see the mark of the metal tag of that lace, can't you? -And you will observe that it's broken in half. The jagged edge has left -an unmistakable impression—see it? Just a minute."</p> - -<p>He bent down, took a knife from his pocket, and detached a tiny square -of the mud with the impression of the broken tag in it. This he held -in the palm of his hand, and continued. "All we've got to do now is -to find who owns the pair of boots that'd make an impression like -this. There can't be any mistake, and it shouldn't take us long to run -through all the boots in the school."</p> - -<p>"When?"</p> - -<p>"To-night, when they're downstairs for cleaning. They are brought back -by the boy about half-past five—if we get down to-night we'd be able -to examine them safely."</p> - -<p>"Good on you," said Jack, slapping Septimus on the back with -heartiness. "I didn't think you could do it, but it's a good notion all -the same. By George, we ought to be able to find out who it is!"</p> - -<p>"But—who could it be?" asked Billy, a furrow of puzzlement showing -itself on his forehead. "That's what gets me! I can't imagine—"</p> - -<p>"The bootlace will show—don't worry," said Septimus. "We can't do -anything until we find that."</p> - -<p>The four of them were wondering, as they sat in class that afternoon, -who the intruder could be, and they looked at their class-mates with -suspicious eyes. Big Martin, on account of his size, came in for -furtive glances, but it was manifestly absurd that he could have been -the culprit.</p> - -<p>At this early stage of the term, nobody felt much like work, -particularly Septimus Patch, who always contrived to be doing as much -of his own private business as possible, and never paid much attention -to the lesson in hand. Just at this moment he had arranged a big -barrier of books all along the front of his desk, and, concealed behind -the screen, he was tinkering with a weir-looking model of many springs, -screws, and cogwheels.</p> - -<p>Consequently he did not notice that the boy in front of him had -been surreptitiously unlacing his boots. His first intimation that -something was amiss was when he felt a sharp tug at his feet, and -both his boots came off. He gasped with horror, and, peering over his -barricade, observed that his two boots were travelling the round of -the class, in different directions. His loud socks, of purplish and -yellow colour-scheme, brought a snigger from the class. He wriggled, -protesting.</p> - -<p>"Patch!" It was the voice of Mr. Salmon, who was all unconscious of the -diversion, but who saw Patch's movement. "Are you paying attention?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir," mumbled Patch, reddening, and glaring, through his great -horn-rimmed glasses, at his companions. "Back here with the giddy old -boots, you asses!" he whispered, in a furious aside.</p> - -<p>"Well, then," said Mr. Salmon, arranging his spectacles so that he -could get a good view of the boy, "we were talking about Charles XII. -Patch, tell me why he was unsuccessful against Peter in this campaign."</p> - -<p>"You said, sir?" replied Patch.</p> - -<p>"Why was he unsuccessful?"</p> - -<p>"Ah, why?" said Patch, innocently.</p> - -<p>"I don't believe you've been paying any attention whatever." The master -ran round the class with a rapid cross-fire of questions, but the -answers were unsatisfactory. He frowned, and coughed. "Here, Patch, you -come out and read the account aloud," he commanded.</p> - -<p>"Here, back with those boots," said Patch, frantically. But the boots -had arrived at the other end of the room, and seemed likely to remain -there.</p> - -<p>"Do you hear me, boy?" demanded Mr. Salmon. "Come out at once. I never -saw such indolence!"</p> - -<p>With a groan Patch got up, and, amid the chuckles of the class, stepped -forward to the dais where Mr. Salmon stood. But he had barely set foot -on the stage, when he began a series of extraordinary antics.</p> - -<p>"Ouch!" he howled, leaping four feet in the air, and bouncing with a -thud. He danced about the dais on one foot, upsetting globes and maps, -and tipping over one of the front desks upon its unfortunate occupant. -"Take it out—take it out!"</p> - -<p>"Ha, ha, ha!" roared the class, both at the wild leaps of Patch and the -astounded horror of Mr. Salmon.</p> - -<p>"Boy, boy!" cried the latter, "have you gone mad? Stop this at -once—stop it, I say! Really I—!"</p> - -<p>"Yow! It's sticking into me—quick! My foot—it's sharp!"</p> - -<p>"His foot's sharp?" queried Mr. Salmon. "Patch—calm yourself, my poor -fellow," he went on, imagining that, if Patch had really gone off his -head, it would be safer to keep him calm.</p> - -<p>"You are quite all right—you really are. Just keep calm, and the -effects will—"</p> - -<p>"Ha, ha, ha!" The class was convulsed, and rocked with merriment as -Septimus Patch was seen to sit down on the floor and painfully extract -a drawing-tack from his stockinged foot. The tack had been lying -harmlessly on the dais, and Patch had planted his foot fairly upon it. -Mr. Salmon adjusted his spectacles, and took in the amazing sight. The -vivid colours of Patch's hose met his eye, and he gasped.</p> - -<p>"Boy! What do you mean by this? Where are your boots?"</p> - -<p>"Ah, where?" said Patch dreamily.</p> - -<p>Mr. Salmon coloured deeply. "You are insolent—you will be punished," -he affirmed. "Explain at once. Where have you put your boots?"</p> - -<p>Squinting over the tops of his goggles, Patch descried his boots in -place underneath his desk, standing demurely side by side as if nothing -had ever been amiss with them.</p> - -<p>"You will forgive me, comrade," he said, in his most buttery tones, -"but I had to take them off. My feet got very hot."</p> - -<p>"Your feet got hot?"</p> - -<p>"Yes—just a physical weakness of mine. Whenever it occurs I simply -have to take my boots off. I can't bear them."</p> - -<p>"So you are hot-footed as well as hot-headed!" said Mr. Salmon.</p> - -<p>The class simply roared. They kicked their feet, and rattled rulers -on the desk. They always made a stupendous row whenever Mr. Salmon -cracked one of his very mild jokes, and the genial house-master was so -very deaf that the din came to his ears in the form of a loud titter, -which had always pleased him greatly. The noise they made now could be -heard a couple of corridors away, but Mr. Salmon nodded and smiled, -satisfied with the reception of his sally.</p> - -<p>"Go back to your seat, boy," he said, restored to good humour once -more. "If your feet feel warm, it is doubtless because you wear such -very hot socks."</p> - -<p>At this remark there was a repetition of the hideous row; and Patch -strolled back to his seat and his model-making without the slightest -concern.</p> - -<p>After "lights-out" that night the four pals got out of their dormitory, -and in slippers made their way down to the boot-room, where they -tumbled around among boots and blacking and brushes, before Patch -applied a light to a fragment of candle that shed a flickering -illumination over the rows of neatly cleaned boots.</p> - -<p>"Now for it," said Billy Faraday, and without any more ado they set to -work to examine the great stack of boots. It was fully half an hour -before they had run through the pile, and then they had drawn a blank.</p> - -<p>"It's no go," said Jack Symonds. "How now, professor?"</p> - -<p>"The other House," said Patch calmly.</p> - -<p>"What—Cooper's?"</p> - -<p>"Of course," said Septimus. "Forward, comrades all!"</p> - -<p>They crossed the quadrangle and the playing-fields to the other house -of Deepwater College—Cooper's House.</p> - -<p>"You were here last term, of course," said Jack Symonds to Patch. "You -know your way about?"</p> - -<p>"Rather, comrade; like the palm of my hand. Give us a leg up through -this window."</p> - -<p>Jack obliged him with a shove that nearly sent the investigator on -to his head in the passageway beyond. In a little while the four had -gained the boot-room, and there a much more cautious examination took -place—more cautious because, if Cooper's masters or boys discovered -them by any chance, then things would go hard with the intruders.</p> - -<p>Inside of an hour the detectives had satisfied themselves that the -boots had not been worn by any of the boys of Deepwater College.</p> - -<p>"You've drawn another blank, Patchy," said Billy Faraday. "How do you -account for this?"</p> - -<p>"Account for it?" asked Patch, in wonderment. "What do you mean? This -only brings us closer to our solution, as the great Holmes said—"</p> - -<p>"Which Holmes? Oliver Wendell?" inquired Jack, with an air of acute -interest.</p> - -<p>"Sherlock Holmes, of course," returned Patch, with scorn. "I forgot -that you are unfamiliar with the classics. Well, he laid it down as an -axiom, once, that when you have disproved all but one of a number of -solutions, that solution must be the correct one, no matter how absurd -it seems."</p> - -<p>"I get you. But how does it apply?"</p> - -<p>"Why, if it wasn't one of the boys here, it must have been one of the -masters that made the footprint."</p> - -<p>"But what master would come at that game?" asked Billy incredulously. -"Think it was old Salmon?"</p> - -<p>"By the Great Moa!" exclaimed Jack in a loud tone, which called rebukes -from his companions.</p> - -<p>"Cut the shindy," advised Patch tersely, "or you'll have the whole -House down on us. What's stung you?"</p> - -<p>"Doctor Daw!" whispered Jack. "What about him?"</p> - -<p>"Is he in his right mind?" asked Patch anxiously. "And who may Doctor -Daw be? I've heard of his daughter, Marjory, but that was in my -nursery-rhyme days. Expound."</p> - -<p>In low tones, and as briefly as possible, Jack explained the strange -connection which he suspected between Doctor Daw, the new master, and -Tiger, the man who had run off with Billy's bag.</p> - -<p>"What could be more likely," he said, "but that the two are in league -with one another, and associates of old Lazare what's-his-name? Why -didn't I think of it before?"</p> - -<p>"This is important," said Patch, seriously. "Daw is a big man, and it -might well have been him. Now, the only thing to do is to compare his -bootlaces with that impression we've got. And how are we to do that?"</p> - -<p>"Sneak up into his room and take a look at them," said Jack.</p> - -<p>"Who's going, though? Four of us can't do it."</p> - -<p>"Draw lots, then. Here, wait a minute till I collect some pieces of -grass."</p> - -<p>Outside, in the shadow of the school buildings, they drew for the -honour of investigating the room of Mr. Daw, and the shortest straw -fell to the lot of Jack.</p> - -<p>"You can go up now," said Fane, suddenly. "I remember that Daw went out -this evening, and he hasn't come back yet, for he'd have to pass the -boot-room to do so. If you're slippy you can get up there, examine the -boots and get away again in about a minute."</p> - -<p>"I'll do it," said Jack, as they came through once more to the -corridors of Salmon's House. He rubbed his chin with his forefinger. -"Let me see," he asked, "isn't there an electric torch of yours in the -study?"</p> - -<p>"Of mine?" said Billy doubtfully. "We'll see." They proceeded to the -study, and there Billy unearthed an old, but still serviceable, torch. -Armed with this, Jack went upstairs to the upper floor, where the -masters' rooms were.</p> - -<p>"Tit for tat," he murmured, turning the handle of Daw's door and -opening it quietly. He let himself inside, and closed the door -noiselessly. For half a minute he stood still, to assure himself -that Doctor Daw had not returned, and then, flashing his torch, made -a hurried search for the master's boots. He found a few pairs, all -showing signs of recent use, but none with the distinctive tag.</p> - -<p>"Ten to one he's wearing them," murmured Jack. At that moment his heart -beat furiously. Steps were coming along the corridor, and they stopped -outside the door. For a second he was paralysed; then he acted swiftly. -He had barely time to roll under the bed before Doctor Daw himself -entered the room—and with him his strange friend Tiger!</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</a></h2> - -<h3>JACK IS ENLIGHTENED</h3> - - -<p>Jack Symonds had barely time to make certain that his hurried dive -under the bed had not been observed, when Doctor Daw and Tiger were -well within the room.</p> - -<p>"A bit late for a call," said Daw grimly, "but there's no one to -notice, luckily. Different last night, though."</p> - -<p>"How so?" said Tiger. There came the sound of a match being struck, and -Jack could presently smell the distinctive odour of tobacco. "How do -you make that out?"</p> - -<p>"Why, I had a cut for the Star," said Daw quickly. "And do you know -what happened? I'd searched through about half the cupboards down there -in the study where he's pretty sure to have it thus early. All at once, -the door opened, and in walks one of the kids—"</p> - -<p>"Not young Faraday?"</p> - -<p>"No; a new chap from New Zealand; and instead of being scared, he -jumped at me like a terrier on a rat. I got away, but only just. I tell -you, Tiger, I—"</p> - -<p>"See here," interrupted the other, "don't call me that name. It—well, -you never know who might hear it, and—anyway, my name's Humbolt. Well, -how did you get on with this kid? Scared you some, I'll bet!"</p> - -<p>"I won't say he didn't," confessed Daw. "The lucky thing was, I had a -scarf over my face, and he can't say who did it. Probably thinks it was -some outsider. But the Star won't be in that study now, you can gamble -on that. I've one of the kids a bit under my thumb, through knowing him -down in Victoria, and he's keeping a fairly close watch on what this -Faraday does, and where he goes, and all that sort of thing."</p> - -<p>Jack, beneath the bed, opened his eyes wide at this piece of news, and -wondered who the boy could be. Nobody, he decided, in his immediate -circle; but the fact that the youngster came from Victoria was a clue -that would perhaps come in handy.</p> - -<p>"I'll put Patch on to that," he thought, and gave himself over to -listening to what the two plotters were saying.</p> - -<p>"Ah, well," Humbolt was heard to murmur, with a sigh of relief, "I'm -real glad you didn't give away the box of tricks last night. We'd have -been pretty well diddled if they suspected that you—you know."</p> - -<p>"That's safe enough," said Doctor Daw confidently; and Jack felt like -chuckling at the thought that Daw was quite mistaken.</p> - -<p>"You didn't reckon on Patch being a 'tec," he murmured, smiling to -himself.</p> - -<p>"I guess it's lucky that I met you," said Daw suddenly. "Do you know, -I never liked playing a lone hand, and with you close by I feel a lot -safer. And Lazare's the man to pay well, believe me, if only we can -collar that Star. Hang me, it ought to be simple enough! Don't forget -those instructions for Friday night, will you?"</p> - -<p>"Trust me, Doc. And now, what about those goods—and the money?"</p> - -<p>"They're in my leather handbag, somewhere." Doctor Daw stifled an -immense yawn. "I'm feeling like sleep—you wouldn't credit how it -knocks you up trying to teach these blockheads here."</p> - -<p>"Of course, you always were a good teacher," sneered Humbolt.</p> - -<p>"I used to be, once," returned Doctor Daw.</p> - -<p>"Until you carelessly stole that money and left clues that a blind man -could follow, and, of course, got what you were looking for. Twelve -months, wasn't it—or was it two years? I've forgotten."</p> - -<p>"You'd better forget the whole lot," answered Daw, with a threatening -note in his voice. "You leave my past history alone, and I won't rake -up yours. That stands, doesn't it? After this business I'm going -straight."</p> - -<p>"Straight?" Humbolt laughed. "Never in your life, Doctor. You got in -here on forged references, and do you mean to say—"</p> - -<p>"That I'm going to stay here? Certainly. Supposing we get the Star—no -suspicion attaches to me. I'll just stay on; there'll be no question as -to my honesty."</p> - -<p>"Oh, won't there?" thought Jack. "Just you wait and see, that's all. -There'll be quite a lot of question, if I know anything!"</p> - -<p>"Well, don't let me keep you up any longer," said Humbolt in his usual -cynical tone. "Where's this handbag?"</p> - -<p>"Somewhere about. Have a look, will you? Probably under the bed, or -somewhere. Never can remember where I put my things!"</p> - -<p>Jack felt his blood run cold at the words. Under the bed! He glanced -about him, and saw that the handbag was certainly not there. All -the same, if they were to look, the fat would be in the fire with a -vengeance! What the two would do to one who had obviously overheard -their very compromising conversation, Jack did not dare to imagine. -He wriggled back against the wall, praying that he would not be seen; -but he realized that the chances of escaping notice were very slender -indeed. For what seemed an age he heard the two of them walking about, -and heard the noise of furniture moved; and still they did not come -near the bed.</p> - -<p>What if they knew, and were merely making a mockery of his suspense and -dread? The thought was a disconcerting one. Jack felt like scrambling -from under the bed, and facing them, consequences or no consequences. -He felt certain that they had seen him, had heard him—knew in some -way, and were just tormenting him. Just at the moment when the strain -seemed too great to be borne, a leg appeared at the side of the bed, -and the counterpane was lifted. In another second the person would -stoop and peer under the bed. With bulging eyes, Jack Symonds awaited -his exposure.</p> - -<p>"It's all right—I've got it." It was Doctor Daw's voice, from across -the room, and Humbolt let fall the counterpane once more. Jack almost -fainted with relief.</p> - -<p>Shortly afterwards, to his joy, both left the room, Daw intimating -that he would see his companion safely off the premises; and Jack -crawled out of his hiding-place, feeling stiff and cramped, but glad -indeed that he had been permitted to take a glance at the plot that was -preparing itself against his chum.</p> - -<p>He hurried through the dark corridors, and slipped into the dormitory -without being noticed by the monitor in charge. His pals were all -eagerness to be told what had happened to him; but he was in no mood -for explanations.</p> - -<p>"I'll tell you in the morning," he said. "I'm jolly sleepy."</p> - -<p>And that was all that they could get out of him. The next morning, -however, he had a lot to say, and especially to Billy Faraday.</p> - -<p>"Look here, Billy," he said, "you really must take care of that Star, -because Lazare and these others have some scheme going for Friday -night. What it was, or what was proposed, I've got no idea; but Daw -told the other chap to be ready, or words to that effect. Can't we hide -the thing somewhere?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, but where?"</p> - -<p>"And there's another thing, too. Daw mentioned a kid—one of the -fellows here—that's under his thumb, and who's going to keep an eye on -what we do."</p> - -<p>"Jingo!" said Billy. "The dickens he is! Wonder who it is?"</p> - -<p>"Here's Patch, and perhaps he can find out for us. How are you, my -giddy old sleuth-hound? I may as well tell you that you scored a bull -with that bootlace clue."</p> - -<p>"Comrades, I'm delighted. You compared the laces?"</p> - -<p>"No. You see, Daw had the boots on. But I heard all about it, and I -don't doubt that your clue would have worked out to the last bend in -the tag on the lace. There's something else, though—" And Jack told -him the strange conversation that he had overheard, particularly with -reference to the spy that Daw controlled among the ranks of the college -boys.</p> - -<p>"Interesting, comrade, deeply interesting," said the schoolboy -detective, rubbing his chin in the approved Sherlock Holmes manner. -"It seems to me that the field is not too large, either. I mean, the -boy must be in this house to keep any sort of watch over Faraday here, -and as he comes from Victoria, that narrows the field still further. -You twig? There are only a limited number of chaps in Salmon's House -hailing from Victoria. And we can whittle them down one by one. I'll -get a list of them, and we'll eliminate those above suspicion. That -will leave under a dozen, I should say, to be watched."</p> - -<p>"Patch, you old genius!" Jack Symonds smote him heartily between the -shoulders, and the old genius was projected into the fireplace, whence -he recovered himself with injured dignity.</p> - -<p>"It's only attention to detail, that's all," murmured Septimus -deprecatingly. "I picked that up from Dupin—"</p> - -<p>"From whom?" demanded Jack.</p> - -<p>"Dupin—that's Edgar Allan Poe's detective, and a real snorting -detective at that. Ever read any of it?"</p> - -<p>"Dunno. Didn't old Edgar write somethin' about the Bells—Bells—Bells, -yells, shells, or some rot like that? My giddy sister recites some -yards of rubbish to that effect."</p> - -<p>"That's the fellow. Any rate, he wrote 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue.'"</p> - -<p>"Gur-r-r!" said Jack, frowning heavily. "Sort of sequel to 'The -Bloodstained Putty-knife, or the Bricklayer's Revenge.'"</p> - -<p>Septimus smiled as one who indulges the caprices of a child. "Comrade, -you will never make a detective," he said. "I've got the book here, -with the yarns in it, if you'd care to read them. Meanwhile—"</p> - -<p>"Look here," interrupted Billy Faraday, a shade impatiently. "There's -not much time before morning-school, and I'd like to hide the Star -before we go any further. Of course, I might stick it in the pouch of -my belt and carry it about with me, but don't you think that's just -the scheme that'd strike Lazare and his crowd as being most natural. I -might be knocked down and searched; anything might happen."</p> - -<p>"One of the boards in this floor is loose," said Jack thoughtfully. -"How would it be to prise it up and drop the Star down there? We could -replace the carpet, and nobody would be any the wiser."</p> - -<p>But Septimus Patch had what he considered a better idea. "We were just -now talking," he observed, "of Dupin, the first scientific detective -in fiction. There is a story about him, called 'The Purloined Letter.' -The strength of it is that a fellow is known to have a letter which he -has stolen, but it baffles the detectives to find it. They go all over -his room, rip up the boards, sound the cabinets for secret drawers, -take accurate measurements of the tables, probe everything, but the -merry old letter is still missing, although they know for a fact that -it's somewhere about the fellow's house. They call old Dupin in, and he -finds it right away."</p> - -<p>"How?"</p> - -<p>"By using his brains, comrade; by simple reasoning. Here, hand me that -book of Poe's, and I'll read some of his reasoning."</p> - -<p>A day or two before, Jack and Billy would have laughed at Patch's -request, and refused his help; but they had to admit that he had used -his brains in regard to the footprint clue, and they were willing to -give him a chance to safeguard the Black Star on the strength of that -first triumph.</p> - -<p>"Here you are," said Billy a little sceptically, throwing over the -desired volume. "Show us what you can do."</p> - -<p>Patch whipped over the pages with accustomed fingers, and began to -read. "Says Dupin, 'There is a game of puzzles which is played upon a -map. One party playing requires another to find a given word—the name -of a town, river, State, or empire—any word, in short, upon the motley -and perplexed surface of the chart. A novice in the game generally -seeks to embarrass his opponents by giving them the most minutely -lettered names; but the adept selects such words as stretch, in large -characters, from one end of the chart to the other. These escape -observation by dint of being excessively obvious."</p> - -<p>"That's all right," agreed Jack. "I've noticed that myself. But what -happened?"</p> - -<p>"That's the whole point of the yarn," returned Patch. "Dupin came to -the conclusion that the thief had not concealed the letter at all. He -pratted along to the chap's house, and saw that he had several cards in -a letter-rack, and a solitary letter. The appearance of the letter was -quite different to the missing one. But Dupin says, 'In scrutinizing -the edges of the paper I observed them to be more chafed than -necessary. They presented the broken appearance which is manifested -when a stiff paper, having been folded and pressed with a folder, is -refolded in a reversed direction, in the same creases or edges which -had formed the original fold. This discovery was sufficient. It was -clear to me that the letter had been turned, as a glove, inside out, -re-directed and re-sealed.' Well, after that," pursued Patch, shutting -the book, "he came next day with another letter done up in the same -way. He got a fellow to fire off a pistol and raise a shindy in the -street below, and while the thief was looking to see what was up he got -the stolen letter and put his own in its place. In the letter he'd put -a stinging quotation to the effect that there was no copyright on that -particular trick."</p> - -<p>"I'll bet the thief got a surprise when he came to open it up," -chuckled Jack, who had been following the story with interest. "But I -see what you are driving at—you don't want to conceal the Star at all?"</p> - -<p>"Not as open as all that," said Patch. "But let us get hold of some -place that's so obvious that nobody would ever dream of looking there."</p> - -<p>"Billy can wear it as a tie-pin," suggested Jack, with a laugh. "Or we -could put it up over the mantelpiece."</p> - -<p>"No, comrade; a little subtlety is necessary. What about that old -jacket of yours, Billy? That one hanging up in the corner? We could -sew the Star up in the lining, and leave the jacket there. We'd notice -in a moment if the jacket were gone. But nobody would think of that as -a hiding-place, and that's why it is the safest place in the world. -Savvy?"</p> - -<p>"Sure thing. Do you think it's the best place?"</p> - -<p>"Of course I do, comrade. Now, I've got a needle and cotton somewhere, -I think, and if you like I'll do the job now."</p> - -<p>Somewhat reluctantly Billy passed over the Black Star, and with deft -hands Patch ripped up the lining under the shoulder-padding of the -coat. Then, while Jack looked to see that they were not overheard at -the door, and while Billy kept watch at the window, Septimus embedded -the Star in the padding, and closed the seam again as neatly as a -tailor.</p> - -<p>"There," he commented, hanging the coat up again in its accustomed -position. "The fellow who finds that we've left the Star in such -an easy position will be cuter than most people. Now we'll have to -cut—it's nearly form-time."</p> - -<p>And with their preparation in the most hazy and uncertain state, the -three occupants of Study No. 9 hurried down to class. That afternoon -the Star was still in place, and Billy breathed freely. "I suppose -it's as safe there as anywhere," he thought. "I say, Jack, what's that -hideous din?"</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</a></h2> - -<h3>THE CALAMITOUS CRIPPLES</h3> - - -<p>Jack looked out of the window. Then he gurgled.</p> - -<p>"By the Brass-eyed bull!" he exclaimed. "Look here, just cast your -optic in this direction, old fellow. That's all, old man—just a look!"</p> - -<p>From the quadrangle below them came the blare of bugles, and the gaps -were filled up by a miscellaneous din emanating from tins, whistles, -combs and paper. Billy hurried over, and the two chums leaned from -their window in astonishment.</p> - -<p>"A giddy procession," murmured Billy.</p> - -<p>It was; but a procession of the kind rarely seen outside of a circus. -There were about forty boys in the show; and every one of them was -attired as a cripple of the most dilapidated kind. They all looked as -if they had been rolled upon by a steam-roller, and then passed through -a chaff-cutter. Bandages enwrapped their heads, and their arms and legs -appeared to be broken in numerous places. Many carried crutches, and an -odd effect was given by one humorist who elected to appear on stilts, -which were liberally bandaged. Two buglers headed the procession; and -most of the others had instruments of some sort or other. At arranged -intervals they gave vent to sepulchral groans. In the van was a -tattered banner, bearing the words, "The Calamitous Cripples. Break -your leg and join."</p> - -<p>"What is it?" asked the mystified Jack. "What's the giddy wheeze?"</p> - -<p>Billy Faraday was far too absorbed in watching the amazing spectacle to -answer him, and Jack's question lapsed. The procession drew nearer and -nearer, and the noise was ear-splitting. The Cripples drew themselves -up before the window of Study 9, and Jack was moved to call out, -"Lovely! Is it the National Anthem or Alexander's Ragtime Band? I never -could tell the difference."</p> - -<p>His shaft of wit, however, went almost unnoticed in the general uproar, -and Billy Faraday grasped a more cutting form of witticism; he got a -handful of pennies and half-pennies, and threw them one at a time to -the serenading party below.</p> - -<p>Cummles, hammering at a tin drum with zest, received one of the coins -full on the bridge of the nose, and it broke short his performance. -He held up his hand, and with a final crash of sound the Cripples -completed their selection.</p> - -<p>"Know," roared Cummles at the top of his voice, "that a new Society -has been formed, called the Calamitous Cripples! We let everybody -join—the more the merrier! And our object is—" He turned to his -supporters for the rest.</p> - -<p>"—death to the Crees!" roared the crowd, in disconcerting chorus.</p> - -<p>So this was the strength of the new society—it was a rival show to -the Crees! Jack realized that Cummles was getting his own back for -his rejection and disgrace at the last Cree meeting, and he whistled -softly. But Cummles was speaking again.</p> - -<p>"We therefore begin on the Chief Cree!" he yelled, and as at a given -signal all the Cripples raised their hands, and sent a volley of hard, -tightly-rolled paper balls at Jack and Billy as they stood open-mouthed -at the window.</p> - -<p>The fusillade took the two Crees by surprise, and Jack for the moment -did not know what to do; but he soon settled that question, and with -Billy jumped out of the window, and rushed the banner of the Calamitous -Cripples. It was flagrantly against rules to jump out of the window at -all, and soon a free fight was taking place around the banner of the -Cripples.</p> - -<p>"To it, Crees!" yelled Jack, wrestling furiously with one of the banner -supporters. Someone had grasped his leg, and he could not keep upright -much longer; sooner or later he would have to go down.</p> - -<p>"Ouch!" Down he went, and down went half a dozen others in a panting, -scrambling, tossing mass.</p> - -<p>There was wild disorder for lively minutes, but force of numbers -gave victory to the Cripples, who rescued their tattered banner and -scampered away with it. Jack stood looking after them with fire in his -eye.</p> - -<p>"Jingo," he observed to Billy Faraday, "but I can see some immense -japes this term, with the Crees and the Cripples. What do you think?"</p> - -<p>"We've got to score on them," said Billy emphatically, "and score right -away. Watch us notch ahead."</p> - -<p>Jack nodded meaningly; then, as someone touched him on the arm, he -wheeled round. It was Septimus Patch, and the schoolboy detective's -eyes were shining. He was plainly full of some scheme or other.</p> - -<p>"Comrades!" he said. "Don't waste your time here—I've got the best -idea out for the discovery of the fellow that's giving Daw a hand."</p> - -<p>"What are you going to do—advertise?"</p> - -<p>Patch smiled tolerantly. "Daw—Doctor Daw, as you call him—said that -this chap, whoever he is, is keeping an eye on Billy here?"</p> - -<p>"That's so."</p> - -<p>"Well, why shouldn't we—" he looked around to make certain that they -were not overheard, "—why shouldn't we lead the fellow out on a false -scent?"</p> - -<p>"Meaning?"</p> - -<p>"Sort of red herring business, you know. The three of us could sneak -out before call-over and make it appear as if we were going to hide the -Star somewhere out in the bush. If there is anyone on the watch, it's -the Commonwealth Bank to a peanut that he'll slink out after us."</p> - -<p>"Good word—slink," said Jack approvingly. "Yes, Patchie, the idea's -not so dusty. We've got time. We could lie in ambush for the beggar and -catch him red-handed."</p> - -<p>"Better leave him alone—just make certain who he is," warned Septimus, -polishing his great horn-rimmed glasses. "You see, if we just lie low -and say nuffin, like Brer Rabbit, the spy won't know that we're fly to -his little game."</p> - -<p>"Good for you, Picklock Holmes," said Jack. "You mean, he'll think that -he's working quite safely, unknown to anyone, and all the time we know, -and are pulling his leg so much that he'll need a boat-hook to take his -boots off."</p> - -<p>"Prezactly, comrade," returned Septimus, chaffingly. "Your brain is -bucking up lately, isn't it? We never know what we can do till we try, -do we? However, to the bright, brisk business! You"—turning to Billy -Faraday—"you slip up into the study and pretend to bring something -out with you—we'll watch here."</p> - -<p>"We're the giddy conspirators, old boy," said Jack. "Get a move on—we -haven't any too much time."</p> - -<p>In a few minutes the three boys had set out from the school, striking -into the thick belt of scrub-lands that lay towards the north. They -pressed forward for a good ten minutes, and at the end of that time -Billy strode on alone, making as much noise as he could, while Jack and -the amateur detective crouched behind the undergrowth, to watch closely -for any follower.</p> - -<p>Billy's footsteps died away, and there came only the faint sound of his -passage through the scrub; then that in turn faded till it was almost -inaudible.</p> - -<p>"'Fraid we've drawn blank, old boy," said Jack in a low whisper. "Can't -hear anything, can you?"</p> - -<p>"Wait," was all that Patch had for answer; he had his head cocked to -one side in a listening attitude, and all at once he raised a finger -for silence.</p> - -<p>During a tense ten seconds he listened, Jack scarcely taking breath, -and then the detective nodded as one who had satisfied himself.</p> - -<p>"Get down," he whispered; "somebody coming."</p> - -<p>Sure enough, almost at once came the sound of footsteps; and Jack, -peering through the interstices of a wall of greenery, could barely -restrain a gasp as he saw a tall, pasty-faced, weedy youth strolling -negligently along the faint path that Billy Faraday had followed, and, -although he wore the college cap of blue and gold, he was smoking an -expensive brand of cigarette.</p> - -<p>In dead silence the two watched him pass their field of vision, and -then he, too, was swallowed up in the bush.</p> - -<p>Jack turned to Patch with a criss-cross mark of puzzlement creasing his -eyebrows. "Now, what do you make of that?" he asked softly. "That's -Redisham, and the dirty slacker's smoking at that. But is he following -Billy or not?"</p> - -<p>"Or is it only coincidence that he comes from Victoria?" asked Septimus -in the same discreet voice. "Very funny, isn't it?"</p> - -<p>"Now, you know what sort of a fellow Redisham is," went on Jack. "He's -just the sort that'd have gambling debts, and all that, although his -father's got piles of cash, they say. Question is, is he clever enough -to be used as a tool?"</p> - -<p>"Comrade, I don't know," admitted Septimus, slowly shaking his head. -"It's often these foolish-looking fellows that turn out pretty -cunning in the long run. All the same, Redisham—the man's an ass, a -weak-minded ass with an eye for 'loud' dress, and—"</p> - -<p>"—and no eye for catching a cricket ball, or any sort of sport, -except betting—if you can call that sport," Jack snorted. "Little -Montague Redisham isn't the sneak in this case, I fancy."</p> - -<p>"Well, then, what's he doing?" countered the amateur detective, with -index finger marking his point. "It looks jolly fishy, doesn't it?"</p> - -<p>"Might have come out to smoke that rotten cigarette of his."</p> - -<p>"I thought of that, but the coincidence of the time, and the direction -of his outing, is hard to get over. Anyhow, we'll find out, we'll find -out—don't worry."</p> - -<p>They got out of their cramping positions behind the undergrowth and -stepped out into the little glade. Barely had they done so when there -came a loud cry from some distance ahead—and Jack knew the voice as -well as his own.</p> - -<p>It was Billy's voice.</p> - -<p>"Help—help!"</p> - -<p>Jack jumped about a foot in the air, and shot a sharp glance at -Septimus Patch. "Jiminy!" he said, quickly, "that's old Billy—wonder -what's up? Here—after him."</p> - -<p>Symonds and Patch put their heads down and ran. Heedless of the -undergrowth that set traps for their feet and that tore at them in the -shape of thorn-bushes, they charged madly forward, and all at once Jack -stopped and picked something up from the ground.</p> - -<p>"Here—look at this!" It was Billy's cap, with the Deepwater College -badge in the front of it; and Patch pulled up and glanced keenly at the -ground with sharp eyes.</p> - -<p>"A struggle—see?" he panted, pointing to the way the bracken had been -tossed about and the turf trampled by heavy heels. "A struggle, and -then—then—what happened?"</p> - -<p>"Don't say he's been knocked on the head and dragged off," groaned -Jack, looking about him helplessly. "Here, Patchie, have a look at -these marks—what are they?"</p> - -<p>"Good—good," observed Patch, scanning them closely. "See, Billy got -away and ran for it—the other chap after him. See how the big, heavy -print is stamped over that other? They were running, the both of -them—and—"</p> - -<p>"Come on," said Jack curtly; and the two of them tore off once more, -stopping to pick up the trail every now and then until they were -startled by a loud, frenzied crashing through the brushes.</p> - -<p>"Hullo!" exclaimed Patch, stopping; and into their arms, almost, Billy -Faraday staggered, hatless and dishevelled. He was panting heavily, and -seemed almost done; a sharp twig had scratched his cheek badly, for it -was bleeding.</p> - -<p>"Billy—you're all right?" demanded his chum, seizing him by the arm.</p> - -<p>Before Billy could pant out an answer, another fellow came up at a run, -and halted, half-hidden in the scrub, at the sight of the two who now -reinforced the fugitive. His cap, pulled down over his eyes, hid his -face pretty well; but Jack knew at once that it was Tiger Humbolt who -stood staring at them.</p> - -<p>It was Septimus Patch who decided the next move.</p> - -<p>"After him—I've got a gun!" he yelled at the top of his voice; and -Humbolt started and then, wheeling about, vanished into the thick bush -at a run. He knew that Billy had fired a revolver at him during his -attempted escape with the handbag, and he was disposed to take Patch's -cry at its face value. As Patch had intended, of course; for he did not -attempt to give chase. Instead, he glanced at his watch.</p> - -<p>"Ten minutes to call-over," he said; "we'd better get back."</p> - -<p>On the way back to the college Billy explained that he had been -standing in a thicket when Humbolt had jumped on him from behind and -carried him to the ground. After a struggle he had broken free and run -for his life.</p> - -<p>"I doubled on my tracks," he concluded, "and came back again, when I -ran into you. That's all—lucky it wasn't worse."</p> - -<p>"And did you see Monty Redisham?" asked Patch.</p> - -<p>"Redisham—that rich blighter in the Sixth? The prefect?"</p> - -<p>"The slacker," said Jack trenchantly. He went on to explain how -Redisham had come into the mystery, and Billy said that the plot was -now thicker than ever.</p> - -<p>"I can't make it out," he said, thoughtfully, dabbing his scratched -cheek with his handkerchief. "No, I didn't see the brute at all. He was -following me, you say?"</p> - -<p>"Looked like it, comrade," said Patch, "but then we can't say for -certain. I'll have to give the matter some thought," he went on, with a -resumption of his light-hearted manner.</p> - -<p>"Another thing requiring some thought," put in Jack, "is, how are we -going to score off those Cripple lunatics? We want to shake them up -pretty suddenly, you know. I think we'll call a special meeting of the -Crees in our study to-night, and we'll think up something really smart."</p> - -<p>When the Crees had assembled, managing in some inexplicable manner to -cram themselves into Study 9, Jack was delighted to learn that one of -the fellows was ready with a plan.</p> - -<p>"Chief Black Feather," he said, in the approved style of address, "may -I suggest a scheme for the downfall of those scoundrel palefaces—I -mean Cripples?"</p> - -<p>"Of course," said Jack at once. "In fact, I was going to ask you -fellows to come to light with some such idea. Spring the giddy wheeze, -mon brave French," he explained grandly, "very hard."</p> - -<p>"Well," said the Cree, "the bright idea is this. I happen to have heard -that the Cripples are holding a meeting to-morrow afternoon—they've -got one of the classrooms on the north wing for the purpose. Now, I -happen to know that up in the ceiling over that wing there are several -bags of sawdust—been stored there for ages, and I think the Head's -forgotten all about them. Now, it's a shame to waste them, and there's -a nice big man-hole in the classroom, and—"</p> - -<p>"I think we see the rest!" said Jack with a laugh. "Which classroom are -they in?"</p> - -<p>"The end one—the drawing-room, next to the extra French set."</p> - -<p>"Good—nominations for four fellows to carry out the scheme? I'll make -one myself."</p> - -<p>Three others were accordingly chosen to deluge the Cripples' meeting -with sawdust, and on the following afternoon the conspirators gained -access to the space between the ceiling and roof. A busy meeting of the -Cripples, with closed doors and windows, was in progress; and there was -going to be no mistake whatever about the disorder and surprise that -would follow the avalanche of sawdust.</p> - -<p>"The jape of the century!" averred Jack Symonds in a low whisper. "What -about the cover for the man-hole? Have you got it?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, she lifts pretty easily, but I won't pull her right out, or -they'll be ready for us. Now, how are we going to open fire?"</p> - -<p>"Wait a second." Jack took a swift look round at his assistants, -flashing the electric torch that he had brought with him. "I've got -it. We'll each take a bag, and as soon as Martin whips the cover off -the trap, I'll let fly—then you, and you next, and Martin last. See? -That'll give him time to grab his bag after taking the cover off. All -ready?"</p> - -<p>"Let her go, Gallagher," murmured the Crees, lifting the big, -open-mouthed bags; and at a word from Jack, Big Martin whisked the -cover off the man-hole. A square of light opened in the dark floor -beneath them, and there came the murmur of voices from the aperture.</p> - -<p>That was all that the Crees had time to take in, for the next moment -Jack had tipped the great bag forward, and the sawdust gushed out in a -stream. The two other bags followed, and Martin finished the good work -with his contribution, to the dismay obtaining in the room below.</p> - -<p>Jack leaned forward, convulsed with laughter, and cast a glance down -into the room; then his face lost its smile, and his jaw dropped.</p> - -<p>"Hokey!" he said. "Now we've done it!"</p> - -<p>"Why? What?" asked the others, pressing forward.</p> - -<p>"We lifted the wrong trap," murmured Jack in a voice of horror. "That's -Monsieur Anastasie and the extra French set!"</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</a></h2> - -<h3>FANE'S FATAL MISTAKE</h3> - - -<p>Strange as it may seem, the coolest person who looked on the appalling -scene in the classroom presided over by the French master was Jack -Symonds himself. Recovering from his surprise, he could gaze down and -enjoy the havoc even as he knew that, unless something intervened to -save them, he and his companions were booked for a severe spasm of -trouble—and trouble of the direst order.</p> - -<p>But the classroom scene was irresistibly funny—too funny for words. -Monsieur Anastasie stood like a sawdust statue, his comical moustache -powdered with sawdust, too amazed, too dumbfounded, to utter a word of -protest or surprise. Before him the sawdust was spread in an irregular -layer, almost knee-deep, and it was piled on tables and chairs, and the -boys of the extra French set in generous fashion.</p> - -<p>All at once, the French master found his voice—with a vengeance. "What -is ze meaning of zis?" he cried, dusting at his coat, and sending the -sawdust flying in clouds. "Pah! I am smother—I am choke! Abominable!"</p> - -<p>He raved and danced on the platform, scooping the sawdust in handfuls -from his person, and then shaking indignant fists at the open man-hole.</p> - -<p>"Peste! I will not have ze tomfool antic! Ah, but you shall answer for -him before quickly," he choked. "Sacrebleu! It is an outrage—it is vat -you call indignation! Ze ear of ze headmaster shall be apprised of zis!"</p> - -<p>The extra French set, half-guessing what had happened, commenced to -roar with laughter at those who had received the contents of the bags -upon their heads, and the furious Anastasie became more wild and -incoherent than ever.</p> - -<p>"Ah, you laugh?" he cried. "You identify me comical? But you shall not -entertain ze ribald laughter for longer! Remember ze proverb—he laughs -loudest who gathers no moss!"</p> - -<p>There was a perfect yell at this brilliant effort on the part of -Monsieur Anastasie, who was always tangling his proverbs in the most -ludicrous manner.</p> - -<p>But the laughter was cut short when Jack Symonds began to appear in -instalments through the open man-hole. His feet showed first; then his -legs dangled; in a moment he was hanging by his hands. Then, he let go, -and came to the floor as lightly as a feather.</p> - -<p>"I must explain—" he commenced.</p> - -<p>But Monsieur Anastasie literally overwhelmed him with a torrent of -French and English phrases, and he could not get a word in on any -account.</p> - -<p>"Ah, you are ze misdemeanour!" said the excitable Frenchman bitingly. -"You play at Père Santa Claus, hein? Explain yourself without ze -hesitate! You shall disport yourself before ze headmaster, quoi!"</p> - -<p>"I'm really sorry for what's happened," said Jack, seeking to cool the -master's wrath by appearing calm himself. "It was all an accident—"</p> - -<p>"Ah, an accident!"</p> - -<p>"Yes, that's so—"</p> - -<p>"Ze sawdust has tipped himself over?"</p> - -<p>"I don't mean that. You see, sir, we were going to play a joke on those -cads—I mean those fellows next door. We did not mean to harm you in -any way. Only thing was, though, we mistook the giddy—that is, the -man-hole up there. The two of them are close together, and in the dark -we opened the wrong one."</p> - -<p>He stood awaiting the verdict of Monsieur Anastasie, who took the frank -confession in silence. Then he dusted a little sawdust off his sleeve.</p> - -<p>"I rejoice myself you have owned up, Symonds. Ze business was very -foolish, and you are too big to intermeddle yourself with ze foolish -tricks of little boys. I was going to inform ze headmaster of your -prank, entendez-vous? But no—you are not a bad boy. You must disperse -ze sawdust."</p> - -<p>And the hot-tempered little French master actually smiled. It was his -way. He flew into a furious rage in a second or two; but it never -lasted long. And in this case Jack's open confession had somehow subtly -pleased him. He turned to his class.</p> - -<p>"It is wise, is it not," he observed, "to be certain always? Think what -our friend would have saved had he ze forethought to look into ze room. -Remember ze proverb: a look before you leap saves nine!"</p> - -<p>"Ha, ha, ha!" The class chuckled its appreciation of this portmanteaued -proverb, while Jack and others of the Crees who had nothing to do, -hastily collected the sawdust and shamefacedly put it into the sacks -that they had emptied with such gusto. Monsieur Anastasie, deep in the -mysteries of French grammar, permitted himself an occasional broad -smile, quite restored to his native good-humour.</p> - -<p>Just as Jack was about to leave the room, however, the French master -walked over to him and spoke quietly.</p> - -<p>"Two hundred lines," he said, "will repair ze mistake. From -Corneille—Le Cid. And put in all ze accents."</p> - -<p>He smiled and nodded as if he had just handed Jack a five-pound note, -and Jack got out into the corridor, feeling that he had made a fool of -himself.</p> - -<p>"Jingo, though!" he exclaimed, "I was jolly lucky not to be carpeted -before the Head. What a dickens of a mess I would have landed myself -into! Hullo, Patchie!"</p> - -<p>"How fares it, comrade?" asked Patch, in his usual grand manner, -saluting Jack with an elaborate salaam. "What is this rumour that comes -to my ears that you have met with a set-back in the course of that jape -intended for the Cripples? Untrue, of course?"</p> - -<p>"No such luck. We made an awful bloomer, and we'll have it in for those -Cripple blighters worse than ever now. Instead of letting the Cripples -have the sawdust, we made a slight miscalculation, and tipped it all -over old 'Annie' and his class."</p> - -<p>"'Annie,' I take it, is Monsieur Anastasie? I suppose he was sore?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, he cut up a bit at first, but he soon cooled down. In fact, he was -rather decent about it. Handed me two hundred lines, that's all."</p> - -<p>"Bad luck, comrade. But it might have been worse, mightn't it?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, easily! I might have dropped on Annie's head, and killed him, or -perhaps the sawdust might have choked one of those grinning beggars in -the extra French set. Or there might have been a tribe of death-adders -hidden in the sawdust. Oh, yes; I came off pretty well considering." He -laughed his usual happy, careless laugh. "Why, I've gone and forgotten -that trial swim for this afternoon—down at the baths. Coming along?"</p> - -<p>"Er—no thanks. In fact, comrade, I may confide that I—well, I can't -swim."</p> - -<p>"Oh, get out—you must. On a hot afternoon like this, too. Come along, -I'll give you a few pointers about the game. What on earth would you -do if you were left on a sinking ship with no lifebelts and unable to -swim?"</p> - -<p>Patch seemed to ponder the situation. "I expect I should sink," he -announced brightly.</p> - -<p>"Come, I'll tell you what I'll do," said Jack. "I'll defy an indignant -world, and teach you the noble art of supporting yourself in the -aqueous elephant—I mean element. That is, after the trial swim."</p> - -<p>"What is this trial swim, comrade? For that matter, any sort of a swim -would be a trial—for me."</p> - -<p>"Joke?" asked Jack, carelessly. "Fact is, old fellow, this is a -preliminary canter, so to speak, for a hundred-yards championship of -the Coll. Friend Billy is in for the event and he's a hot favourite -too. You'll see. It's a pound to a peanut that the Cup goes to Salmon's -House this year. I'm just going to give Billy a bit of a sprint over -the length."</p> - -<p>"I'm sure it will be most exciting, comrade. I never did like baths, -though. The sight of all that water—ugh! Tell you what, I've just -remembered that I'd made an appointment. Beastly forgetful of me, but—"</p> - -<p>"No, you don't," laughed Jack, grabbing the Socialist's arm and -dragging him towards the entrance to the baths. "You must learn -swimming some time—why not now. Hop into a costume—wait till my -swim's over."</p> - -<p>In a few minutes Patch stood shivering upon the edge in a costume -several sizes too large for him, while Jack took a ten seconds' -start on Billy in a hundred-yards sprint. Septimus looked on with -an eye of cold disfavour as the two chums swept the length of the -baths in a cloud of foam and bubbles. Billy had perfected a very neat -trudgeon-crawl, and he beat Jack, who was no mean hand at the game, by -a matter of three seconds, despite the start that the latter had had.</p> - -<p>Later on when Billy ran off to change, Jack caught sight of the -miserable Septimus Patch and recalled his intention of giving the -inventor a few lessons.</p> - -<p>"Here," said Jack, "come along to the shallow end—look slippy."</p> - -<p>Septimus paced gingerly after him along the wet boards, and all at once -he executed a most astounding manœuvre. His feet went from under him, -and he landed head-first in the water.</p> - -<p>"Good gracious. What's the beggar up to?" asked Jack, who had imagined -that Patch had dived into the deeper part of the bath. "I say," he went -on, as Patch's head appeared, "you can swim—after all?"</p> - -<p>"Swim—glug!" said Patch, as a wavelet curved into his -conveniently-opened mouth. "No—help! I'm drowning—glug!"</p> - -<p>He paddled his way frantically to a ladder near by, and hauled himself -out.</p> - -<p>"You asked me to look slippy, and I slipped!" he said. "Believe me, -it's no joke. How far did the water fall when I swallowed that little -lot—ugh! I had a young Niagara trickling down my throat! Comrade, does -it all taste like that?"</p> - -<p>Jack choked with laughter. "Mind your step," he warned. "Here, this is -the shallow end. Hop in—it's only up to your waist."</p> - -<p>He prepared to demonstrate the art of kicking while holding to a step -on the level of the water, and Septimus appeared to manage that part of -the business well enough. Jack then showed his study-mate a few simple -arm movements, and invited Septimus to try while being supported in the -water by his middle.</p> - -<p>After a few minutes of this sport, Patch wriggled out of his mentor's -grasp and spluttered indignantly.</p> - -<p>"Do you want to drown me?" he asked. "I'll buy a gun and let you shoot -me—it'd be quicker."</p> - -<p>"Why, what's up?"</p> - -<p>"Up, do you say? Down more fits it—at least that's where my head was, -under water, while you were watching my feet! I don't want to die a -lingering death, thanks. I've had enough for the first lesson—and I'd -like to take the others by post."</p> - -<p>As he clambered out of the bath, his loose costume hanging about him in -ridiculous folds, a roar of laughter went up from the fellows bathing -there.</p> - -<p>When they got back to the study they met Billy Faraday. He was grinning -broadly. "I hear you've been teaching the inventor how to swim!" he -laughed. "I believe he found the water quite wet?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, comrade," answered Patch genially, "and so would you if only you -were more familiar with that unknown quantity."</p> - -<p>"Well, you ought—" began Billy; but he broke off with a sharp, "I say!"</p> - -<p>"What's the matter?"</p> - -<p>"The coat—it's gone! And the Star's in it, too!"</p> - -<p>Jack and Septimus looked up in surprise, and were startled to observe -that it was even as Billy had said—the coat was gone. They jumped up -and made a hurried search.</p> - -<p>"Jingo, this is serious!" murmured Jack. "It's gone, right enough. -Wonder whether that beast Redisham—?"</p> - -<p>"It's got misplaced, perhaps," said Patch, who had put down his book -and joined in the hunt. "Mislaid somewhere or other—"</p> - -<p>"But I never wear it!" said Billy. "How could it?"</p> - -<p>"Fane—Fane's the solution, I think," jerked out the amateur detective, -rubbing his chin hard. "We didn't tell him, I remember, that we'd -hidden the Star, and perhaps he's—but here he is."</p> - -<p>"Yes, here I am," said Fane, closing the door. "You fellows look -excited—what's up?"</p> - -<p>"Look here—did you move a coat of Billy's? It was hanging up in this -corner."</p> - -<p>"Billy's coat!" exclaimed Fane, turning a trifle pale. "What's the -matter with Billy's coat?"</p> - -<p>"Matter enough, comrade," said Patch grimly. "We didn't tell you—we -forgot, as a matter of fact—we didn't tell you that we'd sewn the -Black Star up in one of the seams of that coat, to hide it. And now the -coat's gone."</p> - -<p>"My only aunt!" gasped Fane, falling into a chair. "Is that right? Was -the Star in that coat?"</p> - -<p>"Yes. Why?"</p> - -<p>"Why?" echoed Fane. "I sold that coat for five bob to an Indian hawker -yesterday afternoon! And I expect he's miles off by this time!"</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</a></h2> - -<h3>ALIAS BILLY FARADAY</h3> - - -<p>For almost a minute the three chums stared in hypnotized fashion at the -bent head of Fane, as the bully-killer sat dispiritedly in his chair.</p> - -<p>"You mean you—" gurgled Billy at length.</p> - -<p>"I'm awfully sorry, old pal, but there it is," said Fane, with the -stolid calmness of despair. "I'd give anything to be able to say -I'm mistaken, but it's no go. I see my mistake now. The coat's just -the dead ringer of one I've got myself, and like an ass, I mistook -them. Only just now, when you mentioned Billy's coat being missing, I -remembered that my own coat hasn't been unpacked."</p> - -<p>The four boys were silent for several seconds. The sharp, sudden blow, -the renewed assurance from Fane that the coat had actually gone, left -the three pals dumbfounded.</p> - -<p>"Well," said Jack gloomily, "it's gone, right enough. We've lost it."</p> - -<p>"Billy, Billy!" cried Fane, "it was my fault absolutely. I don't know -what made me so terribly careless. I'm no end cut up about it—isn't -there anything I can do?"</p> - -<p>"Nothing suggests itself at the moment," said Patch, with a recovery -of his calm manner. "The thing would be, of course, to get hold of the -hawker and buy the coat back. But—" He shook his head, with pursed -lips. Then, all at once, he smacked Jack heavily upon the back—so -heavily that Jack indignantly jumped a foot in the air.</p> - -<p>"Great Caesar!" he gasped, "What did you do that for, you giddy -lunatic? You've dislocated my neck!"</p> - -<p>"Bother your neck!" cried Septimus. "I've got the plan to get back the -spiffing old Star—we're in luck! It's brother Egbert!"</p> - -<p>"Brother Egbert?" echoed Jack, staring at the inventor open-mouthed. -"Has he gone off his rocker?" he inquired anxiously of the other two. -"Poor fellow—brains all addled. Or perhaps poached. I knew he would do -it. My advice is, Patchie, wear an ice-pack on your fevered brow."</p> - -<p>"It's all right, comrade," Septimus assured him. "Here's another -occasion to thank your uncle Patch! Brother Egbert, I may explain, is -my brother, and he'll be down here to-night. He's making a trip down -the coast on his motor-bike, and he intended to call in at the school -on the 14th, which is to-day."</p> - -<p>"Well, what about it?"</p> - -<p>"My good baboon," said Patch pityingly, "don't you see? Egbert will be -only too pleased to take Billy, or myself, in pursuit of the jacket -and—the Black Star. I think I should go, because it was really my -fault that the coat went. Edgar A. Poe didn't mention anything about -stray accidents that might happen in any good, well-regulated family, -or their bearing on his no-concealment wheeze. I confess I begin to -lose my respect for Edgar. The next hiding-place for the Star will be a -most abstruse one, when we get the thing back—"</p> - -<p>"If we do," supplemented Billy. "Look here, Patch, that was a very -defective plan of yours, I agree, but I think I'll make the trip with -brother Egbert, all the same."</p> - -<p>There came a rapping at the door, and Jack invited the rapper to come -in. A singular-looking young man entered, took a comprehensive glance -over its occupants, and then spoke in a drawling, bored voice.</p> - -<p>"Permit me to introduce myself," he said. "I am Egbert, fifth Baron -Patch. Sounds good, doesn't it, that phrase, 'barren patch'? Rumour -hath it that one Septimus, a juvenile relative of mine, is to be found -in the precincts of this study. Ah, I see I am right—how are you, -brother?"</p> - -<p>"Bursting with robust health and goodwill," declared Septimus modestly. -"See here, though, you've just arrived at the right moment. A rather -interesting business has been going on here, and—can I tell him -everything, Billy?"</p> - -<p>Billy Faraday nodded, and Septimus explained the whole matter of the -Star and its disappearance to his attentive brother, who resembled a -collection of walking-sticks as he half-lay, half-sat in one of the -chairs, his big head resting in his open palm.</p> - -<p>"Quite a decent little mystery," he commented, when his brother's -account had finished. "I twig what you want me to do—give chase, and -all that sort of rot, what? Well, if any of you would care for a rough, -bumpy, perilous journey on the back of a big 7-9, then I shall be happy -to oblige. As I said to the Duke last week, when he asked me for a -fiver, 'Dee-lighted, old bean!'"</p> - -<p>"That's that, then," said Septimus. "The only question is, who's going? -Billy wants to go, and I'm not anxious to stand in his way, see? But -though we can arrange that Billy shall not be missed to-night, it might -prove dashed awkward to-morrow, when he does not show up in class."</p> - -<p>"Who's taking us in the morning?" thoughtfully asked Billy. "Old -Salmon, isn't it? How on earth—"</p> - -<p>"Don't worry, comrade!" interrupted Patch suddenly. "I've got the most -ripping suggestion, and you'd better be off right now. Your absence -will never be noticed—I'll fix that much for you. But try and be back -by to-morrow night—I'll not guarantee to have the beaks hoodwinked -much after that time. Now, Fane said that the hawker was going south—"</p> - -<p>"That's right," said Fane eagerly, anxious to be of assistance to -redeem something of his error. "He was just outside the gate, and lots -of the fellows gave him old clothes, and I heard Big Martin ask him -where he was bound for—he said Moruya. He only had a covered cart and -a scraggy-looking old mare, and you ought to be able to catch up—"</p> - -<p>"Just what the Marquis said, when I lost my hat out of his car, and -ran back for it." It was Egbert Patch who had spoken. "We've got a lot -to do, and I think we'll vamoose. Good-bye for the present, and sweet -dreams!"</p> - -<p>With these words, the eccentric-looking young fellow, suddenly -animated, jumped to his feet and, grabbing Faraday by the arm, left the -room. Inside a few minutes the chattering roar of his motor-bike was -heard, and he had left the College, racing southward with Billy Faraday -clinging perilously behind him.</p> - -<p>"Doesn't believe in losing time," murmured Jack. "But, I say, aren't we -going to have a bit of trouble in accounting for Billy's being away, -to-morrow?"</p> - -<p>"My dear old Angora," returned Patch, "aren't you aware that Salmon is -as near blind and deaf as makes no difference? What's to prevent us -from making a dummy of Billy, and putting him in Billy's seat? You know -he sits right at the back of the class."</p> - -<p>"Good grief!" said Jack. "Is that the bright and brainy idea? Patchie, -old boy, the sooner you go to sea the better for you—and all of us. -Who ever heard of a dummy—and in school at that? Why, Salmon's sure to -smell a rat, and once he asks Billy a question, the game's bust."</p> - -<p>"Not so, comrade! Among my other accomplishments, I am no mean hand at -ventriloquism, and—"</p> - -<p>"Well, you've got a pretty tall nerve, Patchie! I'll confess that I'd -never have thought of such a dodge."</p> - -<p>"Its boldness," averred Septimus, "is its strength. To-morrow I shall -prove that. Meanwhile, there is a most irritating chunk of Sallust to -be prepared for the morn. Leave me to it."</p> - -<p>And, opening his books, the extraordinary fellow calmly set to work. -After a moment or two of silence, Jack picked up the volume from which -Patch had been taking swimming instruction, and began to turn its -leaves idly....</p> - -<p>On the following morning, Mr. Salmon entered the classroom with his -usual salutation, and the whole form eyed him apprehensively. Would he -surprise them in their deception? Was an awful row impending?</p> - -<p>For, in the back row of the class, reclining gracefully on Billy -Faraday's seat, was a dummy figure. Attired in an old suit of Billy's, -it looked very lifelike, its arms supporting a book on the desk before -it, and its head apparently none the less attentive for being stuffed -with straw.</p> - -<p>As the lesson proceeded, and as the master still failed to smell a rat, -the class's fears subsided, and they began to enjoy the joke. Subdued -chuckles sounded at intervals, the presence of the dummy schoolboy -striking his companions as distinctly grotesque; but, as Patch had -said, Mr. Salmon was almost deaf and very dim of sight, and unless -anything out of the ordinary occurred, Billy's absence would pass -unnoticed.</p> - -<p>"Bathgate," said Mr. Salmon suddenly, "commence the translation. Line -25."</p> - -<p>Bathgate, a big, sleepy youth at the back corner of the class, awoke -suddenly from his dreams of better things, and began translating the -Latin in a loud, clear, albeit, a trifle hesitant, voice.</p> - -<p>"Speak up," commanded Mr. Salmon.</p> - -<p>"Ought to yell in your ear," observed Bathgate, with a humorous glance -at his mates.</p> - -<p>"What did you say?" asked the master.</p> - -<p>"I—thought—you—could—hear," said the shameless Bathgate. "Shall I -proceed?"</p> - -<p>"Proceed—yes! No, one moment. You've done pretty well. Go on, next -boy."</p> - -<p>There was a dead, stunned silence. The next boy was no boy at all, but -the effigy of Bill Faraday, and the effigy simply sat still and stared -at the master with the most guileless stare in the world.</p> - -<p>"Faraday—you heard me?"</p> - -<p>"Yes—sir," squeaked Patch, diving down under his desk, and attempting -to throw his voice in the direction of the quiescent Billy. But the -attempt met with poor success. The squeak did not come to the ears -of the master at all, and he repeated his reminder, with a trace of -irritation at the delay.</p> - -<p>"Faraday—I believe you've gone to sleep."</p> - -<p>The ingenious Patch was now brought up against a poser, but his -resourcefulness met the obstacle. He got down on the floor and -attempted to cross over to a position behind Billy's seat, which would -enable him to deputize for the thick-headed effigy.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately he was observed, and Mr. Salmon demanded at once to know -what he was doing.</p> - -<p>"Dropped my pen, sir," he explained loudly, and then frantically -whispered to Jack, "Get behind Bill's chair and speak up."</p> - -<p>To cover Jack's move across the aisle between the desks, Patch stood -up, and showed his pen to Mr. Salmon, as ocular evidence of the truth -of his explanation.</p> - -<p>"I've got it now, sir," he observed brightly. "It had rolled right -under my seat."</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes," said Mr. Salmon testily. "Sit down."</p> - -<p>But Septimus was sparring for time until Jack was ready to take up -Billy's translation. So he added, in his most foolish manner, "It's -curious, sir, where these things get to, isn't it! Once I lost a -pencil, and found it in the bottom of my trousers. Philosophers call -it—"</p> - -<p>"Sit down, sir!"</p> - -<p>"—call it the perversity of inanimate—"</p> - -<p>"Will you sit down?"</p> - -<p>"—objects, like a collar-stud, or—"</p> - -<p>"Patch!"</p> - -<p>"Very well, sir," said Patch, sitting down with the aggrieved air of -one who has been casting his pearls before swine. He glanced sharply -towards Billy's chair, and sighed with relief.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps we can get on with our work now," said Mr. Salmon -sarcastically. "Faraday, are you properly awake?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir!" yelled the supposed Faraday in such a loud voice that it -came to Mr. Salmon's ears in the form of a smart answer. The master -nodded. "Go on, then," he said.</p> - -<p>Jack went on as fast as he was able, and for five minutes the class -held its breath. At the end of that time the possibility that Billy's -deception would be discovered seemed to have passed. The master went on -through the class, and the boys were presently deep in their work; so -deep, in fact, that Bathgate felt impelled to relieve the tedium by a -little horse-play.</p> - -<p>Propping his book up before him, he proceeded to annoy his neighbour in -front, one MacAlister, in sundry well-thought-out ways that ended in -Mac's turning round and firing a book at Bathgate's head.</p> - -<p>Bathgate, who had, of course, been expecting retaliation, ducked -smartly, and the book hit the wall with a bang. Mr. Salmon looked up, -for the book happened to have been a dictionary, and the sound of its -arrival rather loud.</p> - -<p>"Bathgate," said the master, "don't tap."</p> - -<p>The class chuckled afresh, and Bathgate inserted a pin in the toe of -his boot, winking across at Jack Symonds in unmistakable "you-watch-me" -manner. Then, sitting back innocently, he let the pin sink into -MacAlister's calf.</p> - -<p>"Ow!" gasped MacAlister, jumping up in a rage and aiming another book -at his tormentor's grinning face. "Take that!"</p> - -<p>Bathgate, however, had no intention of taking it, and he slid sidewise -on his chair to avoid the missile. His move was too sudden for his -equilibrium. The chair went over, and he went over with it, pitching -head-first into the stomach of the bogus Billy Faraday. The effigy did -not protest, but slid gracefully to the floor, where it lay in the -attitude of a gentleman looking under the sofa for his collar-stud.</p> - -<p>"Jimjams!" gasped Septimus Patch, "That's done it!"</p> - -<p>Done it, it had. Mr. Salmon demanded to know why Bathgate and Faraday -were crawling around on the floor, and Bathgate, looking sheepish, said -something about falling off his chair.</p> - -<p>"My chair overbalanced, sir," he said. "I knocked Faraday over."</p> - -<p>The class was on tenterhooks. Would Mr. Salmon come up and investigate -for himself? Faraday, at any rate, lay there absolutely still.</p> - -<p>"Faraday," said the master, grimly, "evidently desires to emulate Doré, -the artist, who drew his pictures while lying down on his stomach. Or -is he just asleep?"</p> - -<p>"I think he's hurt," said the indomitable Patch, getting up again. He -meant to pull the fat out of the fire if it were humanly possible. He -grabbed the effigy and savagely hauled it into place, keeping between -it and the master all the time. He got back to his seat, but barely -had he reached it when the dummy boy doubled up at the waist like a -jack-knife, and banged its head on the floor. To Patch's horror, the -head, which was loosely attached, came off and rolled a full yard down -the passage.</p> - -<p>Jumping up once more, Patch grabbed the head, and, amid the laughter -of his companions, restored it to its position. The effigy of Faraday -grinned impudently at the master, its head on one side, as Patch got -back to his seat.</p> - -<p>"There is too much disorder," said Mr. Salmon petulantly. "Far too much -of it. Patch, and you too, Faraday, and Bathgate, take one hundred -lines."</p> - -<p>Just at that moment came the bell announcing the end of the period, and -Mr. Salmon, gathering his gown about him, stalked out indignantly.</p> - -<p>"Phew!" breathed Patch. "I don't want to have a strain like that -again for a few years. Talk about nerves! You'd want nerves of -phosphor-bronze, or something, with an obstreperous dummy like this on -your hands."</p> - -<p>He landed a kick into the effigy's waistcoat, and it fell on to the -floor. The class simply roared.</p> - -<p>"Anyhow," went on Patch, "you've got to do a hundred lines, you -grinning idiot. Thank goodness I haven't got to look after you this -afternoon."</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</a></h2> - -<h3>THE CHASE FOR THE STAR</h3> - - -<p>Meanwhile, how had it been faring with Billy Faraday and Egbert Patch. -It will be remembered that they left by bike on the afternoon following -the departure of the hawker, so that that person had a twenty-four -hours' start on them. Not that that mattered very much. The big machine -could cut down that discrepancy with ease. The only problem left -unsettled was the question of whether or not they would be able to find -the purchaser of the precious coat.</p> - -<p>Through the night they sped for two or three hours, and at length came -storming into Rimvale, a small town of some importance in the coastal -district.</p> - -<p>Here they put up for the night; and, early next morning searched for -news of the hawker. Fortunately, they had not far to seek. An old man, -who had purchased some articles from the itinerant vendor, informed -them that the person they sought had left the town on the previous -night.</p> - -<p>"This is alarmingly easy!" grinned Patch, leaping into the saddle as -the big machine moved off. Billy followed suit, landing on the carrier; -and they were off once more.</p> - -<p>Through the long, dusty miles Egbert set his machine positively -roaring, and the distances were eaten up in fine style. To such good -effect did they travel that inside three hours they came up with the -hawker's covered cart, and asked him to pull up.</p> - -<p>"What the matter?" he asked, leaning down on them from his perch like a -strange bird.</p> - -<p>"You must excuse us, Mucilage," said Egbert Patch. "That is your name, -isn't it? But the fact is, old coffee-bean, you bought a coat back at -Deepwater College in error, and we want it back."</p> - -<p>"What do you mean? I paid for it."</p> - -<p>"Quite so, my dear Tupentine; quite so. You see, a chap sold you a coat -belonging to this fellow here, in mistake for one of his own, and we -want to buy it back. See!" And as a token of good faith, he showed a -hand filled with silver.</p> - -<p>The Indian wrinkled up his brows in a puzzled fashion, and then began -to rummage in his goods without another word. At length he turned to -the expectant pair and eyed them keenly.</p> - -<p>"You mean a brown jacket?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes," said Billy, impatiently. "You've got it there, have you? -Bring it out, and I'll give you ten bob for it."</p> - -<p>The Indian shook his head gravely, and calmly repacked his bundles.</p> - -<p>"I can't do anything, sir," he said at length. "The coat is sold."</p> - -<p>"Sold!"</p> - -<p>The other nodded, and went on to explain in his slow, but intelligible -English. It appeared that a man had bought the coat in Rimvale for six -shillings. The Indian made a small song about the fact that he had been -unable to get six-and-six for it. At all events, he did not know who -the man was. That he was young, and that he was evidently a native of -Rimvale, he was able to state. Beyond that, he knew nothing.</p> - -<p>"Thanks," said Billy in a low voice, turning away. It seemed that -he was pursued by the worst of bad luck. How on earth were they to -discover the owner of the coat, now? It might be that the Indian was -not telling the truth. Billy was ready to imagine that he had observed -a gleam of avarice in the fellow's eye. Of course he had not been -deceived; he knew that there must be something unusual about the coat. -And perhaps he had lied....</p> - -<p>Billy groaned. "Rimvale's the only place," he said, and, mounting -behind Egbert Patch, he sped off back along the path to the little -fishing town.</p> - -<p>Arrived there, they stowed their machine in the local garage, and set -out on a feverish errand of investigation. But they knew that it was -pretty hopeless.</p> - -<p>"How on earth can we be successful?" Billy repeated to himself again -and again, and as the morning wore away his hopes sank lower and lower.</p> - -<p>All at once he gave a great cry, caught Patch by the arm, and pointed.</p> - -<p>"Look there!" he said hoarsely. "That fellow's wearing the jacket!"</p> - -<p>"The Dickens he is!" replied Patch, staring at a tall, rather bullying -youngster who looked as if he might be a butcher's boy. In another -moment the inventor's brother had started forward and called out to the -wearer of the missing coat.</p> - -<p>"Wait a moment! Hi!" he said.</p> - -<p>The red-faced youngster turned and eyed them with obvious disfavour. -"What do you want?" he demanded. "Who are you?"</p> - -<p>"I'm the man who put the salt in the sea," said Patch gravely, "and my -friend here's the man who's going to take it out. Twig? Look here, old -man, that's a nice coat you're wearing."</p> - -<p>"Oh, go and play!" grunted the other, turning away sullenly. "What's -the game, anyhow?"</p> - -<p>"I've taken a fancy to that coat, that's all. It used to belong to my -mate here, the man who rode the bull through Wagga. But another chappie -mistook it for one of his, and sold it to a nigger named Mucilage, who -in turn sold it to you—for six bob."</p> - -<p>"I see—and you want it back, hey? Well, it happens I've got to like -this coat, and I don't want to part with it, see?"</p> - -<p>Billy not only did see this particular point, but saw also that he was -up against a pretty shrewd bargainer, who was ready to turn their own -eagerness for the jacket into ready cash. He was too anxious, however, -to bluff.</p> - -<p>"Look here," he broke in, "I'll give you ten bob for the coat, and fix -everything up. No fuss—give me the coat, and this half-note will be -yours."</p> - -<p>The red-faced boy's little eyes gleamed. "Ten bob—ten bob for a coat -I've taken a fancy to," he murmured. "Look here, mate, I can't part -with the coat—not under a quid. It's a good coat."</p> - -<p>"It's certainly a good coat, but—" Patch was dubious.</p> - -<p>"Well, then," said Billy desperately, "I'll make it a quid, just to -please you. There you are—a pound note—and now, the coat."</p> - -<p>"Hold hard, hold hard." The country boy's interest had been roused by -this reckless bidding for the old jacket, which was scarcely worth a -third of the money Billy Faraday now flashed before his eyes. What was -wrong with the coat, he asked himself; or, rather, what was right with -it? "No, I don't think I'll sell," went on the yokel shrewdly, "until -I've had a good look over it."</p> - -<p>"Until you've what?" asked the horrified Billy.</p> - -<p>The other noted his emotion and slowly winked one eye. "Until I've -looked over it," he repeated cunningly. "You never know. What if -there's a five-pound note sewn up in the lining?"</p> - -<p>"A five-pound note?" gasped Billy weakly.</p> - -<p>"I'm going to have a look," said the rustic, taking off the jacket and -fumbling it between his fingers. "Why," he yelled, suddenly, "what's -this here?"</p> - -<p>Billy's heart sank into his boots as the red-faced country youth, with -a grin of the most horrible triumph, rubbed between his fingers the -slight lump under the coat-cloth that indicated where the Black Star -had been so carefully hidden.</p> - -<p>"There's something here, right enough," he said, cheerfully, "and we'll -have it out in a jiffey. When I've seen what it is, then you can buy -the coat—perhaps."</p> - -<p>And he began to open a very efficient-looking clasp-knife. But at that, -all Billy had gone through to recover the coat came up in his mind, and -a wave of fury swept over him that he should be thus baulked at the -last moment.</p> - -<p>Uttering an inarticulate cry, he dashed forward, snatched the jacket -out of the other's hands, and took to his heels, with Egbert merely a -pace or two in his rear. The yokel stood dumbfounded for an instant, -and then roared out at the top pitch of his voice, "Stop thief! Stop -thief!"</p> - -<p>The quiet, respectable little town of Rimvale witnessed the most -astounding of chases along its sleepy main street. First came Billy -and Patch, running their hardest for the garage and the big cycle, and -after them tore the outraged country lad, yelling in a voice that would -have roused the envy of any Indian chief of the prairies.</p> - -<p>The country boy continued to yell, "Thi—eeves!" lustily as he rushed -after the two boys.</p> - -<p>The solitary policeman that the town boasted, aroused by the uproar, -left the veranda of the country hotel, and stepped into the glare of -the noonday sun.</p> - -<p>"Hey! What's the trouble?" he asked, in the voice of one bent on -smoothing troubled waters.</p> - -<p>"Sto-oo-op thi-eef!" came the stentorian shout of that amazing -vocalist, the robbed boy. "Stop them two thieves!"</p> - -<p>Billy Faraday took a swift survey of the situation. It would not do, -he decided, to run into the arms of the policeman, who did not look -formidable, but who might cause a deal of bother.</p> - -<p>"This way!" he yelled, breaking off at right angles, and darting down -a narrow laneway, between two paling fences. But Billy had made, for -once, an error of judgment. The fences abutted on a brick wall of some -height, and the lane was, consequently, a blind alley.</p> - -<p>"We're diddled—dished," gasped Egbert Patch.</p> - -<p>"Not a bit," said Billy, pausing for six precious seconds, while, -with his knife, he ripped the Star from its place of concealment, and -slipped it into the pocket of his waistcoat. "Not a bit," he repeated, -throwing the coat towards the pursuers, who were already at the mouth -of the alley. "Come on!"</p> - -<p>With an agile spring he vaulted over the paling fence and landed in the -garden beyond. Patch followed, and the cries of the pursuers changed -abruptly from triumph to chagrin. Billy found himself confronting an -enormous man in a blue shirt, who seemed annoyed that the boy had -landed full in the centre of a bed of prize cauliflowers.</p> - -<p>"'Ere!" this worthy bellowed. "Oo are you?"</p> - -<p>"The King of Sweden!" answered Patch grandly. "My card!" He made a move -as if to hand the astonished fellow something, and before that person -could realize what was happening, he had received a hard dig in what -boxers call the "mark." He gasped, and sat down with the giant collapse -of a pricked balloon.</p> - -<p>Laughing, the two fugitives fled on, for the red-faced youth was -leading the pursuit over the fence, and it was risky to linger. Over -two more fences they hurried, and then found themselves confronted with -an impasse.</p> - -<p>This was a stone wall over which it was impossible to scramble. They -therefore cut away towards the right again, making back towards the -street. They were in the yard of a baker, as it happened, and they went -full speed for the street that meant liberty. Rounding the corner, with -pursuit perilously close, Patch had a sudden inspiration. He pulled -open a wide door, had a swift glimpse of a bakery and a couple of -white-clad forms, and then slammed it as hard as he could.</p> - -<p>He and Billy remained outside, of course, and ducked into the friendly -shelter of a pile of timber, just as the robbed boy, doubly red-faced -now with his exertions, and the policeman, and a couple of others -dashed up with the impetus of a fleet of fire-engines.</p> - -<p>"In here—heard them slam the door!" gasped the rustic triumphantly.</p> - -<p>"We've got 'em," said the constable, breathing hard. He flung open the -door, and an angry white figure darted out fairly into his arms. It was -the baker himself, who had been hurrying to catch the "impudent rascal" -who had slammed the door; and, as it happened, his exit had coincided -with the constable's entrance.</p> - -<p>For a moment they struggled blindly, the baker dabbling his floury -hands over the other's tunic with a fine eye for effect.</p> - -<p>"Leggo!" panted the angry constable. "No use strug—whup!"</p> - -<p>"Scoundrel!" roared the baker, who was enormously fat and red, and who -was no mean hand at wrestling. "Whaddeyer mean by this—ur."</p> - -<p>They fell over on the ground, rolling, gasping, and wheezing, like two -great porpoises entangled with seaweed. Billy and Patch were helpless -with suppressed laughter, as the two big men ramped and roared on the -ground ludicrously. But in time their excitement cooled sufficiently -to permit of recognition, and they fell back, seated on the ground, -staring at one another amazedly.</p> - -<p>"Why, it's old Jim!" said the baker.</p> - -<p>"Course it is, you fathead! What the dickens do you mean?"</p> - -<p>"Mean?" repeated the baker. "I like that! It's you that ought to say -what you mean! Are you drunk?"</p> - -<p>"Drunk? Me? Why?"</p> - -<p>"Why, coming and playing fool tricks on my door—"</p> - -<p>"Who's doing that? All I was after was two fellows funning—no, two -fellows rulling!" The constable's tongue had become a trifle twisted, -and he sought to make amends by shouting at the top of his voice.</p> - -<p>"I mean," he roared, "you've got two hokes bliding—no, no!—they -cinched a poat, I mean! Dash it, they dot in this gore—!"</p> - -<p>"You are drunk," said the baker, judicially. "Very drunk," he added, as -an afterthought.</p> - -<p>"Never dinn before drinker—I mean, dink before drinner—no!" yelled -the constable at the loudest tone he could raise, becoming more and -more excited and inarticulate as he went on. "No, I don't mean that! -What I mean is, two geeves thot away—they—hurry up!—colted with a -boat!"</p> - -<p>"A boat?" the baker asked. "Are you mad, Jim, or only—"</p> - -<p>"Quick!" yelled the constable, threshing the air with his arms, and -dancing first on one foot and then on the other. "Two fung yellows—!" -This was as far as he could get, and he remained speechless, his eyes -protruding from his head, his tongue tied in a furious knot.</p> - -<p>"Oh, my only grandfather!" murmured Billy weakly, almost helpless from -his restrained laughter.</p> - -<p>There is no saying what might not have happened but for the -intervention of the red-faced boy, who blurted out his story, and -demanded the opening of the door.</p> - -<p>"Oh!" said the baker, comprehension dawning on him at last. "But they -didn't come in here, mate—they just slammed the door, and then -bolted. That's why I thought it was Bill, here, playing jokes on me, -and—"</p> - -<p>But the red-faced youngster had turned and gazed about him, and the -concealment afforded by the wood-pile proved inadequate, for he uttered -a yell and his sharp little eyes gleamed. "Here!" he roared. "I see -'em. Come on!"</p> - -<p>Billy and Patch had profited by their rest, and were away with the -speed of the wind. The others gave instant chase, even the baker -joining in. The fugitives realized that it would be a bad move to rush -out into the open street, and they doubled on their tracks again, and -darted into a grocery store, where they were met at the door by the -grocer, in grimy white apron, who had not been favourably impressed by -the manner of their entry.</p> - -<p>"Ha!" he said. "What do you want?"</p> - -<p>"A pound of hoo-jah!" said Patch promptly.</p> - -<p>"What?" demanded the grocer in astonishment.</p> - -<p>"Some gubbins," added Patch.</p> - -<p>"Some—some—"</p> - -<p>"Don't you sell it? A pound of doo-hickey."</p> - -<p>"Here—" began the grocer.</p> - -<p>"What I really want," said Patch calmly, "is an egg. Have you one? I'd -like one called Percival, please, about fourteen hands high, and not -too frisky. Ah, the very thing!"</p> - -<p>He selected a couple of eggs from an open box on the counter, while -the grocer looked on open-mouthed. He was quite convinced that he was -being visited by a couple of lunatics, and he was doubly sure when he -saw Patch turn to the doorway and let the red-faced youth have an egg -fairly in the eye.</p> - -<p>The pursuit had been somewhat tardy in discovering where the escapees -had gone, and it was now arrested by the bombardment that Patch opened -with the eggs. The baker, panting with open mouth, received a missile -directly upon the teeth. The egg burst, and he found himself swallowing -a mass of yolk and shattered shell. The constable had to wipe away a -sticky mess before he could see; and the red-faced boy, blinded by -the first egg, had collided with a pile of jam-tins, which descended -joyfully upon his head as he lay sprawling.</p> - -<p>"Thanks for the eggs," murmured Patch, pressing two florins into the -grocer's palm. "Is there a back exit? Lead on, Macduffer."</p> - -<p>And he bolted for the rear of the shop, closely followed by Billy. -They had been working their way towards the garage, and it was only a -stone's throw to the bicycle.</p> - -<p>Hastily throwing his levers into position, Patch trundled the big -Indian a few yards; and, as the engine began to fire, leapt on board, -followed in a moment by the ever-ready Billy. They stormed out of the -little village of Rimvale, leaving a trail of blue exhaust-smoke and -more than one angry person.</p> - -<p>"Quick work, quick work!" said Patch. "That's the life, isn't it? As -I said, when I gave up the job of carrying the red flag in front of a -steam roller, 'The excitement's killing me.' But we got the merry old -Star, and that's the main thing!"</p> - -<p>"Jingo, but I'm obliged to you," said Billy gratefully. "I don't know -what I should have done without you and the old bike! And that's a -fact."</p> - -<p>"Don't apologize," returned Patch cheerily. "We'll be back about -five—that is, if the idiot policeman doesn't take it into his head to -ring up and send a posse of constabulary on our track. I wonder how -your mates have been doing back at Deepwater? Trust that brainy young -brother of mine to concoct something ingenious to account for your -absence! Wonder how he did it?"</p> - -<p>That question was soon to be answered, when they arrived back at the -College, and Billy was able to question the others as to what had -transpired during his absence. He was vastly amused at the account of -how he had been impersonated in the classroom.</p> - -<p>He roared with laughter over the events narrated, and appeared a -different fellow altogether now that the Black Star was once again in -his keeping.</p> - -<p>"What about hiding the Star this time?" said Jack.</p> - -<p>"No Edgar Allan What's-this stunts," said Billy, grimly. "I'm going to -put it under that loose flooring-board in the study. When the carpet's -back in place no one could ever find it."</p> - -<p>And that evening the Star was duly interred in its new hiding-place, -the three study-mates standing round Billy Faraday as he replaced the -board and the carpet, and left everything intact. "Let's hope it's safe -this time," he breathed.</p> - -<p>As the three boys returned from lunch next day, Jack opened the study -door and fell back with an exclamation.</p> - -<p>"Redisham!" he said.</p> - -<p>"Yes, Redisham," said the owner of the name, in an obviously forced -attempt to appear at ease. "What about it?"</p> - -<p>The intruder was standing in the middle of the study, and it was -evident that their entry had surprised him. But there was nothing to -show that he had been up to any shady games. Jack closed the door. -He had remembered that they had their suspicions of Monty Redisham, -already—and it was not usual, at Deepwater, for visits to be paid to -studies during the occupants' absence.</p> - -<p>"What about it?" repeated Redisham, with a shade of defiance that -showed that he knew he was suspected.</p> - -<p>"Oh, nothing," said Jack carelessly. "What are you after?"</p> - -<p>Redisham met his gaze squarely, and then glanced at Billy Faraday and -Patch, who also were staring at him meaningly. He shifted from one foot -to the other.</p> - -<p>"I just came in to borrow a dicker," he explained.</p> - -<p>"And that, I suppose," said Jack, "is why you shut the door?"</p> - -<p>Redisham's lip curled. "I don't know what you are getting at, Symonds," -he said. "It's true that the door blew to, in a gust of wind just now, -but—"</p> - -<p>The three pals looked at him queerly, and he resolved on a bold stroke. -"Why, hang it," he said, taking the bull by the horns, "you look as if -you thought—thought I was trying to pinch some of your mouldy traps!"</p> - -<p>It was well done of Redisham. He met the charge before it was thrown at -him. He experienced a distinct ascendancy.</p> - -<p>"Oh, not at all," said Jack politely. "It looked queer for a moment -that was all—the door shut, and all that. Of course," he went on, with -elaborate irony, "if it had been somebody else, then—!"</p> - -<p>Redisham flushed under the sarcasm, and sat down with an affectation -of carelessness, showing his violent green socks as he pulled up his -immaculate trouser-legs.</p> - -<p>"I'm glad to hear it," he observed, his little eyes flashing. "How did -the race go this afternoon?"</p> - -<p>For a moment Jack did not reply, but eyed their visitor narrowly. He -would have given a good deal to be in a position to search the pockets -of the greasy, smiling senior. But there was nothing to go on—nothing -at all. Politeness had to be preserved. He too, sat down. Billy and -Septimus Patch did not move from the door.</p> - -<p>"And how's your friend, Mr. Daw, progressing?" asked Jack casually.</p> - -<p>Either Redisham was a good actor, or he was genuinely surprised by the -question. "My aunt!" he exclaimed. "Who told you that he was a friend -of mine?"</p> - -<p>"I thought it was general knowledge," replied Jack. "We all heard that -you considered him a little tin god, or something like that. I confess -I could never have much respect for him—unless perhaps I was in his -debt, or something—"</p> - -<p>He paused, and shot a glance at Redisham to watch the effect of this -loaded remark. But the senior took it very well indeed.</p> - -<p>"General knowledge is wrong, then," he said blandly. "Daw may be all -right—to those who know him, but I'm not one, or even likely to be. -You don't mind if I go now?"</p> - -<p>"Wouldn't you like to try a cup of brew?"</p> - -<p>"Not this time, thanks. I'll bring this dicker back directly I've used -it. Ta-ta." And he closed the door behind him. Billy spoke impulsively.</p> - -<p>"Well, that's fishy if you like! Wonder whether the brute found -anything? Perhaps it's better to have a look."</p> - -<p>He rolled back the carpet, and lifted the loose board. For a moment he -lay face down with his arm fumbling in the cavity. Then he rolled over -and sat up, his face gone suddenly white.</p> - -<p>"Jiminy!" he gasped. "The thing's not there!"</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI</a></h2> - -<h3>THE STAR MISSING</h3> - - -<p>Jack Symonds uttered a cry of amazement, and even Septimus was stirred -out of his usual calm.</p> - -<p>"Not there!" repeated Jack. "Old fellow, are you certain? Surely it's -not gone already!"</p> - -<p>Billy rose to his feet with a gesture of deep despair. "Look for -yourself, then," he said. "It's no go, Jack—I made certain before I -spoke. She's gone this time—and I expect gone for good."</p> - -<p>"Don't say that, comrade!" urged Septimus, striking him on the -shoulder. "We got it back once, so why not again? Look here, there's—"</p> - -<p>"Wait!" Jack interrupted him. "Ten to one it's that oily brute -Redisham! He had the thing in his pocket all the time we were speaking -to him. Oh, he's cool and all that, but I'm going along to ask him -right out what he's done with it! There!"</p> - -<p>Septimus Patch pulled him back from the door. "No, no, Jack!" he -pleaded. "We've got no evidence that he's taken it, and if you went -along that way he'd just laugh in your face, that's what he'd do. -It looks to me as if he did pinch the Star, but—well, we can't do -anything to him; he's got the whip hand over us. We'll find another -way, never fear."</p> - -<p>"But what way <i>is</i> there?" objected Jack.</p> - -<p>Patch did not reply, but stared out of the window in deep thought. -His eyes were narrowed to mere slits behind his great tortoise-shell -glasses. He rubbed his hands together nervously.</p> - -<p>"Give me time—give me time," he asked. "There must be a better -way—let me think."</p> - -<p>"And we're giving the beggar more time to hide it," said Billy Faraday.</p> - -<p>"If he took it," said Septimus.</p> - -<p>"What do you mean?"</p> - -<p>"Why, just this. He must have been tremendously slick to have found the -hiding-place, secured the Star, and replaced everything as before! How -long could he have been in the room? Not long. Yet he had the nerve to -do all that, knowing that we might be back any minute. Besides, why -hadn't he gone when we arrived?"</p> - -<p>"Why?"</p> - -<p>"Seems to me he was just spying round. You remember he was standing in -front of our lockers. Supposing that he had found the Star where we hid -it. Would he be likely to hang round until we came? You can bet your -life he'd be off in a moment! Again, why replace the carpet and the -board? It only took longer, and delay was most dangerous for Redisham. -Put yourself in his place. If you'd found the Star, wouldn't you have -bolted right away? There'd be no sense in fixing up the carpet—your -big idea would be to make yourself scarce, see?"</p> - -<p>"So you think the Star went before Redisham came here?"</p> - -<p>"I think so, comrade. Perhaps it went last night, and, if so, we know -who took it!"</p> - -<p>"Doctor Daw," murmured Jack.</p> - -<p>"Of course, Monty Redisham is up to some dirty game or other. Quite -likely he's in Daw's debt, and Daw is using him as a tool. But if we go -to Redisham, and let him know we've suspected him to that extent, and -that we've been robbed, then he'll tell Daw everything."</p> - -<p>"But what are we going to do about it?"</p> - -<p>"Lie low. Redisham can wait—I've got a scheme for fixing him later, -getting him into a trap. But Daw's got to be watched—and watched -closely."</p> - -<p>"Well?"</p> - -<p>The schoolboy detective looked thoughtful. Then he spoke with -assurance. "Look here, comrades—Hullo, here's Fane!"</p> - -<p>"What's the matter?" asked Fane immediately.</p> - -<p>Patch explained, and then went on: "I was just going to suggest a -scheme. Jack heard Daw say that he wanted to stay on here at Deepwater. -Therefore, he's not likely to bolt with the Star, if he's got it. We'll -watch him, see where he goes, and while he's out one of us can ransack -his room. Probably, though, he has the Star on his person, and he'll be -anxious to get it across to Lazare or Humbolt. As soon as he does that, -we can have either of them arrested quietly, before they have time to -get far!"</p> - -<p>"Otherwise?" queried Jack.</p> - -<p>"Otherwise," said Patch quietly, "we'll have to go to the Head, tell -all we know, and trust to luck that we'll be able to outwit the brutes! -But you know how clumsy that notion is—the Head would almost want -written confessions and affidavits before he'd venture to arrest a -master! And Daw would swear black, blue and all colours that he'd never -seen the Star, and didn't want to. You see how hard it would be for us -to do anything?"</p> - -<p>Accordingly a close watch was kept by one of the four pals on Doctor -Daw; but they had to admit that the man was a wonderfully good actor, -for he showed no signs of confusion or excitement, and remained indoors -for the greater part of the time. For two nights he did not go out.</p> - -<p>One of these nights, however uneventful for Doctor Daw, was certainly -crammed with incident for Redisham. Patch had promised that he would -catch the greasy senior in a trap, and he held good his word. The -society of the Crees proved to be the instrument of his downfall.</p> - -<p>During preparation one evening, Redisham was surprised by a knock on -his study door. Hastily extinguishing his cigarette, which, in flagrant -defiance of all rules, he was smoking, he called out, "Come in!"</p> - -<p>A very small and innocent junior entered.</p> - -<p>"Please, Redisham," he said, "Mr. Daw said he wants to see you outside -the Chemistry classroom door at once."</p> - -<p>"What's that? Doctor—I mean Mr. Daw wants to see me now. Isn't he -taking prep. in Big School?"</p> - -<p>"Well, he is, but he stepped outside for a few minutes, and sent me up -to find you. I think he only wants you for a moment."</p> - -<p>"Confound him!" muttered Redisham, putting on his cap. "All right, -youngster—cut away."</p> - -<p>The senior lumbered down the stairs, a big, awkward figure that moved -clumsily. It was nearly dark outside, but he distinguished the form of -Mr. Daw outside the chemistry-room.</p> - -<p>As he approached, the master slipped into the porch, and beckoned -Redisham to follow.</p> - -<p>"Come in here," he whispered. Inside, it was darker than ever. "Well," -the master pursued, "and did you find it?"</p> - -<p>Redisham shook his head. "No luck," he grumbled.</p> - -<p>"Did you look?" said Daw cuttingly.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I did! Honestly, I didn't have much time, but I looked hard -enough. The young blighters came back and found me in the room at that!"</p> - -<p>"All right. But see me behind the gymnasium after lights-out, to-night. -I've found something—I want you."</p> - -<p>Redisham uttered a grumbling protest. "I say, it's confoundedly risky -to be strolling round after lights-out. You've always got me doing it -now, and I'll be getting into trouble."</p> - -<p>The master uttered a short laugh. "You'll be there, anyhow! And now -I've got to get back to preparation."</p> - -<p>They parted; but Redisham would have been considerably startled to -have watched the master, who did not go back to Big School, but who -joined Symonds and Patch at the side of the chemistry-room, and shook -with laughter. Also, as all the juniors of Salmon's house could have -informed Redisham, Mr. Daw had undoubtedly been in Big School all the -evening, in charge of preparation. Two facts that might have caused him -some perturbation, had he been aware of them.</p> - -<p>As it was, he walked into the trap laid for him as guilelessly as a -snared chicken. He strolled round after lights-out to the side of the -gymnasium, as directed by the bogus Doctor Daw, and waited, kicking his -heels for a good five minutes.</p> - -<p>"The man's a thundering nuisance!" groaned the unfortunate senior, -looking round him. "Gee! What's that?"</p> - -<p>His ejaculation had been drawn forth by the sight of a couple of men -who, dimly visible in the half-light, had appeared round the end of the -gymnasium.</p> - -<p>Redisham wheeled round with a dismayed gasp, and prepared for flight. -But he remained where he was, rooted to the ground with horror. About -five similar dark forms had appeared quite silently behind him, and now -confronted him evilly. With a shock of dismay he perceived that they -wore black masks, and had their collars turned up about their ears.</p> - -<p>"What—what d-do you w-want?" he said in a remarkably husky voice that -somehow would not obey him. Redisham was a bit of a diplomat at times, -but he had no physical courage. All his strength seemed to have left -his legs, and he shook like a leaf in a gale.</p> - -<p>"Shurrup!" came the low retort in ruffianly tones, from the foremost of -the ugly-looking band. "Stow the lingo, or we'll throttle you! You one -of the school kids, hey?"</p> - -<p>"Y-yes."</p> - -<p>The miserable Redisham heard footsteps behind him, and knew that the -other two were close. He wished with all his heart that Daw would -arrive. He would have been a good deal less hopeful had he known that -Daw was, at that moment, asleep in bed. Suddenly he was bowled over by -his cowardly assailants, and gagged.</p> - -<p>In approved bandit style he was trussed hand and foot, and a bandage -was finally tied over his eyes, completely excluding everything from -his sight. He groaned. What on earth had happened? He was being carried -by two of the men over rough country, and presently he lost count -of their steps. They went miles and miles, as it seemed; his heart -descended into his boots. He could already see himself tied up in a -sack and thrown into a lonely part of the river.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the journey ended. As a matter of fact, he had been carried -five times round the playing-fields, with suitable changes of ground, -and the Crees had taken it in turns to lug him about, for he was of -no mean weight. They now entered Salmon's and on tiptoe brought their -prisoner into the boot-room.</p> - -<p>Flat on the floor Redisham was laid, and the bandage was removed from -his eyes. An oil lamp guttered above his head, throwing a faint, -uncertain light that wavered to and fro, making everything indistinct. -Before him sat the most fearsome figure of the lot—a short, thick man -in a sweater and wearing a beard, who held a revolver in his hand—a -wicked-looking thing that sent a frightened shiver down the senior's -back. In point of fact, this was Billy's weapon, which he had brought -out of its concealment for the purpose; undeniably it gave a touch of -colour to the scene.</p> - -<p>It was, as a matter of cold fact, unloaded; but Redisham in the depths -of his funk could not know that. He lay and stared up at it goggle-eyed.</p> - -<p>"Now," said the leader of the gang of roughs, "you're miles away from -anyone here, so it's no use yelling. Get me? Take his mufflers off, -Snyder."</p> - -<p>The man addressed as Snyder elevated himself out of the gloom and came -slowly forward. He undid the bandages that held Redisham in durance, -and the fear-stricken senior sat up, chafing his legs.</p> - -<p>"See here, younker!" It was the awesome chief speaking again. "Are your -people worth much?"</p> - -<p>"I—what do you mean?" spluttered Redisham.</p> - -<p>"I means what I says!" said the fellow, in a low voice of concentrated -fury. "Answer up, an' look slippy, or perhaps my finger'll slip on this -'ere trigger, and—"</p> - -<p>"Please d-don't shoot!" quavered Redisham. "Do you mean have my people -got much money?"</p> - -<p>"Yes—have they?"</p> - -<p>"Not very much—really."</p> - -<p>"Crab apples!" cried the ferocious leader, angrily. "How much would -they hand out to get you back, you miserable worm?"</p> - -<p>"To g-get me back?"</p> - -<p>"To buy you back! Shiver my timbers, but you've got more talk than a -Madras monkey. How much ransom, hey? Five hundred?"</p> - -<p>"I don't think so. Why, are you g-going—"</p> - -<p>"Yes, my hearty, we're going to hold you to ransom!" came the -disconcerting answer. "Is the figure five hundred?"</p> - -<p>"But that's to-too much," shivered Redisham, squirming on the floor -beneath the menace of the revolver, which the chief held in almost -playful fashion four inches from his left eye.</p> - -<p>"Too much! I should say it was too much!" rejoined the other, with -promptness. "Five hundred for a bit of a puppy like you! Why, I'd not -give five hundred pence! I'd throw the main deck overboard before I'd -think of it! Wouldn't I?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"I'm sure you would," said Redisham hurriedly.</p> - -<p>"I expect your parents'll be downright glad to get rid of you, hey?"</p> - -<p>"I—I suppose so."</p> - -<p>"Well, belay my scuppers, if they don't part up with the boodle you'll -be shipped to South America, that's all!"</p> - -<p>"S—south America?"</p> - -<p>"South America I said! They buy men for ten pounds apiece, to work 'em -in the copper-mines. Think of it, hey! Workin' there year in, year out, -and never see this place any more! Lovely prospect, ain't it? Like the -idea?"</p> - -<p>"N—no," said Redisham, to whom the idea did not appeal in the remotest -way.</p> - -<p>"Gr-r-rr! Of course you don't! But if your old man don't pay up, -well—we'll have to get our tenner from you. Won't we, Snyder?"</p> - -<p>"Sure," said Snyder. "But we'd only get eight for this goat—he's all -flabby, no muscle, no chest, no nothink! Jest skin an' bone, that's all -he is! Feel him!"</p> - -<p>He did so, with his boot.</p> - -<p>"That's so," agreed the chief. "He's just the spit of that bloke we -shipped last summer—the bloke that pegged out on the voyage. Remember?"</p> - -<p>"You bet," answered Snyder tersely. "They had to sling him overboard, -and the sharks got the captain's tenner-worth! Just as well we got the -money first, hey, mates?"</p> - -<p>The mates all responded with a low, sinister laugh that made Redisham's -blood run cold.</p> - -<p>"See here," he pleaded. "Let me g-go!"</p> - -<p>"Gr-r-rr!" snarled the chief. "Let you go! Likely, ain't it? Now, you -stay here while we go upstairs and write a little note to your old -man. You can add something that'll make them hurry up with the tin!"</p> - -<p>"Or it's the South American mines for you!" grated Snyder, approaching -his face closely to Redisham's.</p> - -<p>"And no funny business," added the chief warningly, taking the lamp and -looking back as he closed the door. "You stay here like a good kid, an' -remember it's no use singing out. Mind you're here when we come back -or—"</p> - -<p>He touched the butt of his revolver significantly, and closed the door. -Dense darkness shut down on the miserable Redisham.</p> - -<p>When he had waited twenty minutes in the same position, he was -under the impression that he had waited several hours. He had never -experienced anything like the dead, changeless silence that now -reigned. For what seemed an age there was no sound—not even the -smallest sound. And then, feeling that he would scream out if he did -not do something, he commenced to explore his surroundings. He collided -with an immense table, on which were piled boots—in incredible -quantities. He could make nothing of this mystery. At every stage it -became more and more weird. Boots! What could that mean? He was still -wondering when he barged into something solid, and it went over with -an ear-splitting crash. For some seconds there was silence. Then came -footsteps; the door opened.</p> - -<p>"I wasn't trying to get out!" he protested feebly; and then his jaw -fell. The figure before him was Mr. Glenister, of Salmon's, and the -young master was carrying a candle!</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII</a></h2> - -<h3>BILLY WALKS IN HIS SLEEP</h3> - - -<p>Redisham did not pause a moment. He flung himself forward, grasped the -amazed master round the waist, and held on with all his strength.</p> - -<p>"Oh, save me!" he gasped. "Hurry up, sir! Take me away—before they -come back!"</p> - -<p>"What—what?" muttered the master, fully convinced that Redisham had -gone off his head. "What do you mean?"</p> - -<p>"The bandits, the bandits!" babbled Redisham. "They said they'd come -back—"</p> - -<p>"Come back?" queried the dazed master. "The bandits? Let me go! I don't -understand—"</p> - -<p>"Oh, hurry up, hurry up," murmured Monty, in an agony of apprehension. -"They've got pistols, and everything, and they'll get ten pounds for -you if they catch you. It's awful! Come back to the school, sir—hurry!"</p> - -<p>"Back to the school? Redisham, wake up! You must be dreaming—we're at -the school now, and I want to know what you're doing in the boot-room -at this time of night."</p> - -<p>"You—what?" asked Monty Redisham, putting his hand to his head and -staring round wildly. "Are we at the College?"</p> - -<p>"Of course we are! Where else did you think you were?"</p> - -<p>"But I thought—I thought," gasped Redisham, still failing to -understand. "Then they didn't kidnap me?"</p> - -<p>"No, no; of course they didn't."</p> - -<p>"And they won't write for a ransom?"</p> - -<p>"No—you've been having a nightmare, boy. Overeating, and reading -novels! Come, get back to bed at once."</p> - -<p>Hardly knowing whether he was standing on his head or his heels, -Redisham was conducted back to his dormitory, where he undressed and -got into bed. There, for the first time, it began to dawn upon him that -he had been the victim of a practical joke. Hot waves of anger swept -over him at the recollection. He had made a complete fool of himself.</p> - -<p>"Dash it all," he muttered savagely, "what an ass I was! Ten to one it -was those confounded Crees—got me outside the gym, carted me about, -and took me into the boot-room. Well, this beats the band!"</p> - -<p>He nearly choked with fury at the thought of his ignominious treatment.</p> - -<p>"Wonder how they knew?" he went on. "Must have heard Daw—or perhaps -it wasn't Daw at all! I see it all now! Thought at the time Daw was -speaking rather strangely.... Jove!" he muttered, as another aspect -of the case struck him, "some beggars must know ... about Daw and me! -Symonds and Faraday and, and—oh, what a night!"</p> - -<p>He pulled the sheets over his head with a groan, and tried to sleep.</p> - -<p>As for Jack, he was in immense feather over the business. Not only had -they satisfied themselves that Redisham knew nothing about the missing -Star, but the four pals had also had the time of their lives. Those of -the Crees who had had a hand in the tormenting of Redisham were all -agreed that the jape was the boldest on record, and the tale, as passed -on in an elaborated form, brought a chain of chuckles from everybody in -Salmon's. And even at that Redisham was lucky; they knew nothing of his -discovery by Mr. Glenister. All things considered, it was wiser to keep -silence.</p> - -<p>"I say, Jack," said Fane the next afternoon, "do you see by the paper -that Harry Nelson is coming down to Windsor?"</p> - -<p>"Nelson, the light-weight champion?"</p> - -<p>"Yes. He's going to box an exhibition with some fellow or other at the -opening of the new Sports Club up there. Look here—it's all in this," -he added, throwing the paper across.</p> - -<p>Jack read in silence for a few minutes. Nelson, the Australian -champion, was going to pay a visit to Windsor, a large mining centre -some ten miles north of Deepwater Bay. The exhibition was timed to come -off that night.</p> - -<p>"Nelson's real first-class, I've heard," said Jack.</p> - -<p>"Yes, that's what they say about him," agreed Fane. "I say, how would -it be to slip out to-night and see him?"</p> - -<p>"If we—"</p> - -<p>"The roads are pretty decent, and we could get on our grids all -right—it shouldn't take more than an hour to reach there, at the -outside."</p> - -<p>Jack was silent. The proposition appealed to him greatly. "I've a good -mind to come," he said at last. "Of course, there's the risk—"</p> - -<p>"I know; but there's not much risk, after all—and it's worth it."</p> - -<p>"Yes; it's worth while seeing Nelson.... All right, then, count me in. -How about Billy or Patchie?"</p> - -<p>Fane shook his head. "I doubt whether they'd want to come. In any -case four fellows missing from the dormitory would be a bit over the -odds—it wouldn't take much to get us pinched."</p> - -<p>"You're right. Well, don't forget."</p> - -<p>And they might have been seen speeding over the dark road to Windsor, -later on, on their bicycles. They arrived in the town just before the -performance was due to start, and got seats close up, near the stage, -which had been converted into a ring.</p> - -<p>All around them there was the noise of the crowded audience. Jack and -Fane sat down guiltily, wearing plain tweed caps in the place of their -college caps, but full of excitement. There was not long to wait.</p> - -<p>"Gen'l'men!" shouted the announcer hoarsely; "Harry Nelson, -light-weight champeen of Orstralyer!"</p> - -<p>Nelson smiled and bowed. He had a square, alert-looking face and bright -eyes.</p> - -<p>The champion had brought his own sparring-partner, and shortly his -robe was slung off, and he got to work. Jack and Fane whistled with -admiration at the man's magnificent physique. It seemed incredible that -such strength could be packed away in so small a parcel, for he was no -more than five inches over the five-foot mark.</p> - -<p>The spar was a brilliant one, as Nelson had opportunities for display -that a serious contest would not have afforded him. Jack and Fane sat -entranced at the show, watching the fast little fellow dancing about -the ring as lightly as a feather. They were sorry when the bout came -to an end. Nelson remained in his corner, and presently the announcer -came forward with a surprise to spring on the house.</p> - -<p>"I have much pleasure in stating," he said, "that Nelson will box four -rounds with any man under eleven stone in the audience. If anyone can -last the full four rounds, the management will present him with five -pounds!"</p> - -<p>"Hold me back!" said Jack, pretending to struggle towards the aisle, -but taking care not to be successful.</p> - -<p>"Hullo!" said Fane, suddenly. "Somebody giving it a flutter!"</p> - -<p>Jack looked across the crowded house, and as the challenger gained the -stage he let out a gasp of astonishment. For the man was none other -than Humbolt, the intimate of Doctor Daw, and the colleague of the -mysterious Lazare!</p> - -<p>Jack remembered, now, that when he had first seen the fellow he had -marked him down as an ex-pugilist. What sort of a showing would he -make? Humbolt bent and whispered mysteriously in the announcer's ear.</p> - -<p>"Gen'l'men!" cried the announcer, placing his hand upon the head of the -grinning Tiger, "Doctor Daw—Doctor Daw!"</p> - -<p>"Go on, Doc!" yelled some irrepressible from the back of the hall.</p> - -<p>Jack was choking with laughter. The dour Humbolt must have a sense of -humour after all, he thought, thus to assume the name of his colleague -as a nom-de-guerre. The mental picture of the oily, shifty Daw in a -boxing-ring caused Jack inward convulsions, which he had only just -overcome when the gong went for the first round.</p> - -<p>"Doctor Daw," in trousers and singlet, met a very different Nelson from -the pretty sparrer of a few minutes ago. The light-weight champion went -for his man in deadly earnest, and the sound of blows filled the hall. -But Humbolt was no fool—far from it. He saw that Nelson was taking -him cheaply, and waited his chance. He was badly knocked about for two -rounds, or so it seemed from the audience. In reality he was taking any -amount of punches on gloves or forearms.</p> - -<p>In the third round a startling diversion occurred. Nelson was hammering -his man in fine style, when suddenly "Doctor Daw" stepped forward with -his right foot and slid his left back, thus reversing his feet. Then -his left glove shot into the champion's unguarded body, and his right -shoulder seemed to jerk back with the venom and force of the blow.</p> - -<p>Down went Nelson amid a startled roar—and stayed down. Humbolt grinned -widely, and strolled back to his corner. The champion was palpably -knocked out, and with one of the neatest "plexus" hits that any man -present had seen.</p> - -<p>As soon as the light-weight champion had recovered his wind, he made a -hurried exit. He was not staying to tackle any more dark horses of this -stamp. And Humbolt was presented with the five-pound note in full view -of the audience.</p> - -<p>"By jove, that was neat!" said Fane. "Nelson took the fellow far too -cheaply—and, of course, 'Doctor Daw' was heavier. All the same—"</p> - -<p>"You're right, laddie," said a venerable-looking old man sitting on -Jack's left. "Nelson took that fellow too cheaply and I'll bet he -didn't know who he was, or—"</p> - -<p>"Why? Who was it?"</p> - -<p>"Nobody here knows, seemingly," returned the white-bearded man, "but -that was Jim Camp, who used to be light-weight champion about twenty -years ago. That hit was his famous 'shift'—he knocked out scores of -opponents with it, and then left the game suddenly—I don't know why. -At any rate, it was believed that he'd gone to America. I've been -puzzling ever since he started who he was—and I'm sure now, after -seeing that old 'shift' again."</p> - -<p>"Jove, that's interesting," said Jack. "Do you know whether 'Jim Camp' -was his real name?"</p> - -<p>"No, it wasn't his right name. I've forgotten what his right name -was—something foreign, or foreign-sounding—"</p> - -<p>"Not Humbolt?" suggested Jack gently.</p> - -<p>"Humbolt! Bless my soul, I believe you're right! A funny fellow he was, -too—not altogether straight out of the ring, they used to say. Of -course, I don't know.... And he was always terribly afraid of snakes. -One time he had a contest with a fellow who knew all about this snake -business, and the cunning dodger actually came in with a belt made out -of snake-skin—one of these big cobras, you know, with large markings -that you could see a mile off.</p> - -<p>"The buckle of the belt was a snake's-head design with the tail in its -mouth, and it fairly gave Jim Camp the shivers. He fought about three -rounds, and then his towel came in. He couldn't get near the thing, you -see. Funny, isn't it, how we're all scared of some silly thing like -that? Jim, they said, always made it an article in his agreements after -that that the belt should be of plain design, with no snaky fancy-work -on it, and so the trick wasn't tried again."</p> - -<p>The veteran smiled at his memories, and the boys, finding it was -rather late, decided to go. They did not care to stop for the rest of -the programme, which was a twenty-round contest; and, getting their -bicycles back from the shop, made off towards Deepwater.</p> - -<p>They arrived safely, and without detection.</p> - -<p>"What a term this has been," murmured Jack, "all flittings out and in, -night and day. Rummy, isn't it?"</p> - -<p>They entered the school by an accessible window, and made their way -along the silent corridors. As they passed through, Fane gripped Jack's -arm tightly.</p> - -<p>"Jack!" he said. "What's that?"</p> - -<p>In a moment his question had answered itself. "That" was the shadowy -figure of a boy in his pyjamas; and as he passed a moonlit window -they saw that it was Billy Faraday. They saw also, that he was -sleep-walking, and that he carried the Black Star in his hand ... then -out of the shadows a dark figure leapt upon the sleeping boy and flung -him to the ground.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII</a></h2> - -<h3>A MYSTERY UNRAVELLED</h3> - - -<p>Such was the rapid succession of events that Fane and Jack Symonds -remained for a few seconds rooted to the spot, by sheer stupefaction -and surprise. That Billy should thus be walking in his sleep, and -bearing the lost Star in his hands, was strange enough, but that he -should be attacked before their very eyes was quite astounding. They -might well have been pardoned for a moment of inaction. Then the -tension snapped. "Come on!" said Jack quietly. "It's that beast Daw!"</p> - -<p>In their stockinged feet the two boys darted along the corridor. Billy -Faraday had come back to the waking world with a startled cry, and -seemed quite incapable of movement, while Doctor Daw, in his black -suit, bent over him like a carrion crow, and struggled to wrest the -Star from the boy's grasp.</p> - -<p>He succeeded at last, and with a low cry of triumph, turned to escape. -At that moment he was tackled madly by a bunched-up body that he might, -given the requisite time, have recognized as Fane's. His legs were -whisked from beneath him, and he sat down with an agonizing thump, -while Jack Symonds collapsed upon him with all his heavy weight. The -Black Star escaped from his fingers, and slithered along the tiled -floor, where the now awakened Billy secured it eagerly.</p> - -<p>"Give it up, give it up," ground out Jack, apparently endeavouring to -fracture the tiles with Daw's head. "Come on—you're caught this time!"</p> - -<p>"Gr-rr-r!" gurgled Daw. "Clug—gump!"</p> - -<p>"All right," panted Billy in Jack's ear. "I've got it!"</p> - -<p>Slowly the two boys allowed the infuriated master to regain his feet. -He did so, and stood there, panting and scowling at them.</p> - -<p>"You brats—you brats!" he gritted, between his teeth. "You infernal -brats!"</p> - -<p>"I fancy," said Jack quietly, "that we've put a finger in your -pie—what?"</p> - -<p>Mr. Daw took a step forward, and his eyes blazed with intense anger. It -looked very much as if he would strike the cool youngster before him, -but his hand fell to his side again.</p> - -<p>"Yes," went on Jack, "we've just about spoked your wheel!"</p> - -<p>Daw seemed to make an immense effort for self-control. He swallowed -several times. Then, "I don't know what you mean, you insolent puppy!" -he burst out. "And I'd like to know just what you mean by attacking -your master in this disgraceful manner—and also what you are doing out -of your dormitory at this time of night!"</p> - -<p>"Well, I like that!" exclaimed Jack. "After you jumped on poor Billy -here, and—"</p> - -<p>"That was my mistake," said Daw, who had recovered a great measure -of his composure. "I took him for a burglar, as was quite natural. -No boy should be out of his dormitory at this hour. I was bent on -capturing what I imagined to be an intruder. But your offence demands -explanation—and I must have it, at once."</p> - -<p>"What about the Black Star?" asked Jack boldly.</p> - -<p>Daw's self-control was excellent. "Black Star?" he repeated. "You are -trying to be impudent, I suppose! Well, you'll suffer for it, upon -my word. Go back to your dormitory at once—I'll send for you in the -morning."</p> - -<p>He turned and stalked away, a tall, black figure passing the floods of -moonlight that entered the row of windows. The three chums watched him -out of sight with mingled feelings.</p> - -<p>"Well," said Jack grimly, "that was quick work, with a vengeance! I -don't know what really happened now, if you ask me. Billy, old chap, -what on earth were you doing with the Star? Where did you find it?"</p> - -<p>"That's what beats me," said Billy, scratching his tousled hair. "I was -asleep, wasn't I?"</p> - -<p>"You were, until that brute Daw bolted at you. Didn't know you were a -sleep-walker, all the same."</p> - -<p>"Nor did I, old fellow. I thought I was safe in my little bunk, and I -woke up to find myself on the floor and Daw falling all over me. I tell -you, it shook me up a bit! I didn't know whether I was asleep or awake."</p> - -<p>"That's all right," broke in Fane, "but, you mysterious blighter, where -did the Star come from? Seems to me this beats Conan Doyle and his -spooks into a cocked hat. I suppose a bally spirit guided you to the -spot, or something—ten to one it was Daw's room, and the blinking old -thief bolted after you and tried to get the Star back. Does that fit?"</p> - -<p>"My only aunt!" exclaimed Jack. "My head's fairly spinning with -the business. Old Billy must have supernatural powers—any of your -ancestors witches, or anything like that, old man? Come on, don't let -us worry about the rotten affair any more to-night. I've bitten off -more mystery than I can chew! Off to bed, and be jolly thankful that -we've got the Star back again. It is the real Star, by the way, and not -a fake?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, it's the real Star all right," returned Billy. "It's not going out -of my pocket until we can find an absolutely safe hiding-place. Twice -lost and twice found! Bit of a record, don't you think?"</p> - -<p>"Bit of whacking great luck," said Jack.</p> - -<p>Billy grinned happily, overjoyed at the recovery of the Star, and the -three of them trooped off to their dormitory.</p> - -<p>The next morning Septimus Patch listened to a full account of the -events of that memorable night, and regretted that he had been absent, -"snoring," as he expressed it, "in a manner more worthy of a pig than -an investigator."</p> - -<p>"What do you make of Billy's find?" Jack asked him, and the inventor -wrinkled his brows in perplexity.</p> - -<p>"Well, for one thing," he said, "I don't believe that Daw had the Star. -It seems incredible that Billy could have walked in his sleep and just -collared the thing calmly! Look at it—the idea's piffle, plain piffle. -No, the solution is something different, but I'm blessed if I can -find—wait a moment!"</p> - -<p>He held his head in both hands, and walked rapidly up and down the -carpet of the study. Then he turned and looked out on the quadrangle -for a few minutes. When he again faced his pals, they observed that his -face was alight with what might prove the solution of the mystery.</p> - -<p>"I believe I've got it, comrades," he said. "I believe I know what -happened. Billy took the Star out of the hollow under the loose board, -and hid it elsewhere. Last night he returned in his sleep and got it -back again."</p> - -<p>"My poor fellow!" exclaimed Jack. "It is so very painful."</p> - -<p>"What's painful?"</p> - -<p>"That rush of brains to the head! Doesn't your cranium feel -tight—almost bursting?"</p> - -<p>"Seriously, comrade." Patch's idea rode superior to Jack's frivolity. -"Just cast your mind back over what happened. Billy had concealed the -Star, but, of course, he didn't know that it was safe, even under the -boards. The business preyed on his mind. It worked on him to such an -extent that in his sleep one night he came and took the Star away—to -put it in some safer place, goodness knows where.</p> - -<p>"Then, we find that the Star is missing—how long after Billy shifted -it, we don't know. But it was gone, we all know that. Billy here knew -nothing about his sleep-walking—didn't even know that he was addicted -to sleep-walking. And so he remembered nothing of having moved the -Star. Of course, he worried some more about the thing, and did the same -thing again—went out, got the Star from where he had hidden it, and -was bringing it to another place, when Daw happened to spot him, and, -of course, pounced on it."</p> - -<p>"By Jingo!" said Fane, regarding Patch with an admiring eye.</p> - -<p>"Yes, that's what happened, comrades. And goodness knows where Billy -would have put it if he hadn't been pulled up—perhaps in the Head's -waistcoat, or else up the fireplace. Lucky things panned out as they -did, eh?"</p> - -<p>"I keep telling Billy he ought to go on the Stock Exchange," said Jack. -"His luck's blown in the bottle, all wool and a yard wide!"</p> - -<p>"Of course, we'll have to guard against this sort of thing in the -future, however good his luck is. Next time coincidences might fail -to—to—"</p> - -<p>"—to coincide," finished Jack brightly. "Exactly. The best thing for -us to do is to let me hide the Star, and then Billy can't get at it -without my telling him, sleep-walking or otherwise."</p> - -<p>"That's the ticket! You take the thing and hide it in some secure place -or other—be sure we don't make a miss of it, this time—and then you -can tell Fane and me, but not Billy. I don't think I walk in my sleep, -and, as for Fane, he walks often enough when he should be asleep, but -that's a different matter."</p> - -<p>And so it was arranged. Jack concealed the Star that afternoon, in -the most unlikely of places. He got an old rubber-grip from a bat, -and inserted the Star in this, while he tied both ends securely with -twine. The whole thing he attached to a fine fishing-line. Walking -along to the river, he flung the Star into the water, and fixed the end -of the line to the root of a tree some six inches under water. The line -would never be seen; and unless something very like a miracle occurred, -the package could hardly be recovered from the thick mud at the bottom -of the river. He breathed a sigh of relief.</p> - -<p>"Well, it's safe enough there," he murmured, looking round him. He had -been only a few minutes at work, and there was no one in sight. "And -nobody's noticed," he added, strolling off in the direction of the -school.</p> - -<p>Still pondering the matter of the Black Star and all the trouble and -excitement it had brought in its train, he was passing a clump of -thorn-bushes, called by the College "Willy-Whiskers," when the hum of -voices was borne to his ears by the breeze.</p> - -<p>"Hullo!" said Jack, and pulled up. The place Willy-Whiskers was used, -nowadays, only as a fighting-ground, when some particularly important -encounter was mooted. Here the spectators could yell to their hearts' -content, without fear of being "dropped on" by a passing master. Jack -wondered. Was a fight in progress?</p> - -<p>Irresolutely he moved forward; the sounds were totally unlike those -usually accompanying schoolboy battles. Instead, it looked much as if -there was a meeting of some sort being held in the heart of the thick -tangle of thorn, the quaint shape of which had given it its name.</p> - -<p>"... Those rotten Crees ... we'll be able ... shock of their lives ..." -came the words, with significant gaps; and Jack immediately considered -it his business to investigate. He thought that this was a meeting of -the Calamitous Cripples, the rival society to the Crees—and he was not -mistaken.</p> - -<p>Approaching silently in the long grass, Jack Symonds peered curiously -through the interstices of the jungle-like mass of thorn. There was -Cummles, the renegade Cree, holding the floor, as usual; his fellows -were asking him questions, to which he was replying confidently.</p> - -<p>"We'll reel off as many copies of the notice as we'll want," he was -saying. "The Crees will all fall for the wheeze, and everything should -go well, with ordinary luck."</p> - -<p>"How about the notice?" asked one of the Cripples.</p> - -<p>"I've got a copy of it here," said Cummles; "we've got a jelly -thingummy in our study that'll print off as many sheets as you like. -I'll read it: 'Dear brother Cree, This is to let you know that a -special banquet is being given by the under-signed in honour of Jack -Symonds, Chief Cree, in the old Science room on Friday night next, at -half-past nine. As it is intended as a surprise to the Chief, the -matter must be kept a secret from him and his immediate friends. All -Crees to be present. Signed, S. Fane.'"</p> - -<p>"That's all right!" agreed the Cripples, readily. "But how does it go -on then?"</p> - -<p>"Why, it's just like falling off a log—they all crowd into the old -Science room, and then one of us will slip out and lock the door. Then -the fun starts. We've saved up lots of bottles of that sulphuretted -hydrogen stuff—you know, that rotten-egg smell—and we're just going -to let them loose on the poor beggars. And other things that I've -thought of. When they're just about done, old Simpole here will light a -flashlight affair and take their photo—all sneezing and wrinkling up -their noses with snuff and the awful smells—and we'll circulate that -photo, or copies of it, all over the House. We'll call it, 'A Meeting -of the Crees,' or something like that. The Crees will just about buck -up when they see it, and it'll be the most spiffing score this term. -Think of them—all dancing and prancing there, looking as scared as a -lot of boxed-up rabbits!"</p> - -<p>"I vote it a bonzer scheme!" came the admiring voice of one of -Cummles's friends. "The only thing is, will it work all right?"</p> - -<p>"Will it work?" demanded Cummles indignantly. "I should just say it -will! How on earth can it go wrong?"</p> - -<p>His questioner subsided into silence, and then Jack deemed it prudent -to move quietly away.</p> - -<p>"Will it work?" repeated the Chief Cree to himself. "Well, rather! Only -in a different way from the one these Cripples intend...."</p> - -<p>He chuckled to himself as he threw open the door of Study No. 9. Billy -Faraday and Patch were there, and they had a queer-looking contraption -on the table that Jack did not remember to have seen before. Patch's -fingers were liberally stained with black ink, and as Jack entered he -scratched his forehead in a worried manner, leaving sundry streaks and -blotches on his face.</p> - -<p>"Hullo, Patchie!" exclaimed Jack. "What a dandy you are—always -titivating yourself up. If it's not rouge or face-powder, then it's -ink. A nice thick coating of tar would improve the appearance of your -face wonderfully."</p> - -<p>"Well, comrade, I do not grudge you your meed of humour. I know it's a -bright spot in an otherwise gloomy life. But you might put it to better -use—what about writing a funny column for our paper?"</p> - -<p>"For your what?"</p> - -<p>"Paper, comrade," explained Patch pityingly. "In the big cities they -print the news on big sheets of paper, which people buy and often read. -Ours will not stop at news, though. Critical comment on curious members -of the school—frightful libels on all and sundry—all that sort of -thing."</p> - -<p>Jack's interest was now thoroughly aroused.</p> - -<p>"What," he said, "you're not going to run a rival show to the -<i>Gazette</i>?"</p> - -<p>The <i>Deepwater Gazette</i> was the somewhat staid official journal of -the College, which issued twice a year, and was religiously bought by -the collegers, who read nothing of it excepting the sporting records. -Patch showed, by a shake of his head, that he did not mean to push the -official paper out of business.</p> - -<p>"No, comrade," he said; "our paper will be brighter, full of -snappy snips, and nifty news, quips and jests. This is a small -printing-press"—he indicated the machine on the table—"and we'll turn -out any number of copies, and—"</p> - -<p>"Hold hard," said Jack suddenly, interrupting him, "I've just -remembered...."</p> - -<p>He went on to tell the tale of the plot that the Cripples were -preparing against them. When he had come to the end of his recital his -companions whistled concernedly. But he went on—speaking in a low -voice to them as they sat attentively listening to him—to outline a -scheme for the reversal of the proposed jape. When he had finished they -were both grinning broadly.</p> - -<p>"Comrade," said Patch, "you have some of the elements of the practical -joker in you."</p> - -<p>"It'll be a tremendous thud for Cummles and his bright boys, at any -rate," Jack assured him. "And Simpole isn't the only one who can take -photographs!"</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV</a></h2> - -<h3>DOG-FACE</h3> - - -<p>On the following Thursday afternoon there was a half-holiday, and Jack -Symonds found himself suddenly without occupation. He had intended -to go for a ramble into the bush behind the college, but at the last -moment his proposed companion had been unable to accompany him. He was -therefore at a loose end, but it was not in him to remain idle for long.</p> - -<p>"What are you going to do with your useless self?" he demanded of Billy -jocularly.</p> - -<p>"Didn't you know? Some of us are going for a sail on the bay."</p> - -<p>"Are you? What ripping luck! Any room for a bad sailor who doesn't know -a mainbrace from a companion hatchway?"</p> - -<p>"I think we can find room," said Billy. "Don't you think so, Patchie?"</p> - -<p>"I do, comrade. That is, provided he doesn't get his feet in the -scuppers or start dancing a jig on the keel."</p> - -<p>"Good-oh!" said Jack. "Are you coming now? Yes? Half a mo', till I run -down into the Gym. and change. I'll meet you at the landing stage."</p> - -<p>A spanking breeze was blowing as the little party of five put off from -the jetty and slid out carefully into the blue expanse of the bay. -The steering and management of the little craft, which was merely an -undecked skiff, was undertaken by Billy Faraday. The boat was fitted -with a single balance lug sail, but it was fairly large, and soon they -were running before the wind at a smart clip.</p> - -<p>"By Jingo!" said Jack, smacking Patchie upon the back, "this is -exhilarating, isn't it?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, comrade, it's not bad. When we get a little farther out you may -paddle your feet in the water," said Patch, kindly. "This, my lad, is -the sea, the abode of the finny tribe—it is mainly composed of water, -but there is a proportion of salt added, as you will observe if you -drink about a quart of it."</p> - -<p>"Get out," laughed Jack. "You're kidding me—aren't you? You're taking -advantage of my youth and ignorance. And is it all wet?"</p> - -<p>"Every drop," Patch assured him solemnly. "Think of it—all that -immense mass, and not a dry spot anywhere throughout it. Doesn't the -thought stagger you?"</p> - -<p>"Now you put it in that way, it does," agreed Jack. "Beginning to blow -a bit, isn't it?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, comrade. If it keeps on blowing like this you'll have to hold on -to your hat."</p> - -<p>The playful wind caught Patch's words and tossed them away.</p> - -<p>"You what?" yelled Jack.</p> - -<p>"Your hat, comrade. You know what a hat is, don't you?"</p> - -<p>"Yes—a thing the chap passes round after the cornet solo. I know. A -cousin of mine had one once."</p> - -<p>Jack's spirits, in fact, were becoming more and more volatile; this -lively fooling only served to render him more buoyant than ever.</p> - -<p>He now jumped up, making the boat rock perilously, and drawing a howl -of protest from his fellow-mariners. Throwing out an arm he began to -issue orders in traditional sea-dog style.</p> - -<p>"Now then, my hearties!" he bellowed. "Lay on there, you pack of -land-lubbers! Hoist the keel to the capstan-head—throw the main deck -overboard! Step lively, now!"</p> - -<p>"Oh, my only aunt!" groaned Patch, who felt distinctly unsafe in his -position right underneath the straddling, swaying figure of Symonds. -"You burbling lunatic—!"</p> - -<p>"Belay there!" sang out Jack, unheeding. "Reel in the scuppers—make -fast the poop!"</p> - -<p>"Sit down, you're rocking the boat!" implored Patch in anguished -accents.</p> - -<p>"Unship the propeller-shaft—get a head of steam in the bowsprit!" -came the amazing orders.</p> - -<p>"Sit down!" wailed Patch. "You colossal idiot, sit—ouch! Gerroff!"</p> - -<p>Jack had obeyed the order—quite involuntarily, as it happened. The -bows of the boat had encountered a short, choppy sea, and Jack was sent -flying into Patch's lap as a result.</p> - -<p>"Wow!" gasped the inventor. "You're crushing—life out of—gerrup! -Help!"</p> - -<p>"Ha, ha, ha!" gurgled the three unfeeling spectators.</p> - -<p>When the slight disturbance thus occasioned had quietened somewhat, the -amateur sailors had leisure to observe that the sea had risen—had, -in fact, developed a distinct chop. The breeze, also, had become -appreciably harder.</p> - -<p>"Jiminy, what do you call this?" asked Jack, as a lash of spray cut -inboard, driven by the wind. "A giddy old gale, that's what it is!"</p> - -<p>"Gale?" asked Patch superbly. "When you've been to sea as long as I -have, my lad, you'll know better than to call a bit of a blow like this -a gale."</p> - -<p>"Well," sneered Jack, poking him in the ribs, "what's your name for it, -then, my good admiral?"</p> - -<p>"We sailors call this a stiff calm," said Patch, and the others yelled -with laughter. "Yes, that's all it is to the man who knows the sea. You -should just see a real gale, my boy! Why, I remember that in the Bay of -Biscay I—"</p> - -<p>He waved an arm grandly to emphasize the brilliant lie that he was -evolving, but, at that moment, to a lurch of the boat, he slipped from -his seat into the bottom-boards, where he lay floundering like a landed -fish, in two or three inches of dirty water.</p> - -<p>"Dear me!" said Jack, bending over him with a look of kindly concern. -"Is that what you did in the Bay of Biscay? Poor fellow, what a time -you must have gone through! And alive to tell the tale—alive and -kicking," he added, as Patch's wildly-waving legs described in the air -most of the problems of Euclid, together with some that Euclid never -thought of.</p> - -<p>"Ump! Ur!" said Patch, regaining his equilibrium with an effort.</p> - -<p>"Don't say you've finished!" said Jack, clasping his hands in mock -dismay. "You will do it again, won't you? I just loved that part where -you stood on one ear—I thought that so clever!"</p> - -<p>"It was quite unintentional," said Patch, wringing the water out of his -trousers.</p> - -<p>"You are too modest!" returned the irrepressible Jack. "Why, do you -know how long it'd take me to learn all that? The best part of a year, -and even then I'd have to—"</p> - -<p>Amid the mocking laughter of Septimus Patch and the others, Jack -found himself in the same plight as the unfortunate inventor had just -quitted. A lift and twist of the boat upon a wave-crest, a slippery -seat canted at an angle, had been the elements of his downfall. He lay -upon his back, struggling.</p> - -<p>"Well, comrade," grinned Patch, "that's very good for an amateur!" He -stood over Jack's prostrate form, and began to recite. "Here, a sheer -hulk, lies poor Tom Bowling! The darling of his crew! No more he'll -hear—"</p> - -<p>At this moment the sail indulged in that whimsical operation termed by -sailors a "gybe all standing"—it wriggled violently from side to side, -and the boom struck Patch on the head as he endeavoured to dodge it.</p> - -<p>"Help!" he howled, pitching head-first into Jack's lap as the latter -sat at the tiller. "The giddy thing's run amok, or something—it just -jumped at me and thumped me on the head. I tell you—"</p> - -<p>"Let's hope you haven't hurt it," said Jack anxiously. "You ought to be -careful with a head like yours—it's liable to break something! Don't -sling it about in that wild way; you'll do some damage with it one of -these days, and then you'll be sorry you didn't listen to the wise -words of your uncle Jack."</p> - -<p>"My boy," said Patch, "I begin to have a horrible suspicion of you. -I think you've been trying to be funny! I thought you'd been looking -queer all this trip—"</p> - -<p>"Beloved One," Jack told him, "I haven't got to try to be funny. It -comes sort of natural."</p> - -<p>"Quite so, comrade, quite so. It's your face that does it. You -happen to have been born with one of those faces that cause horrible -merriment. A face that provokes ribald laughter. A face that—"</p> - -<p>"I can't help my face," said Jack sorrowfully. "It is cruel of you to -mention it, but I must tell the truth. Listen. When I was a child a -careless servant let a tree fall on me and—"</p> - -<p>"Ha, ha, ha!" roared the others, in chorus, but Billy's voice cut in -with:</p> - -<p>"Drop fooling, you chaps. We ran into a bit of a squall just then, and -I don't think we'll go any farther. A bit of a sea working up. Wind -against us. We'd better slip back while our luck's in."</p> - -<p>Accordingly the boat was worked around, and plugged into the choppy sea -that stretched between the vessel and the college jetty.</p> - -<p>A good four miles of water had to be traversed before they would arrive -at their destination, and Billy, although he did not mention his qualms -to his companions, felt more than a trifle nervous about the return -journey.</p> - -<p>The aspect of the sea had changed wonderfully since they had set out -on their trip. Banks of cloud piled angrily up in the south, grey and -threatening; and the wind was now undeniably vigorous. Moreover, the -sea had risen; the waves were swift and vicious, jumping at the boat in -just that manner that the expert boatman dislikes. Added to that was -the fact that the boat was small and heavily-laden.</p> - -<p>"Jiminy," said Jack, "we're in for a blow on the way back." As he spoke -the wind whipped the crest off a wave ahead of them and sheeted it -over the occupants of the boat. The sail jumped and the mast groaned, -and as Billy tacked expertly the boat heeled over dangerously, and -unquestionably, without the drop-keel, the whole concern would have -capsized.</p> - -<p>Gust after gust now smote the vessel, and it required all of Billy's -admirable coolness and splendid skill to keep them on their course.</p> - -<p>"I don't like the look of the sky," said Jack suddenly to his friend.</p> - -<p>"Neither do I, old man," returned Billy seriously. "It's getting very -dark, and there's rain in those clouds, or I'm no judge."</p> - -<p>Presently the hands were at work bailing out the water, for, despite -all of Billy's management, some seas were shipped, and the boat -was hardly of the kind to afford to become much flooded. And, most -dismaying sign of all, the going became worse as time went on. Beyond -question, the gale was growing.</p> - -<p>The minatory rumbling of thunder now became audible, and the sky was -rapidly overcast. In the consequent gloom, the boys lost sight of the -far shore, which had previously been visible as a dark mass.</p> - -<p>Crash! A tremendous peal of thunder seemed to split the heavens; it was -directly overhead, which made it appear that the fury of the coming -storm was directed particularly against the temeritous yachtsmen. -Instantly down came the rain, sweeping over the sea in an enormous, -sustained shower. The boys were wet through in an instant; and when, in -a furious gust, the sail flapped against the mast, it was in wet folds.</p> - -<p>Blinding as a close veil, the rain effectually sheeted out any sign of -land whatever, and Billy Faraday felt a momentary qualm. He thought -that it was now impossible to steer for shore, and he knew full well -that there were only one or two places in the bay where a decent -landing was possible.</p> - -<p>"Look here," he shouted, above the roaring of the rain and the -continuous smashing of waves on the bows. "Look here, you chaps—I -think we'd better cut before the wind, and miss call-over. I'm not in -love with our chances of pulling through this welter."</p> - -<p>"But where will you make for?"</p> - -<p>"Dog-face," replied Billy. Dog-face was the name of a small island in -Deepwater Bay, and its name was the result of a fanciful resemblance of -the place, on certain days, to the face of a bulldog. It was out of -bounds, and rarely visited by the boys, who had to get special permits -to do so. However, there were no attractions on Dog-face, and the -permits were seldom called for.</p> - -<p>"Dog-face," repeated Billy Faraday, "that's our chance! We're not going -to barge into the rocks on the other side of the bay, by jingo! But -Dog-face sports a bit of a beach, and I think I can make it...."</p> - -<p>His companions nodded in silent agreement. After all, Billy knew best, -and the boat was shipping more and more water as she went forward. The -captain of the little craft, therefore, put her about with the skill -of a veteran, and they were instantly running before the wind with the -utmost speed and momentum.</p> - -<p>"Gee!" gasped Jack. "If we miss Dog-face and slam into the rocks at -this rate, then we'll just about go up in smoke!"</p> - -<p>"Keep your eyes skinned, then!" said Billy between his teeth. "Hop down -the stern, you chaps—we don't want to run our nose under water."</p> - -<p>They tore through the boiling sea at a tremendous pace. Huge waves -pursued them, but never seemed to catch up. The sail was as tight as a -drum; a wave of foam curled away from the bows of the boat.</p> - -<p>"If this goes on," said Billy, all at once, casting a glance behind -him, "we'll have to lower sail. Wonder it doesn't pull the stick out -of the boat!"</p> - -<p>In a few minutes he cast an anxious look ahead of him and called on his -companions to say whether they discerned any signs of the tiny island. -It was a small place, and in the rain and the gloom they might easily -run past it. But then Patch gave a yell, and pointed.</p> - -<p>"There it is, right ahead!" he cried.</p> - -<p>"Good business!" said Billy Faraday. "We're safe!"</p> - -<p>As if in mockery of his words, a colossal gust pounced on the boat and -shook it as a terrier shakes a rat—and the thing Billy had feared came -to pass. With a crack like a pistol-shot the mast snapped off short, -and the sail and cords, in a tangled mass, collapsed over the bows.</p> - -<p>Jack Symonds, impulsive as ever, leaped up to secure the wreckage; but -the obstruction had brought the boat side on to the waves. That and his -sudden movement were too much for the stability of the frail craft. -As a following gust shrieked overhead the whole thing canted terribly -over—and in a moment turned turtle.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV</a></h2> - -<h3>A JAPE GOES WRONG</h3> - - -<p>Sudden as had been the accident, unexpectedly as it had swooped upon -them, Billy Faraday had time to yell, at the top of his voice, a -direction to the four others with him.</p> - -<p>"Get ashore!" he cried; and had no time for more. He soused under -the chilling flood; he went down and down, and finally, struggling, -fighting for the surface, his head emerged, and he saw four other dark -spots bobbing on the white, wind-whipped seas.</p> - -<p>His advice had been sound. The island was comparatively close, and -although the boat might be still afloat, if upside down, the shore -offered the better chance of security. He struck out, and had the -satisfaction of seeing the others do the same.</p> - -<p>In point of fact, Patch could not swim more than a few strokes, and -Jack was well aware of it. The two pals, who were always quarrelling -in friendly fashion, were thrown out together, and Jack saw Septimus, -after one or two wild strokes, vanish beneath the seas. He turned, -and, rolling over on the surface, dived as cleanly as any Arab boy -who plunges for pennies. He had been so quick that his hand caught -at Patch's clothing, and in a moment he was hauling his chum to the -surface. Arrived there, he made ready to swim ashore.</p> - -<p>It was heavy going, for they were both in their clothes, and Jack -was intensely grateful when a dark form slid over the waters and he -recognized the overturned boat. With great difficulty he hauled Patch -across the keel, where the young inventor hung on limply.</p> - -<p>Shortly afterwards they felt the crunch of sand beneath the substance -of the boat, and Jack knew that they were safe at last. Three drenched -forms darted up and dragged the boat and its occupants ashore.</p> - -<p>"I'd forgotten Patch was no swimmer," said Billy; "but we're safe -enough now, thank goodness—this is Dog-face."</p> - -<p>"Look here—there's an oar in the boat," said Jack. "We'll be able to -scull back, at any rate, when the sea goes down."</p> - -<p>"Better—one washed ashore before you came," said Billy. "We'll be able -to row! But I'm thinking of how they'll be worrying about us back at -Coll."</p> - -<p>"Can't be helped, old fellow. Jingo, this wind's cutting!" He -shivered. "I'm wet through—isn't there a place where we can shelter a -bit?"</p> - -<p>"We can look," returned Billy; and presently they set off to explore -the island. All at once Jack stooped and picked up a jam-tin.</p> - -<p>"Hullo!" he said. "Here's a jam-tin—wonder who was the tripper? Fairly -recent, too—the jam's still fresh in the bottom."</p> - -<p>"Show me, comrade," said Patch, taking the tin and peering into it, -his detective instincts aroused. He glanced round him. "It's a funny -thing," he went on, "but I can smell something burning—the smell of -smoke. Any of you notice it?"</p> - -<p>"No," answered Billy slowly. "Where's it coming from, then? Surely not -from shore."</p> - -<p>"Unless the old Coll's on fire," suggested Jack with a grin.</p> - -<p>"No—I thought ... I say, comrade, look at this—there's a giddy old -cave here!"</p> - -<p>"Where?" asked Jack, pushing forward.</p> - -<p>"There—underneath that clump of bush. I can see the opening quite -plainly, and if the smoke's not coming out of there I'll eat my hat."</p> - -<p>Leaping up, the schoolboy detective pushed aside the screen of bushes, -and the opening to a cave lay disclosed. Patch ducked his head and made -as if to enter, but Jack's voice arrested him in the cave's mouth.</p> - -<p>"Hold hard, Patchie!"</p> - -<p>"What's the matter?"</p> - -<p>"If the smoke's coming out of there, then it's odds on that somebody's -living in there. And they mightn't like you to butt in."</p> - -<p>"Well, comrade, I'm cold and wet—surely they wouldn't refuse to let me -come in and dry myself a bit?" He bent forward and yelled down into the -opening. "Hullo, there! Anyone at home?"</p> - -<p>There was no answer; he repeated the call.</p> - -<p>"You see," he said to Jack, "there's nobody there. I'm going in, -anyway. Coming?"</p> - -<p>The five of them made their way through the narrow orifice which gave -access to a cave of larger dimensions than they had expected. It was -so dark that very little of the interior could be distinguished; the -place smelt of tobacco, and there was a dying, smoky fire, which they -could not fan into a blaze. Jack stumbled over a pile of bracken and a -blanket.</p> - -<p>"It seems to me that somebody's been here recently," he said. "In fact, -they may get back at any moment."</p> - -<p>"Not in this sea," returned Billy Faraday.</p> - -<p>"All the same, it's probably a dirty old tramp, who'll hit the roof if -he finds us here. I vote we get out—it's not very salubrious."</p> - -<p>They returned to the beach, and sat down to watch the gradual -subsidence of the storm. When Billy judged that the sea had gone down -sufficiently, they put off and rowed for the College, which they -reached about ten o'clock, under the fitful light of a moon that the -clouds obscured from time to time. There was, they found, a good deal -of high excitement at the school. During the storm, which had been -quite exceptionally severe, the boys in the boat had been lost sight -of, as it was impossible to see where they had gone; one moment, the -telescope held them in plain view from the College—then, briefly -afterwards, the blinding rain had sheeted down to conceal them entirely.</p> - -<p>And, as their absence grew more and more protracted, the anxiety of -boys and masters both had been very considerable.</p> - -<p>Great was their satisfaction and relief when the storm-tossed boat came -up to the jetty; Silver and a number of other seniors, who had been -scouring the troubled waters in a launch, gave a cheer and helped them -ashore.</p> - -<p>Even old Salmon showed that there was a human being behind the dry -pedagogic mask that he wore. "I'm glad you're safe, boys," he said, -shaking them by the hand.</p> - -<p>"Thank you, sir," answered Billy Faraday. "The storm came down very -suddenly—we'd simply no chance of getting back. We were swamped, as -it was. I'm afraid we broke bounds for once—we landed on Dog-face. -Luckily, the boat and a couple of oars came ashore with us."</p> - -<p>They were hurried up to the school, where they changed and imbibed -generously of hot coffee, while a few privileged seniors and masters -listened to the tale of their perilous trip. After which they went to -their dormitory and to bed.</p> - -<p>Jack Symonds lay awake long after the regular breathing of his -companions indicated sleep. He was staring intently at an invisible -ceiling, and remained so for quite a long time. He was ruminating over -the various excitements of the day, and his mind seemed to dwell, for -no apparent reason, on one detached incident—the discovery of that -dark, smelly cave on Dog-face.</p> - -<p>Somehow, his fancy was intrigued by the thought of that cave. He could -not help feeling that there was some significance attached to it; he -was aware that there was something—</p> - -<p>"Jiminy!" The exclamation came so loudly, so sharply, that he feared he -might have roused some of his pals. But they slumbered on. Two fellows -were snoring on different notes, and their snores quarrelled comically; -somebody groaned and turned over in his sleep; no other sounds could be -heard.</p> - -<p>Jack resumed his thoughts; that exclamation had betokened a -discovery—light, in fact, was dawning on his mind. Now he could see -what he had been thinking of. Ah! Of course ... Humbolt.</p> - -<p>Was it a fact, he wondered, that "Tiger" was the occupant of the cave? -The man, he knew, was lurking in the vicinity somewhere—what was more -natural than that he should have selected the unknown hole, hidden away -on deserted Dog-face, as his place of concealment?</p> - -<p>"I wonder!" said Jack to himself. The idea seemed to hold water. -Humbolt hiding on Dog-face! A little startling, but quite likely. Jack -smiled grimly at the thought that, if his suspicions were correct, it -was fortunate that Tiger had not found the intruders in possession of -the lair. "Might have turned nasty," he murmured.</p> - -<p>"Or, perhaps, it is only an old tramp ..." reflected the boy, turning -over, and yielding himself to sleep.</p> - -<p>In the morning Jack awoke, conscious of having forgotten something. Not -the Humbolt suspicion—that could wait. Then he remembered. To-day was -Friday—the great day fixed by the Cripples for the downfall of the -Crees.</p> - -<p>"Jingo," said Jack, "I'd nearly forgotten. Patchie, you old impostor, -what about the bean-feast to-night?"</p> - -<p>"Bean-feast, comrade?"</p> - -<p>"Certainly. Aren't you going to the great banquet, spread or luncheon, -that the Crees are giving in the old Science room?"</p> - -<p>"Comrade, it had escaped my mind for the moment. However, I believe I -am right in saying that all is in readiness for knocking the stuffing -out of the despicable Cripples?"</p> - -<p>"That's so, my genial old lunatic! And how progresses the <i>Busy -Bee</i>—that organ of wit and learning?"</p> - -<p>Patch smiled, and indicated a pile of printed sheets that lay on the -study table. "Those," he said, "are the inside pages—we're having -eight pages in all. The remaining four pages will not go to press -until—"</p> - -<p>"Exactly," chimed in Jack. "Until—what?" And, winking at his pal, he -laughed heartily.</p> - -<p>"It occurs to me, comrade, that we could make a bit of capital out of -the adventure of yesterday—what? Written up in terse, vivid style by -our friend Billy, it should form a regular scoop for the <i>Busy Bee</i>."</p> - -<p>"Of course—write it up as much as you like, but don't get too -personal. I refer to our youthful pranks in the boat. Won't do to have -Lower School getting a false notion of their seniors!"</p> - -<p>And Jack, who cared nothing at all for his dignity as a member of the -Fifth, grinned widely.</p> - -<p>Nothing of particular importance happened during the day. Perhaps that -was because all minds, Cripples and Crees alike, were looking forward -to the night. The Cripples were looking forward to the downfall and -abasement of the Crees. But the Crees, curiously enough, were expecting -the same thing about the Cripples. And with more reason.</p> - -<p>Cummles and his gang concealed themselves in the shadow of an ivy-clad -wall in close proximity to the old Science classroom, which, for some -reason or other, was at the present time quite unused.</p> - -<p>They had not long to wait. In twos and threes the Crees came slinking -through the darkness, to avoid possible detection at the hand of any -master who might happen to be passing. The little parties vanished into -the old Science room, whence arose, in the course of a few minutes, the -murmur of talk.</p> - -<p>"Got them beautifully," whispered Cummles, overjoyed at the success of -his plan. "They're waiting for Symonds and the other heads, but they'll -wait a long time."</p> - -<p>Jack, who with Billy Faraday and Patch, was hidden on the other side -of the wall, could not help smiling at the misplaced confidence of -the fellow. But the three of them remained quiet, and awaited further -developments.</p> - -<p>These came, but only after an uneasy quarter of an hour. One of the -Cripples had locked the door, and the sulphuretted hydrogen had been -duly released, but no wails or lamentations issued from the old Science -room.</p> - -<p>On the contrary, the place was as still as the grave.</p> - -<p>"They're keeping jolly quiet," whispered one of Cummles's lieutenants -to his leader.</p> - -<p>"Y-e-s," agreed Cummles, inwardly a bit chagrined to think that the -Crees were taking their medicine so quietly. Then suspicion smote -him. "I say," he murmured, "we'll just open the door and see what's -happened. Seems to me that gas might have laid them all out, or -something. Be funny if—"</p> - -<p>Moving silently forward, the Cripples approached the door, and stood -there in perfect silence—a silence matched only by that on the other -side of the door.</p> - -<p>"Well!" said Cummles, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, and -whipping open the door. The disagreeable smell from the bottles came to -their noses, and one or two drew back.</p> - -<p>It was just at that moment that one of the fellows at the rear sang -out, in a loud, yet guarded voice: "Look out, you chaps—here's old -Salmon."</p> - -<p>A dark figure was certainly approaching from the direction of the -school buildings, and it looked as if the Cripples were cornered. But -necessity drove them; and, led by Cummles himself, they all bolted into -the classroom and closed the door.</p> - -<p>It would have caused them a trifle of concern had they known that the -figure was merely that of Jack Symonds; and that the supposed Cripple -who had given the alarm was none other than Faraday himself. Billy had, -as a matter of fact, joined the band in the shadows, and the rest had -been easy. In the darkness he had escaped recognition; and the trick -played by the Crees worked with smooth certainty.</p> - -<p>Now, indeed, the tables were turned with a vengeance. The Crees, -forewarned, had merely passed through the room and had made their exit -by a window, which they were careful to close and shutter up behind -them.</p> - -<p>During the time of their supposed tortures, they had been quietly -awaiting events elsewhere; and now the Cripples were securely captured. -Billy Faraday sprang forward and turned the key that Cummles had -carelessly left in the door; and he laughed quietly in the darkness.</p> - -<p>"We've got them by their giddy wool, what?" he chuckled. "Ever see -anything so neat?"</p> - -<p>"We've done them brown," was Jack's opinion. Bending forward, he yelled -through the keyhole: "Cripples ahoy! This is our dirty r-revenge!"</p> - -<p>Cummles had realized as much when he found the room void of its -supposed inmates.</p> - -<p>"Let us out, you scugs!" he spluttered, half-choking with the -abominable odours of which the room now fairly reeked.</p> - -<p>"Nice and comfy in there?" demanded Jack. "Air a little close, perhaps!"</p> - -<p>"Wait till next time, you Hottentot!" was the ungentlemanly retort.</p> - -<p>The Crees had gathered round, and were enjoying the joke immensely. -"Do you like snuff?" inquired Jack pleasantly.</p> - -<p>"You—you—" choked Cummles, horrified. He knew that large bags of -snuff were fixed in the rafters, and that a twitch cord that led -outside would tip them up. He was unaware how Jack had come to know of -the existence of the snuff, but it was evident that Jack did know—and, -what was more, intended to use it.</p> - -<p>"Easy on, Symonds!"</p> - -<p>"Snuff said!" joked Jack in reply, and gave a pull to the cord that -retained the snuff in position.</p> - -<p>"I say, this is—arrh! atchoo! This is—hum-hum-atchoo! atchoo!—a bit -thick—at-choo! at-choo!"</p> - -<p>"Symonds, you beas—'-choo!"</p> - -<p>A volley of sneezes threatened to lift the roof off. The Cripples were -ready to die with sneezing and breathing the foul gases that pervaded -the place, but Jack had not finished yet.</p> - -<p>"I say—want to come out?" he inquired.</p> - -<p>"Yes—shoo! Arr-rum! At-choo! Quickly, let us—at-choo!—out!"</p> - -<p>"Well, listen," dictated the calm voice. "You must all go down on your -knees and humbly beg to be let out—get that?"</p> - -<p>"Yeshoo! Yes! Hurry up! Atchoo! Hishoo!"</p> - -<p>"If I open the door and find you another way," insisted Jack, "I'll -keep you here for another ten minutes!"</p> - -<p>"All right! Hishoo! At-choo!"</p> - -<p>"Right! All down on your knees?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"Look up and look pretty," urged Jack, flinging open the door. The -Cripples were heartily sick of their confinement in that room of -terrors. They were all kneeling, to a man, with running eyes and moist -noses and contorted faces, begging for deliverance.</p> - -<p>"Now, that flare—sharp!" rapped out Jack; and as he said the words an -immense flare of light, blindingly white, threw the whole room and its -suffering occupants into being. The Cripples, too surprised to move, -remained in their attitudes of meek supplication, and Jack Symonds -laughed outright at the mere sight of them.</p> - -<p>Patch, though, was directing the lens of a big stand-camera on the -scene, while Billy Faraday held aloft the flare.</p> - -<p>"Thank you, gentlemen!" said Jack crisply, as the flare faded. The -surprise of the Cripples gave place to anger—they were furious, -realizing that they had meekly sat—or rather kneeled—for their -photographs.</p> - -<p>"Get 'em—hishoo!" cried Cummles; but as he dashed forward Jack and the -others whipped up the camera and made off. They did not care about -standing there and listening to the polite conversation of the Cripples.</p> - -<p>As for the latter, they were a sadly disgruntled lot as they sneaked -back to their dormitories, muttering threats of murder and sudden death -against the victorious Crees.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI</a></h2> - -<h3>BILLY VANISHES</h3> - - -<p>One of the cricket features of the Deepwater College year, although -it was no part of the school competitions, was the traditional match -against Windsor, which was held in the mining town about the end of the -season.</p> - -<p>The cricketers of Windsor were keen, and generally managed to make -a decent struggle. Last year, in fact, they had beaten Deepwater; -and the collegers were burning to avenge that defeat this time. But, -as sometimes happens, there was a dearth of good cricketers at the -College—their team was lacking the one or two brilliant players that -pull a side out of the ruck.</p> - -<p>"All mediocrities, every man Jack of 'em," said Martin, the captain -of cricket at Deepwater. "If they all played on their top form, we'd -scratch up an average score. But the worst of the beggars is, they're -so jolly unreliable. Might make a good hatful of runs one day, and a -blob the next."</p> - -<p>Silver, who was a fair bat when he got really set, nodded in gloomy -sympathy. "And this year we want a Trumper so badly," he replied. -"Remember the way the townies jeered at us last time? And they didn't -beat us by much. This year, it seems to me, matters will be worse. Why, -if London, or Scott, or any of our green men get the barracking really -warmly, then they'll just crumple up. Almost puts me off my play, and -I'm an old bird. Martin, old chap, it looks bad."</p> - -<p>"Well, better luck next time," said Martin.</p> - -<p>Screw, the third selector of the team, a player from Cooper's House, -sighed and cast his eye over the team-list, which, scribbled hastily -in pencil lay on the study table before them. "This is an inclusive -team—not an exclusive," he remarked, tapping his teeth with his -pencil. "What about Faraday—is he worth his place?"</p> - -<p>Silver considered. "Well," he answered, at length, "that fellow's a bit -of a puzzle. One match he's a rattling good player, and the next he's -a hopeless duffer. I suppose, though, he'd better go in. He's a good -sort."</p> - -<p>"Not that we want them because they're good sorts," said Screw sharply. -"I've more than one decent bat over in Cooper's, and only I happen to -have seen Faraday—"</p> - -<p>"Oh, there's no question, when he's in top form," said Martin. "Look -here, we've got the thing practically settled. What about drafting that -notice out and getting it on the board? Turn the blighters out for -practice—we've simply got to make some sort of a show."</p> - -<p>When the Saturday appointed for the match came round, the show that the -Deepwater fellows made was, as Silver said, "rather contemptible."</p> - -<p>The Windsor team, electing to go to the wickets, knocked up a breezy -276—then came the great debacle. The School, despite its strenuous -efforts, scraped together a mere 95.</p> - -<p>"If only we'd topped the century!" groaned Billy Faraday, at the end of -the first day's play, as it was a two days' match. "It mightn't have -looked so bad, then. But now—!"</p> - -<p>"We've got to pull up—that's the only thing," came the answer of -Martin, across the luncheon-table. "Slog for all we're worth when we -get in next time—and chance it. But, first of all, we'll have to shake -up our dreadfully crook bowling. Of all the feeble lobs, those of -Screw's were the feeblest and the lobbiest I ever saw."</p> - -<p>"Here," protested Screw. "Here, I say—"</p> - -<p>"Don't argue, Screwdriver, old boy! You know you were just absolutely -off—"</p> - -<p>"Well, you needn't—"</p> - -<p>"No, but I choose to. I want to wake you up—to rouse you into -something remotely resembling form! Mind, you're not the only one. I -was worse myself. Only it's never any good relying on me."</p> - -<p>"Rats," said Screw politely. He knew very well that when Martin assumed -this flippant mood he was liable to do damage to someone or something. -When Martin declared that it was no use to rely on him he meant that he -was out to perform wonders. But as he led his team out into the field -next day and gave the ball to Screw for the opening over of the second -innings, his dogged chin was stuck out defiantly.</p> - -<p>"Now, Screwdriver! This is a ball—for bowling with, not for serving up -to the batsmen in suitable form for boundary hits. See whether you can -hit the wicket. The wicket's the three little sticks with bits of wood -called bails—"</p> - -<p>"Gimme the ball," said Screw sharply; and Martin looked to see how the -first ball of the innings would turn out.</p> - -<p>Screw, with his mettle roused by Martin's chaff, took a short run and -fired down a perfectly horrible delivery, that whizzed off the pitch -and went a foot over the batsman's head. The next ball the batsman -fumbled, and jerked out to cover. Martin watched for the next ball....</p> - -<p>Then he gasped, and uttered a short exclamation of delight. The third -ball had flicked the middle stump clean out of the ground!</p> - -<p>"That's the stuff, Screwdriver! Up guards, and at 'em."</p> - -<p>The next batsman took his stand with respectful attitude. The man who -had just been dismissed was one of their star players, and the manner -of his downfall was not altogether encouraging. Still—</p> - -<p>He played his first couple of strokes very cautiously, then, when the -last ball of the over was delivered, jumped out and smashed it to the -boundary, four feet over the head of long-on. It was a great drive, and -the town supporters yelled with pleasure.</p> - -<p>Soon the home team were playing steadily, and had almost forgotten -their inauspicious start. Confidence grew; there came out one Swan, -a mighty thumper, who treated the bowling with arrogance. He was a -big fellow, with the muscles of a giant, and the way he banged the -unfortunate leather in the first over he received was horrible to -behold.</p> - -<p>The comments, audibly hurled from the onlookers, were not calculated -to set the School team at their ease. When Screw went on to bowl there -were alarming groans, for the luckless Cooper's House fellow, since his -initial success, had descended rapidly from good bowling to mediocre, -and from mediocre to shocking.</p> - -<p>Martin's jaw projected more than ever, and he persisted with his -bowling changes, but it was evident that he was getting no good out of -them. About the only man in the team who hadn't bowled was Faraday, and -when the skipper called him over he accepted the ball with no small -qualms.</p> - -<p>"I'm no Gregory, you know," said Billy deprecatingly.</p> - -<p>"No matter—surely you're as good as any of the other chumps!" said -Martin.</p> - -<p>"A desperate move," commented Billy, walking back to begin his run.</p> - -<p>He sent his first few balls so disgracefully wide as to evoke a storm -of jeers from the town supporters, who, it must be confessed, had no -scruples of sportsmanship to hold them in check.</p> - -<p>With Billy, this sort of treatment meant that he would really wake -up and show what he was made of. He raged inwardly, but he seemed -perfectly calm as he strolled back from the crease, his leisurely gait -drawing more comment from the crowd.</p> - -<p>"What price Algernon?"</p> - -<p>"Look out—he's going to bowl!"</p> - -<p>"Don't hurry—all day yet!"</p> - -<p>Billy was one of those fellows who are seldom disconcerted by chaff -such as that. But he was stung; and showed it by the deadly intent -he put into his next ball, which hissed furiously for the wicket in -dismaying fashion. But the leviathan of the Windsor team whirled his -bat and smote the ball generously.</p> - -<p>Mid-on was in two minds about the ball. It was coming to him very fast, -and would probably hurt severely if he stopped it. On the other hand, -it was a catch—of a sort. He had not decided whether to try for it or -leave it—which is a detestable state of mind for any fieldsman—when -it was upon him. He made a belated, miserable attempt—and missed by -feet.</p> - -<p>Instantly the scorn of the townsmen was poured out upon him.</p> - -<p>"Butter-fingers!"</p> - -<p>"Get a bag!"</p> - -<p>"Mind you don't get hurt, Percy!" piped an impudent treble, and mid-on -blushed to the roots of his hair.</p> - -<p>"The scugs!" muttered Billy savagely. He was feeling just about fed-up -with the whole business, and the total lack of sportsmanship on the -part of the crowd annoyed him intensely. At the same time, he showed no -signs, but merely put all he knew into his bowling.</p> - -<p>He sent along a fine delivery with his very next ball—and almost -fainted with astonishment. The slogger, Swan, had almost missed the -ball—and it was tipped fairly into the hands of Screw at short-leg. -Screw held the ball and remained staring at it as if hypnotized. Swan -opened his mouth, shut it abruptly, and stalked off the field.</p> - -<p>"Good man!" yelled Martin. The crowd was silent, for they had been -enjoying the slogging of Swan, and this fluke catch was not a -satisfying way of getting a man out.</p> - -<p>As for Billy, his determination was doubled. He got the next man, to -his own intense surprise, before he was really set; and the score was -beginning to assume a reasonable aspect—four men for thirty-nine runs.</p> - -<p>Martin's hopes of victory began to soar, and the amazing Billy, in -successive overs, whipped over two wickets for eight runs.</p> - -<p>"Where on earth have you been living, all this time," demanded Martin -of Billy, during a change-over. "Talk about hiding your giddy light -under a bushel! Demon bowler, eh? Why, you'd give Spofforth fits! Keep -it up, old chap, and I'll stand you the best feed you ever clapped eyes -on."</p> - -<p>Billy grinned. "This is my day out," he said in reply. As a matter of -fact, he had become worked up by the treatment of the School by the -onlookers, and the desperate state of the match. It was his way, in -matters of pressing importance, to rise to the occasion; and no one -could gain-say that he was doing so now. Martin put him on again.</p> - -<p>When Windsor went out, in their second innings, for a mere fifty-two -runs, the spectators could hardly credit their eyes. Why, they had -expected a rattling fine inning from the first five men, and then -a "declaration." This was most unusual! After all, there might be -something left in the School side yet—it would all depend upon how -they would bat.</p> - -<p>It was early evident that the school were out to win the match by -dogged run-getting. Martin and Silver played a careful partnership, -taking no chances, until Silver obtained the confidence which he had so -disastrously lacked in the first innings.</p> - -<p>Once there, really "set," Silver looked round and began to play a -faster and more open game. The Windsor team were sent scurrying all -over the field, chasing the leather; and the score of Deepwater College -rose notch by notch.</p> - -<p>All the same, there was a considerable discrepancy still between the -scores, and both sides were now striving with all their skill for a -win. Doggedly as the School batted, sneaking every run that could -possibly be sneaked, the Windsor team battered with an equal doggedness -at their defences.</p> - -<p>No longer, now, did the derisive comments come from the crowd. The -finish had the appearance of being exciting—very much so; and -flippancy was forgotten. Instead, roars of cheering greeted especially -adroit moves from either side; any partisanship previously allowed to -show was now lost in the expectation of a hard-fought finish.</p> - -<p>Martin went out, with a useful score, and Screw came in. Screw was, -generally speaking a rather weak sort of bowler, but as a batsman, the -only word that aptly describes him is "furious." There was method in -his dashing, wild-seeming attack, though; and his lively innings for -thirty runs tickled the crowd immensely. He received an ovation from -the town's supporters, and grinned happily.</p> - -<p>"They didn't care for my bowling," he remarked to Billy Faraday, "but -my innings seemed to please them."</p> - -<p>"Rather! I say, isn't old Silver knocking up a score? He's sixty-four -now, and once he's set he's liable to stay there for ever."</p> - -<p>"That's Silver's way. It wouldn't surprise me to see him rake in a -century. Now he's in the mood, and has his eye in, the bowlers can't -shift him!"</p> - -<p>"And if we've any sort of luck—"</p> - -<p>"—we ought to win," completed Screw, with a twinkle of pleasure in his -eye. "Jove—there's another boundary; go on, Silver! Silver!"</p> - -<p>When Billy's turn came to bat, he felt distinctly nervous. He had had -such incredible luck with his bowling that it was far too much to -expect that his batting would be of the same fortunate brand.</p> - -<p>He was second-last man, and a dozen runs were yet required to win. -Martin could hardly contain himself as he watched the bowler's run -up to the crease. By luck, or skill, or both, the School had almost -pulled the fat out of the fire—and it would be tantalizing if they -were to fail now—within sight of victory.</p> - -<p>Martin held his breath as the ball was delivered. None knew better than -he that Faraday was nervous—he could see it in the batsman's stand, -his whole attitude. Martin stood and looked ... and then executed a -wild leap of excitement.</p> - -<p>"Oh, good man! Good man!"</p> - -<p>"Hit like a Trumper, sir!"</p> - -<p>It was a splendid carpet-drive to the boundary, and it clicked against -the railings with a sound that could be heard all over the field. -Martin simply gasped. If only those two men could knock up a dozen -between them, then—!</p> - -<p>"Then," he yelled, slapping Screw on the back, "then we win—we win!"</p> - -<p>Screw was equally excited, and the two of them could scarcely wait for -the ball to be bowled. That first drive had done Faraday good—immense -good. It had cooled him and steadied him. He set out in earnest to -notch those few runs necessary for victory. He played with judgment -that sent Martin into ecstasies—played with judgment that baffled the -fieldsmen, eager as they were, and ready as they were to make him pay -for the slightest mistake.</p> - -<p>"Oh, boy! That's done it!" roared the School team, as Billy lifted -the ball into the outfield, and the score of Windsor was overtaken. -The two scores stood level—dead level. The bowler looked grim, and -compressed his lips. Couldn't he somehow flatten this batsman with his -next ball: Wasn't it possible to make it a drawn game, even at this -stage?</p> - -<p>It wasn't. Billy snicked the ball past square-leg, and ran it for two.</p> - -<p>"Good-oh, the Billy-boy!"</p> - -<p>"Oh, you little pearl!" burbled Screw, almost speechless with joy.</p> - -<p>The match was won—and by more than a margin. Billy and the last man -knocked up twenty-eight runs between them, and of which Billy made -twenty. Windsor found themselves up against a most unlooked-for defeat.</p> - -<p>It was almost dark when the youngsters had changed and were ready for -the char-à -banc which would carry them back to Deepwater.</p> - -<p>"Well, we did it!" said Martin to Silver, as they sat in the vehicle. -"We did it, old boy!"</p> - -<p>"And young Faraday's come on wonderfully," returned Silver. "Where is -he, by the way? Seems to me all the others are here now. What's keeping -him?"</p> - -<p>But Billy would have found a good deal of trouble in returning to -the char-à -banc. After he had dressed, he was met at the door by a -grimy-looking youngster, who, however, said that a friend of Billy's -wished to see him.</p> - -<p>"He's an old bloke," said the youth, and Billy wondered who the dickens -it could be. Some obscure acquaintance, he imagined, who would talk rot -about how finely he had played....</p> - -<p>A motor-car was waiting in the gloom at the back of the pavilion, and -after the glare of her headlights Billy found it difficult to recognize -the man in the tonneau. He came forward questioningly.</p> - -<p>"My dear boy, how are you?" said a strange voice.</p> - -<p>"I'm afraid—" began Billy, and then gasped. For the man bent -suddenly forward and gripped him fiercely by the throat!</p> - -<p>Billy had no time to cry out, no time to call for help, even if the -surprise of the moment had permitted. The clutch on his throat was the -tightest and the strongest he had ever experienced; he was dragged -ruthlessly forward till his chin met the side of the car, and at the -same time a rag that smelt of some strange chemical was forced against -his nostrils. He tried hard not to breathe, but the breath came, and -with it giddiness—and darkness.</p> - -<p>It had been chloroform—that was the word that his whole brain shouted, -and it accompanied his nightmarish swoop into insensibility.</p> - -<p>Back in the char-à -banc his companions were becoming a trifle -impatient.</p> - -<p>"Did any of you see where Billy got to?" asked Silver.</p> - -<p>One of them knew—said that he had seen Billy speaking to the grimy -youth at the door, but had thought no more about it.</p> - -<p>"It's a funny thing—cut back and see whether he's in the -dressing-room," said Silver.</p> - -<p>But no; Faraday was not there—nor, indeed, anywhere in the -neighbourhood. The team spent a fruitless half-hour in the search, and -concluded that Billy must, for some strange reason or other, have gone -back to Deepwater alone.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps he met a friend who gave him a lift," suggested Martin. "But -it's funny he didn't let us know."</p> - -<p>"I believe Billy comes from Victoria, though," said Silver -thoughtfully. "Would a friend of his be hanging around this place? -Perhaps ... anyhow, we'll wait for a bit."</p> - -<p>They waited, but as Billy did not show up within another quarter of an -hour, they concluded that he had unaccountably gone on his own; and -they set out for the College with some misgivings, but hoping that -there was nothing wrong....</p> - -<p>But before we follow them back to Deepwater it will be well if we turn -back the hands of the clock a matter of some twelve hours, and glance -at what had been taking place there.</p> - -<p>In the first place, there had been a considerable sensation early -in the morning, when a notice went up on the Salmon's House board; a -notice that attracted a noisy, mystified, questioning crowd of juniors -and seniors alike.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p class="ph1">OYEZ! OYEZ! OYEZ!</p> - -<p>Be it known that a new publication entitled the "BUSY BEE," will be -published this day, SATURDAY, and will be on Sale at Study No. 9, -Salmon's House—Price ONE PENNY. Negotiable VALUE in the shape of -stamps, cricket-bats, chewing gum, suspension-bridges, etc., etc., will -NOT be accepted.</p> - -<p class="ph1">IMPORTANT!—No Free List.</p> - -<p>The "BUSY BEE" is a real live-wire, top-notch, rip-roaring, and -snorting good paper—you simply cannot afford to miss it!</p> - - -<p class="ph1">HOP IN NOW FOR YOUR CUT!</p> - -<p class="ph1">Magnificent Illustrations—<br /> -Astounding Articles—<br /> -Criticism that Stings—<br /> -Red-hot Revelations—<br /> -Libel by the Armful—<br /> -Look for the Pink Label!</p> - -<p class="ph1">SEP. PATCH,<br /> -Printer and Publisher.</p> - -</div> - -<p>This was the flaring notice, executed in giant capitals, and with -lavish expenditure of red and green inks, and the comment it provoked -was considerable. Curious seniors and excited fags marched in a body -to Study No. 9, and found the genial Patch, his sleeves rolled up, -standing behind an improvised counter—he had moved the study table -into the doorway. On the table stood a stack of printed papers.</p> - -<p>"What's this rot about a paper?" demanded one of the fellows.</p> - -<p>"Pay your penny, comrade," urged Patch blandly, "and see for yourself! -I thank you."</p> - -<p>Once started, the demand for papers was extensive, especially as the -purchasers evinced great interest in the contents of the <i>Busy Bee</i>. -Within a few minutes the stack on the table had diminished by half. In -all parts of the House fellows were studying the papers with amused -expressions.</p> - -<p>All at once there was a sound as of an enraged dinosaurus, and Cummles -strode angrily along the corridor.</p> - -<p>"Where's Patch?" he yelled.</p> - -<p>"Here, comrade! What do you require? Have you a spare penny? Then I -would suggest—"</p> - -<p>"Suggest be jiggered! This is what I've come about." He lugged a copy -of the <i>Busy Bee</i> out of his pocket, and held it about two inches from -Patch's nose. "See that—that!"</p> - -<p>He pointed with his finger. "That" was a reproduced photograph, -covering half a page of the paper; and it depicted that humiliating -scene on the night—now a week back—when the Cripples had been -photographed in the old Science room.</p> - -<p>The thing was horrible in its deadly distinctness. Against a dark -background the white, piteous faces of the Cripples, distorted with -sneezings, dipping into handkerchiefs, in every phase of distress, -showed as plainly as a lantern-picture.</p> - -<p>Patch looked at it and laughed with immense heartiness.</p> - -<p>"Ha, ha, ha!" he chuckled. "Yes, very funny indeed! Screamingly funny! -I'm so glad you noticed it—one of the features of the issue!"</p> - -<p>"Funny, you goggle-eyed idiot!" roared Cummles. "Funny! You call -that—" he choked, "funny?"</p> - -<p>"Why, of course! Don't you think—"</p> - -<p>"Look here," interrupted Cummles, "it's like your thundering cheek -to print that photo, and you're not going to sell any more of your -burbling papers!"</p> - -<p>"No?" queried Patch politely. "Well, well! It's a lovely day, isn't it?"</p> - -<p>"Bother the day! Look here—look here—"</p> - -<p>He was quite speechless by now, and he made a sudden dart at the pile -of papers, with the evident intention of seizing the lot.</p> - -<p>"What are you up to now, Cummles?" asked a quiet voice. It was the -voice of Fane; and the bully-killer himself stepped from the interior -of Study 9 across to the counter.</p> - -<p>"I'll soon show you what I'm up to!" said Cummles, too heated to avoid -a possible row with the youngster who had thrashed him early in the -term.</p> - -<p>"Well, I'm sorry to interfere in your amusing little games," returned -Fane evenly. "But it happens, old tomato, that we don't want you in -here. Hook it!"</p> - -<p>"Hook it?" repeated Cummles furiously.</p> - -<p>"Yes—hook it, scoot, buzz off, vamoose!"</p> - -<p>"And mind the step," added Patch thoughtfully.</p> - -<p>Cummles gave a sort of howl. He dived forward, seeking to upset -the counter by lifting a table-leg; but Fane, vaulting over the -obstruction, landed heavily on his back and bowled him over with no -ceremony at all.</p> - -<p>"Ow! Oof!" howled the bully. "Gerroff! Lemme get up!"</p> - -<p>"Dear me—I didn't notice you there," said Fane sweetly. "Dropped -something?"</p> - -<p>Cummles, his face as black as thunder, jumped up and faced his -tormentor in a furious rage. He drew back his right arm, as if to swing -for the other's face.... Fane eyed him calmly.</p> - -<p>At last, "All right—we'll see!" fumed the bully with sharp realization -that he did not care to come to blows with the bully-killer. Those -small, hard, knuckly fists of Fane's were too damaging to be rashly -invited. "We'll see!"</p> - -<p>And Cummles made the best of a bad scene by striding off without -another glance at anyone.</p> - -<p>The <i>Busy Bee</i> had made a sensation, there was no doubt. The reproduced -photograph of the Cripples, labelled "The Martyrs' Meeting: Cummles -and Co., and their Ju-Ju," together with the satirical article that -accompanied it, was a journalistic "boom" of the first water. And -Cummles and Co. raged impotently. They could not prevent the sale of -the <i>Busy Bee</i>, and the whole school was presently laughing at them.</p> - -<p>Having sold all the copies that had been printed, Patch and the others -set about their amusement for the day, which the cheerful Septimus -intended to celebrate in a way all his own.</p> - -<p>He had persuaded Jack to give him a hand with one of his inventions, -and Jack, having nothing in particular to do, had consented.</p> - -<p>All that afternoon Jack slaved in the workshop, surrounded by levers -and wheels, steel bars and cranks. On his glumly remarking that <i>they</i> -were the two biggest cranks, Septimus cheerfully replied, "Speak for -yourself, old Sport. And when I've sold this invention for a million, -I'll remember that the ox was worthy of his hire."</p> - -<p>Jack groaned.</p> - -<p>It was not until the cricketing team had returned that they came back -to the house. Arrived there, Jack learned that Billy Faraday had not -come back with the others.</p> - -<p>"No," he told Silver, "he's not been back, I'm pretty sure. I wonder—"</p> - -<p>He bit his lip and frowned. Was it altogether possible that Billy had -fallen foul of Lazare and his gang? It seemed a trifle ridiculous, but—</p> - -<p>Just then a fag entered the room, carrying a letter in his hand.</p> - -<p>"For you, Symonds," he said.</p> - -<p>"Ha!" said Jack. "This is probably from Billy, and will explain. How -did you come by it, youngster?"</p> - -<p>"A fellow on a bicycle was passing the gate, and he gave it to me. Said -it was for you, and I brought it along."</p> - -<p>"Oh, thanks. You can cut now." He looked at the address—his name, in -pencil. Then he ripped the envelope open. He pulled out a thin sheet -of paper, like a leaf from a pocket-book. He looked on it with growing -amazement, that was replaced by an expression of horror.</p> - -<p>"Jove—they've got him!" he said, hoarsely.</p> - -<p>"Got him?" repeated Silver. "What do you mean?"</p> - -<p>For answer, Jack passed over the sheet of paper.</p> - -<p>"Faraday is held a prisoner," it ran, "and says the Black Star is -with you. Keep this to yourself, and meet me, with the Star to-morrow -night, nine o'clock, at Day's Corner. Attempt no treachery, or it -will be the worse for your friend—and yourself. It is the only way. -Your failure to turn up as stated or any trickery will be the end of -Faraday.—<span class="smcap">Lazare.</span>"</p> - -<p>"Whew! Is this a joke?" asked Silver. "And who the dickens is Lazare?"</p> - -<p>But Jack did not answer him. He stared at Silver as if he were not -there, and his face had gone perfectly white.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVII" id="CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII</a></h2> - -<h3>HUE AND CRY</h3> - - -<p>"Old fellow!" burst out Silver, clutching Jack by the arm; "you look as -if you'd seen a ghost! What in the world's all this rot? You don't mean -to say—"</p> - -<p>"Mean to say!" cried Jack, suddenly coming to life. "Look here, -Silver—I'll tell you the truth. This letter's from a couple of -low-down crooks who've got hold of Billy some way or other, and if we -don't look out he'll be—"</p> - -<p>"You mean he's been kidnapped?"</p> - -<p>"Kidnapped—yes. Come along to our study, old chap, and we'll see what -we can think out. I tell you, it's an ugly hole, and I'm a good bit -scared!"</p> - -<p>Silver followed Jack to Study No. 9, where Fane and Patch were already -ensconced. The ominous note from Lazare was passed around, and the four -sat down together to consider what would be their course of action. -Silver, of course, wanted to know a great many things all at once, but -he got, at least, an inkling of the ill-fated Black Star and what had -already happened during that memorable term.</p> - -<p>"Well, comrades," said Patch, "we've just got to do something! I've -been thinking. First of all, we go to the Head, and make a confession -of everything we know. Then, we'll have to get Doctor Daw arrested—he -thinks we haven't got anything against him, but we know enough to get -him hooked for conspiracy! That should put him out of the road. Then—"</p> - -<p>He paused and considered.</p> - -<p>Jack remembered something. "Oh, I've got another stunt that may be of -use! You know that cave on Dog-face? I've always thought that that's -where Humbolt was hiding—and probably Lazare as well. Now, if that's -so, then we ought to find Billy there."</p> - -<p>"Good for you, Jack!" cried Patch. "It should be worth trying, at any -rate. We could sneak over and hold the beggars up—nab them. That would -just settle things handsomely, but I don't know whether we'd be able—"</p> - -<p>"Wouldn't we?" demanded Fane, fiercely. "If Billy's there, on Dog-face, -I don't see any reason why we shouldn't row over and get him back!"</p> - -<p>"Humbolt's got a gun, and he might use it."</p> - -<p>"No matter. There's Billy's pistol here, and we'd have everything -in our favour. We could creep in on the beggars late at night, when -they're asleep—!"</p> - -<p>"Well, if boldness counts for anything, the scheme ought to be a good -one. But—"</p> - -<p>"Another thing is, if we don't do that, what on earth are we going to -do? If Jack calmly hands over the Star, we've no guarantee that Billy's -going to be let go free again! With giddy criminals like Lazare and -that other fellow, goodness knows what might happen. Why, they might -even shut Billy's mouth by—well, throwing him into the bay—anything.</p> - -<p>"If we try to nab the chap when he meets Jack, he'd probably smell a -rat, and do what he says! Or put a bullet into Jack—I wouldn't trust -the beggars a foot, and that's a fact! The only way is to hop into them -when they're not looking; and the trip to Dog-face looks good to me."</p> - -<p>Patch considered, rubbing his chin with his forefinger. He took off his -spectacles and polished them.</p> - -<p>Then, "It's a risk," he said. "But, now you put it that way, I reckon -we can't do anything else! If we collar Billy and get away with him, -then the other fellows could wait till afterwards, see? The police -could be put on their track, and, depend upon it, they'd be grabbed -sooner or later. But once we've got Billy safe, we can tell them to go -and eat coke!"</p> - -<p>"Of course we could; we'd have the whip hand over them. My opinion -is—make the trip to Dog-face now—or very soon—and tell the Head -nothing about it."</p> - -<p>"Why not?"</p> - -<p>"Well, simply because, if we tell the Head, he won't let us go."</p> - -<p>Patch seemed to ponder this statement for a minute. "Yes," he said -at last, "that's true enough. The Head would forbid it, and get some -blundering bobby to take the job on. Look here—who will go?"</p> - -<p>"The lot of us," said Jack decisively. "I suppose Silver's on, aren't -you?"</p> - -<p>"Sure thing," said Silver quietly. "We can get a skiff out of the -sheds. I have the key—and sneak out along the edge of the bay. It -wouldn't do if we were to strike out boldly for Dog-face! We'd be -spotted pretty quickly. But what are our plans?"</p> - -<p>"We'll see, comrade. First of all, we'll have to reconnoitre. Then -we'll make sure of our attack. I've got an idea—we won't go until -about two o'clock in the morning. If they've got a watch out at that -time, then all I can say is, they're pretty cautious!"</p> - -<p>And so, finally, it was arranged. The conspirators went to bed early -that night—and they awoke early the next morning. At five minutes past -one, to be precise, the little band of four cautiously left the school -grounds and presently came to the river, where they launched a skiff -on the softly-lapping water.</p> - -<p>It was an adventure that was as wine to the spirit of Jack Symonds and -his pals. They were strung to a high pitch of keenness, by the thought -of Billy Faraday and what was happening to him; and if there was a -trace of nervousness, the darkness of the night and the danger of the -venture might have excused it.</p> - -<p>Out they rowed into the bay, hugging the shore closely, as they turned -in the direction of Dog-face. The skiff crept along almost without -sound; there was the ruffle of parted waters, and the subdued grumbling -of the oars in the row-locks. Despite this, they made progress; and -soon the black bulk of Dog-face lay blotted against the stars.</p> - -<p>"Softly now," said Jack Symonds. "Quit rowing—we'll drift there. The -tide is just right, fortunately. Easy."</p> - -<p>In breathless silence the skiff drifted down on Dog-face. There was -much starlight, and there was no knowing whether they were being -observed or not. At any moment there might ring out a challenge, or -perhaps they might be fired upon, and no questions asked. It was a -nerve-testing time.</p> - -<p>Finally, the keel grated on shingle; the slight sound was swallowed up -in the wash of tiny waves on Dog-face. Patch leapt out, and after a -minute or so of whispering it was decided to leave Silver in the boat, -ready to push her out and pull for the College. The boat was backed -into the beach again so that her stern rested lightly on the shingle; -Silver, paddling softly, kept her nose pointed away from the shore.</p> - -<p>Then, the three others stole quietly away. Nothing was left to chance; -they took ten minutes to approach the entrance to the cave, using the -utmost caution, striving to make only the most infinitesimal sounds.</p> - -<p>At the mouth they listened for a long, long time; but they could hear -nothing.</p> - -<p>"We'll just have to chance it," Patch whispered in Jack's ear. "We'll -have to go right in. You've got the pistol—let me take the torch and -go first. You be ready to let fly if anything happens." Fane gripping a -cricket-stump in the manner of a club, brought up the rear.</p> - -<p>It needed a fine nerve to enter that noisome cave, at dead of night, -and not knowing what dangers attended the act. But the three pals did -not hesitate at all. They slipped inside; all was perfectly quiet.</p> - -<p>It suddenly occurred to Patch that perhaps they had been wrong from -the outset—perhaps their whole supposition was at fault. That would -account for the silence—there was nobody here.</p> - -<p>"Soon settle that," he murmured. "Ready, Jack?"</p> - -<p>"You bet." Jack's voice came back in an unfaltering whisper. He gripped -the revolver tightly; he could not deny that it lent him confidence.</p> - -<p>Patch pressed over the switch of the electric torch, and swept the cave -with light. The place was bare of any occupant. Only, in one corner, -what looked like a bundle of rags lay humped up; and Patch tiptoed -across.</p> - -<p>"Billy!" he said softly. And it was indeed Billy himself. They shook -him by the shoulder, heartily glad that he was alive and soon to be at -liberty.</p> - -<p>He opened his eyes, and stared for a moment without comprehension. -Then, "You chaps!" he said. "This is great! I never thought—here, cut -off these things."</p> - -<p>They snicked the cords that bound, and he stood up, rubbing his cramped -limbs, and shaking them all by the hand.</p> - -<p>"Jingo, but you're dinkum pals," he said. "I thought they had us -beaten, but—"</p> - -<p>"Who is it?" asked Patch. "Lazare and Humbolt?"</p> - -<p>Billy nodded. "Yes, the brutes! They tried torturing me, and they got -the information they wanted—I said that Jack had the Star. I had -to—they made me."</p> - -<p>Billy smiled a wry sort of smile. "They've got a little motor-launch, -too, and I suppose they thought I was safe enough here. But they may -be back at any moment. We'd better clear."</p> - -<p>"True for you," said Jack; and the four of them got out of the cave -into the faint starlight. "Phew! I can't say that the merry old cave is -exactly—"</p> - -<p>There was a sudden blaze of light, and he stopped short.</p> - -<p>"You will put your hands up, and drop that gun," said a strange voice. -"Look sharp!"</p> - -<p>Under the menace of a heavy revolver Jack had to drop his own weapon. -He almost groaned with despair. Just at the moment of their triumph, -Humbolt had returned, and, what was worse, he had already got the upper -hand.</p> - -<p>Helpless, the little quartette of schoolboys faced the grinning Tiger, -who was clearly enjoying his victory to the full.</p> - -<p>"Thought you were clever, eh?" asked Tiger, in a sneering voice. -"You're a lot of fools, that's all, and you've put your foot in it this -time, let me tell you." He turned to Billy. "Well, my young spark, is -the chap that hid the Star among this lot?"</p> - -<p>"He is," returned Jack quietly. "Look here, my good fellow, we're sick -and tired of hanging on to the rotten old Star. You've got us beaten -now, haven't you? If I promise to bring the Star right back with me, -you won't harm me or my friends here?"</p> - -<p>"No," said Tiger, shortly. "Provided you stick to your part of the -bargain."</p> - -<p>Jack was very much at his ease by now, but he was thinking with -lightning rapidity, and trying to remember something that the old -gentleman had told him on the night of the boxing in Windsor about this -very Humbolt. Ah, he had it!</p> - -<p>"Yes," he pursued, shivering, "this place gives me the creeps, and I -wish we'd never had anything to do with the Star. Why, we nearly got -bitten by a snake coming up here—"</p> - -<p>"What!" said Humbolt, sharply.</p> - -<p>"Yes, a great big black snake, and it ran into that crack you're -standing on now. A whopper, it was—"</p> - -<p>Jack had staked everything on that throw. He had remembered in time -what he had been told about "Jim Camp's peculiar horror of snakes," and -desperately he brought the subject into the conversation.</p> - -<p>It was amazingly successful. At the first mention of snakes, Humbolt -had looked distinctly uneasy. But when Jack added that the reptile had -sought refuge in the ground at his feet, the outwitted man could not -resist a long, searching glance at the fissure referred to.</p> - -<p>It was his undoing. Jack Symonds was ready; and, like some splendid -machine, touched off in an instant, he sprang through the air and -crashed heavily upon Humbolt.</p> - -<p>Taken by surprise, Tiger's grip upon his weapon naturally relaxed, and -the impact sent it flying a dozen feet away. But he was too strong, -too solid, to go to the earth. He stood and wrestled furiously. Jack -grabbed the man's arms and tried to prevent him from getting in a blow, -for he had seen the effect of Humbolt's hitting, and had no desire to -be hit himself.</p> - -<p>The man was very strong, a very pocket Hercules. And Jack, athletic as -he was, felt himself gradually being overmastered. The thick, short -arms struggled in his hold; one got free, and Jack felt it drawn back, -and waited, heart in mouth, for the sickening thump—but it never came.</p> - -<p>Instead, Humbolt staggered, gave a groan, and Jack saw that he was -falling. Hastily he glanced up and saw Fane surveying his cricket-stump -ruefully.</p> - -<p>"I'm sorry I hit from behind," the latter said, "but the beggar was out -to spifflicate you. I banged him on the head."</p> - -<p>"Good man—don't apologize," said Jack, with immense cheerfulness. -"Come on—cut!"</p> - -<p>Even as Jack jumped away, Humbolt, dazed as he was, made a blind grab -at his legs. The man's tenacity was admirable; he was possessed of the -instincts of a bulldog-ant. And, seeing his late captives, escaping, -he roared out at the full pitch of his lungs.</p> - -<p>"Lazare! Quick! Help! Lazare!"</p> - -<p>So Lazare was somewhere handy, then! Or was it only a bluff? Bluff or -not, they raced madly for the skiff, calling out to Silver as they ran; -and after a brief, rocky journey, came upon the shingle-beach and the -boat.</p> - -<p>Everything worked with silken smoothness. The four boys packed into the -boat, taking an oar each, while Patch made ready to steer.</p> - -<p>"Six good ones," said Silver; and Jack, with the best oar in Deepwater -College beside him, was strangely thrilled. He put lots of weight and -pull into those six strokes, and the skiff shot out from under the -black shadow of Dog-face across the smooth, tinkling water. A breath of -sea-breeze fanned their faces.</p> - -<p>"We've done them!" said Jack, delightedly. "After all—and I thought -we'd regularly slipped when Humbolt caught us!"</p> - -<p>"Don't be so sure," said Patch. "Listen."</p> - -<p>"What?"</p> - -<p>The next moment his question was answered. There came the muffled -pop-pop-popping of a motor-boat exhaust, and a white speck suddenly -shot into view, around one of the capes of Dog-face Island!</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII" id="CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII</a></h2> - -<h3>CONCLUSION</h3> - - -<p>"Jingo!" said Jack, excitedly; "they're after us—I can hear them! Buck -up, you fellows—we'll spurt and beat 'em yet."</p> - -<p>In Jack and Silver the escaping skiff carried perhaps the best oarsmen -at Deepwater College; and they now bent to their task with a will, and -Fane and Billy Faraday, who were rowing in the bows, took example from -their pals.</p> - -<p>The skiff shot ahead; the ripple of water from the bow changed into -a rushing, steady note. The sea was calm as a millpond, and now that -they were out into the bay, the sound of the pursuing motor-boat came -staccato and clear.</p> - -<p>There was no pretence now of hugging the shore; they were making a -bee-line for the College jetty. But they were visible to the men on -board the motor-boat; and, fast though they were going, there was no -question as to which craft showed the superior speed. The white speck -of the power launch grew in size until it was almost distinct in the -starlight.</p> - -<p>Lazare, or Humbolt, or perhaps both of them, were shouting—but the -grimly-determined schoolboys paid no heed. As if they intended to pull -up! But the miscreants in the launch had another argument—and a more -forcible one.</p> - -<p>There came the clear report of a revolver, surprisingly minute in the -enormous space of the bay, and a bullet ricochetted from the surface -not eight feet from the skiff.</p> - -<p>"I say—" began Billy.</p> - -<p>"Don't say anything," said Patch tersely. "Two can play at that game, -Humbolt! Give me that pistol, Jack."</p> - -<p>"What are you going to do?" asked Billy, straining at his oar.</p> - -<p>Patch did not reply. He turned round, and waited until a red flash and -a delayed explosion advertised another shot. Then he lifted his pistol -carefully, and fired two shots in rapid succession at the pursuing -craft.</p> - -<p>Some sort of a result was instantly perceptible. There came a distinct -thump! and a snarling sort of noise that ended rather abruptly. -Followed by three shots from Humbolt in quick time, all of which were -without effect, although they whistled unpleasantly close.</p> - -<p>"Pull!" sang out Patch. "Pull like the dickens! I believe I've -stonkered their engine. Listen—she's misfiring like anything!"</p> - -<p>Indeed, the explosions of the petrol launch were now decidedly -irregular—and after a while they ceased altogether.</p> - -<p>"Done them!" panted Jack. "Diddled the beggars again! Patch, you ought -to get a King's Prize for that shot!"</p> - -<p>Triumphantly the Deepwater College fellows pulled at their oars, and -there was still no sound from the rival boat. After an interval the -engine took up its beat again—but slowly and uncertainly, as if it -were likely to break down at any moment.</p> - -<p>"They're going slow!" announced Patch. "We can dish them at this rate. -Isn't that the Coll. jetty across there? By jove, there's a light—it -must be the Head! Pull up, my giddy buccaneers!"</p> - -<p>Falling to the oars with a will, the boat's crew soon arrived at the -jetty. They listened there for any sound of the petrol launch's engine; -but the immense bay was quite still.</p> - -<p>"They've broken down," said Fane, "or else they've turned back, and -we can't hear them. What price capturing the beggars! Get hold of Mr. -Glenister, and a few hefty fellows out of the Sixth, and we could grab -them."</p> - -<p>"If so, we mustn't lose any time," said Patch. "Come along, you -fellows!"</p> - -<p>They raced back to the College, and hurried in through a window that -they had conveniently left open.</p> - -<p>There they had the greatest surprise of the night. They were moving -along the masters' corridor, on their way to the Head's study, when -Doctor Daw's door opened, and the accomplice of Lazare himself -appeared. He was carrying a handbag, and wore an overcoat—his other -attire was all for travelling.</p> - -<p>Lightning comprehension burst on Jack's brain.</p> - -<p>"You third-rate scoundrel!" he said. "So you're getting out of it, are -you?"</p> - -<p>"Getting out of what?" snarled Daw, obviously affrighted by the -coincidence of the boy's arrival and his departure.</p> - -<p>"You know," returned Jack grimly. "You'd better stay, though, because -the game's up."</p> - -<p>"I don't know what you mean!" ground out Daw savagely. "Let me pass, -you young cubs, or I'll find a way to make you!"</p> - -<p>And he lifted his arm threateningly. It was a fatal move. Young Fane, -the bully-killer, had a habit of jumping through the air and collaring -people who thus threatened him. He jumped now, and his healthy weight, -slung around in the vicinity of Daw's neck, hurled the master to the -floor with a resounding crash. Jack, only a whit slower than his pal, -jumped too, and the both of them held the fellow pinned to the floor.</p> - -<p>But Daw was really desperate. What had given him the alarm—had sent -him out of his room, in escape, at this hour—was not obvious. But -what was obvious was that he was madly anxious to get away. He fought -like two men, and the two powerful boys had their work cut out to -secure him. Once he planted a fist in Jack's face with tremendous -force, and Fane alone kept up the struggle.</p> - -<p>But Billy and Silver were at hand, and, recovering from their -indecision, they too hurled themselves upon the villain.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the Head's room was opened, and the Head, in dressing-gown and -carrying a light, appeared on the scene. He saw five persons struggling -in an inextricable knot upon his floor, and for the moment he did not -know what to think. His first thought was that these were burglars; -then he recognized his own boys.</p> - -<p>"Patch! Silver!" he ejaculated. "What is this disgraceful conduct? What -do you mean by being out of—"</p> - -<p>At that moment Fane secured an expert wrestling hold upon the -struggling Daw, and that person, recognizing defeat, burst into a -torrent of quite unprintable profanity.</p> - -<p>"My goodness!" exclaimed the Head, his ears assaulted by the outburst. -"Daw—is that you? And what is the meaning of this?"</p> - -<p>"I'll tell you what it means," said Jack trenchantly. "This man here is -in league with a couple of kidnappers and thieves, and we're holding -him for inspection. You'd better telephone to the police, sir. His -friends are out on the bay with a couple of revolvers and a damaged -motor-boat."</p> - -<p>"It's a lie," roared Daw, accompanying the words with a few vile -adjectives.</p> - -<p>"That will do, Daw," said the Head coldly. "There is no need to swear -like that—even if this charge is a false one. Surely you can make some -explanation. I cannot believe that you are—"</p> - -<p>"Sir," said Jack boldly, "I make no charge I cannot support some way -or other. This man is dangerous, and I give you my word of honour that -he should be tied up pending explanation. He must not be allowed to -escape."</p> - -<p>There was something in the earnestness of the boy's tone that had an -effect upon the Head. Daw, writhing and cursing ineffectually, was not -a sight calculated to inspire one with a sense of his innocence. Patch -settled the question by producing the revolver and holding it to Daw's -head, while the others bound his hands and feet.</p> - -<p>"This must be explained," said the Head grimly. His eyebrows had gone -up at the sight of the revolver, but its effect had been to lend colour -to a somewhat fantastic story. "I was seeking a little relaxation," he -explained, "by a quiet hour of reading, being unable to sleep. I am -interrupted—but come into my study."</p> - -<p>In the study, accordingly, the full story was told, and the Head was -vastly surprised. Jack withheld nothing—even describing the various -nocturnal excursions that the Star had necessitated. The adventure of -the Indian hawker and the substitution of a dummy for Billy in the -Upper Fifth class, however, he deemed it advisable to suppress.</p> - -<p>"You have been very frank, my boy," said the Head approvingly, "and I -quite believe your story. It is a thing that I never imagined would -happen at Deepwater—it seems, you must admit, utterly far-fetched. -No doubt you would have been well advised to have made a confidant of -myself or one of your masters at an earlier stage, but I am glad that -everything has turned out for the best. The only thing that remains is -the apprehension of those two criminals on the boat."</p> - -<p>"It is nearly daylight, sir," said Patch. "If you were to ring up the -police-station at Windsor, no doubt the police could prevent the escape -of the men!"</p> - -<p>"I shall do so, and at once," said the Head. "It is highly necessary -that they should be taken. And as for Redisham of the Sixth, I must -find occasion to speak severely to him. In my opinion he is more -misguided than depraved, and a word at this stage will mean all the -difference for him."</p> - -<p>"I think he could be let off lightly, sir," said Billy. "He's not a bad -fellow at heart, but I fancy Daw had some hold over him."</p> - -<p>"Whatever that hold may have been," said the Head gravely, "I imagine -that it will be valueless in the near future. The authorities will be -able to see to that. And now I must ring the police-station."</p> - -<p>He did so, and with the result that, promptly advised of the facts, the -police secured their men the next day, and were greatly pleased to have -caught Lazare in particular. The man had been wanted for years, but had -always had just that skill to keep clear of their meshes.</p> - -<p>Billy put his case in the hands of a lawyer, and the three associates -were convicted—and in one of His Majesty's prisons were kept from -mischief for a period of many years.</p> - -<p>The four friends in Study 9 were not displeased that the exciting -events of the term had now come to a definite stop. As Billy remarked, -holding the flashing, sparkling Star in his hand, "It was pretty fierce -while it lasted, but the pace was a killer! I'm glad it's all over, -real glad. Although it's served to give me three of the best pals a -fellow ever had.... Yes, chaps, it's all over—the excitement's done. -And the Black Star will be in Mason's hands before we return for next -term."</p> - - -<p>The Eagle Press, Ltd., Allen Street, Waterloo.</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLACK STAR ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ -concept and trademark. 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