quence,somewhat difficult, in telling this narrative, to arr

re, from whichemerge haphazard the figures of boys--boys working, boys eating,boys playing football, boys whispering, shouting, askingquestions, banging doors, jumping on beds, and clatterin

oked cigar-stump. I can hear Glossop, feverishlyangry, bellowing at an amused class. A dozen other pictures comeback to me, but I cannot place th

channel of the story, andmust be avoided. To tell of his gradual taming, of the chaos hisadvent caused until we became able to cope with him, would be toturn thi

ldebrand Kyne. It was the ingenious gambling-game imported byOgden which was rapidly undermining the moral sense of twenty-fourinnocent English boys when it was pounced upon by Glossop. It wasOgden

tead House. Abney'spolicy of benevolent toler

ive in their proper order. I except three, howeverwhich I will call the Affair of the Str

e them singly, a

eek as a holiday. Theallowance was not liberal, and in most schools, I believe, it isincreased; but Mr Ab

me of billiardsat the local inn. Sanstead House and its neighbourhood werelacking in the fiercer metropolitan exci

up, then you took himinto the bar-parlour and bought him refreshment. He raised hisglass, said, 'To you, sir', a

nce at him told me that he was notostentatiously sober. He was lying back in a chair, with

was tilted a soft felt hat. His wiry limbs were clad in what I putdown as a mail-order suit. I could have placed him by hisappearance, if I had n

awhim pass the window, and his assertion that no crowned head shou

d, the stately barmaid, with stro

would as soon contradictthe Statue of Libe

here for I'd

should like to know. In anothe

r a good deal on my way back to the school, I did notarrive at the obvious solution. Much teaching and taking of dutyhad dulled my wits, and

remarkable activity

ned that s

n atthe big gate of the school and made my way up the drive. The driveat Sanstead House was a fine curving stretch of gravel, about

rees of the lights of thewindows, ther

be two runners,one moving with short, quick steps,

e frozen gravel, the first of the pair passed me; andas he did so, there was

ng wasimmediate. He stopped in his stride and dived int

aware of the other man approaching. Hehad apparently given up the pursuit, for he was walki

ves. Mine had been a sheltered life, into whichhitherto revolver-shots had not ente

hat I had startled theunknown dispenser of

entity as a non-combatant. I appeared to havewandered inadvertently into the midst of a private quarrel, oneparty to which--the one standing a cou

. 'I'm one of the assist

r Bu

t rich voice

te?' I

es,

ink you're doing? Have you

cter. I foundhim prowling at the back of the house ver

youcan't go shooting at people like that just because you find

ink not

s to that. He didn't behave

ir. But I was merely in

t. He went through those

rd him

have scared him

e police-station. Coul

thesuggestion, it would be better not to inform the poli

n't have men

r. I say--let them prowl. It

f thing is likely to happen

er not. He impresses meas a somewhat nervou

rkable point in the whole affair. How did White happen tohave a revolver at all? I have met many butlers who behavedunexpectedly in their s

doing with a re

hesit

o yourself, sir, if I tell yo

do you

a det

Wha

rton's man

hat the Little Nugget was unguarded? At thesame time, I could not help reflecting that, if things had beencomplex before, they had become far more so in t

stant-master astounded by the news that the butler isa detective in disguise as

t boy, Mr Burns. Naturally he is aconsiderable prize. Mr Ford would pay a large sum to

bney know wh

r to bein. You will keep it to yourself, sir? It doesn't do for it to getabout. These things have to be done quietly. It would be bad forthe school if my presence here were advertised. Th

Ifthere was one thing which I intended to bear in mind, it was the

most immediately. He was looking for a schoolfor his sister's son, and, happening to meet his businessacquaintance, Mr Elmer Ford, in London, he had been recommended toMr Abney. He made himself exceedingly pleasant. He was a breezy,genial man, who joked with Mr Abney, chaffed the boys, prodded theLittle Nugget in the ribs, to that overfed youth's discomfort,made a rollicking tour of the house,

ed that same night,