The Woodlanders

“Shan’t Mug or I go this time?” asked Jack Vance; “it’s rather a risky business.”

“No, I’ll go; I know now just where to hide.”

During the half-hour between tea and evening preparation Jack Vance and Mugford lingered about in the dark and deserted quadrangle, anxiously awaiting their comrade’s return. Once only was the silence broken, by Maxton chasing young “Rats” from the gymnasium into the big school, shouting, “I’ll lick you, you little villain!” but with this exception, our two friends had the place to themselves.

It was a raw, cold night; every one seemed, very naturally, to be keeping indoors, and there were no signs of any members of the secret society being abroad. Jack Vance and his companion trotted softly up and down, endeavouring to keep themselves warm. At length, when their patience was wellnigh exhausted, there was a sound of footsteps, and Diggory was descried coming through the archway leading to the playing fields.

“Well,” cried his two chums, in low, eager tones, “what have you heard?”

The answer was certainly one they had least expected,–

“Nothing.”

“Nothing! what d’you mean?”

“Why, they didn’t come; there wasn’t any meeting. I waited and waited, until I saw it was no use staying any longer; so then I gave it up as a bad job.”

“Did the note really say to-night?”

“Yes: I went down just before tea to see if it was still there, and I brought it away with me. Here, look for yourself.”

As he spoke, Diggory produced the slip of paper from his waistcoat pocket. By the light of the archway lamp it was compared with a hastily-constructed key, and the former translation was found to be correct.

The Triple Alliance had certainly for once in a way “drawn blank,” and the preparation bell putting an end to their further deliberations, they directed their steps toward the schoolroom, wondering more than ever what could be the meaning of that significant word, “To-night.”

Now, the real reason of the three friends being thus at fault in their investigations was simply this: they were exactly twenty-four hours behindhand in their attempt to unravel the mystery. The conclusion they had come to with regard to the meaning of the note was correct: a tacit understanding had existed for some time among the inner circle of the Thurstonian party that this should be the signal for a gathering of the clan; but the note, when Diggory had found it, had been lying in the impromptu post office for a day and a half, and the meeting to which it was a summons had already taken place on the previous evening.

For the reader, who is a privileged person, we intend to put back the clock, and leaving the Triple Alliance dividing their attention between attempts to discover the meaning, first of their Latin author, and secondly of the enigma formed by this perplexing single-worded epistle, we will give a short account of the gathering to which it referred.

It was while the greater number of their school-fellows were gathered in numerous little groups, whiling away the free time before preparation discussing the various rumours that were current respecting Mr. Grice’s encounters with Oaks and Allingford, that the same five conspirators assembled for another secret “confab” in the den beneath the pavilion.