“How many is that you’ve climbed up now?” asked Rouse. “What is your average for the season?” Henry ignored him. “There’s a drain-pipe at Seymour’s,” said he, “that takes you on to a ledge, and you can walk along the ledge and look into Coles’ study.” “What did you want to look into Coles’ study for?” “I didn’t look in,” said Henry. “I listened.” He paused. Rouse was looking at him dubiously. Terence had moved from his chair and was leaning over the table. “Why couldn’t you listen at the door, then?” Henry looked at him scornfully. It seemed almost superfluous to explain that in the cinematograph world nobody listens at a door if they can climb up a pipe and listen at a window. He heaved a sigh. “Something has happened,” he said. “Until now no single fellow in the school has let us down. If the Head’s been looking for a chance to put the screw on a bit, he’s been disappointed. No one’s been caught out after the hours he laid down. No one has broken bounds. No one’s played games. The chaps have hung together. But to-night I came across Bobbie Carr creeping out of school just before seven o’clock.” “Well,” said Rouse, “what did you do?” “I stopped him and asked him where he was going, and he wouldn’t say. I jawed him a bit and told him that no matter what he was going for he wasn’t playing the game. I said he was bound to be caught, and he’d be the first one who’d let us down.” “Did he turn back?” “No,” said Henry soberly. “He shook me off and went on.” “And where do you think he’s gone?” For a moment Henry hesitated. Then he spoke up boldly. “Seeing how much I know,” said he, “I hadn’t got any doubt. It was my idea that Coles was sending him down to the town to get something to drink.” The captain of cricket and the captain of football looked at one another gravely and finally looked at Henry. “And so,” continued Henry, looking at them modestly over the tops of his glasses, “I decided to get additional information, and I climbed up the drain-pipe and listened at Coles’ window.” “Well?” said Terence. “There isn’t any doubt about it at all. Coles was in there with some of his pals and they’re drinking. Young Carr’s been sent for another bottle.” There was a brief silence. “That’s isn’t quite all,” said Henry presently. “I went back to the little gates and waited for Carr to come back. I meant to take the stuff away from him and bring it to you. But—he’s never come back. I’ve waited an hour and a half. One of two things has happened. Either he’s broken the bottle and gone back for another, or else after what I told him he’s afraid to come back. Perhaps he’s run away.” Henry concluded on a low note. He was clearly distressed. “Any day now,” said he, “Mr Nicholson might make something happen. The chaps have hung together all this time and given the Head no loophole. Now this will be found out.” It was Terence who answered first. He turned to Rouse.