"Think I care?" he roared. "Where _is_ old Chilly? Let me get at him! Chilly be--" "There he is!--downstairs--now!" hissed Pip in his ear. "Get to your cubicle and into bed, as quick as you can. I'll try to keep him down at my end; but if he comes along to you, pretend to be asleep. It's your only chance." All the time he was hustling the highly indignant Linklater towards his cubicle. Downstairs Mr. Chilford's high voice could be heard querulously announcing its owner's determination to unearth "the perpetrator of this outrage." For a moment it seemed as if Pip's determined strategy would succeed. But just at the entrance to his cubicle Linklater broke away with a sudden twist, and in a moment was flying down the dormitory again with the avowed intention of interviewing his house-master. "Where is the blighter?" he shrieked. "Lead me to him, and I'll--Pip, you cad, leave me alone! Help! rescue! cad--hrrrumph!" The last ejaculation was caused by sudden contact with his own pillow, for Pip, losing all patience, fairly picked him up in his arms, and, carrying him kicking and struggling the whole length of the dormitory, through a double rank of trembling and ecstatic fags, heaved him through the doorway of his cubicle on to his bed. "Get him into bed and sit on his head," he whispered rapidly to the two biggest boys present. "Chilly is coming upstairs now. Never mind his clothes. Quick!" His lieutenants, though they risked a heavy punishment for being found in another boy's cubicle, turned to their task with the utmost cheerfulness and vigour, while Pip raced down the dormitory to repel the invader. When that well-meaning but incompetent pedagogue entered the door Pip was preening himself upon his cubicle-bar. Mr. Chilford began at once-- "Wilmot, what is the meaning of this disgraceful disturbance? I insist upon having the names of those responsible. Do you hear? I insist, I say,--I insist!" "Disturbance, sir?" said Pip blankly. "Yes--disturbance, brawl, riot, pandemonium, boy! Who is responsible?" "What sort of disturbance was it, sir?" inquired Pip respectfully, his cast-iron features unmoved. "What sort? Are you deaf? Do you mean to say you heard nothing?" Pip reflected. "I think I did hear somebody singing, sir," he admitted at length. "Hear?" Mr. Chilford almost screamed. "I should think you did! And, what is more, I believe he was coming up to this dormitory. Who was it?" "I think it must be a mistake, sir. There is nobody singing here; you can hear that for yourself, sir."