dev—gentlemen of the College, I'm very glad to 'ear it. But what am I to tell the 'Ead?'
'Anything you jolly well please, Foxy. We aren't the criminals.'
To say that the Head was annoyed when the Sergeant appeared after dinner with the day's crime-sheet would be putting it mildly.
'Corkran, M'Turk, & Co., I see. Bounds as usual. Hullo! What the deuce is this? Suspicion of drinking. Whose charge?'
'Mr. King's, sir. I caught 'em out of bounds, sir: at least that was 'ow it looked. But there's a lot be'ind, sir.' The Sergeant was evidently troubled.
'Go on,' said the Head. 'Let us have your version.'
He and the Sergeant had dealt with each other for some seven years; while the Head knew that Mr. King's statements depended very largely on Mr. King's temper.
'I thought they were out of bounds along the cliffs. But it come out they wasn't, sir. I saw them go into Colonel Dabney's woods, and—Mr. King and Mr. Prout come along—and—the fact was, sir, we was mistook for poachers by Colonel Dabney's people—Mr. King and Mr. Prout and me. There were some words, sir, on both sides. The young gentlemen slipped 'ome somehow, and they seemed 'ighly humorous, sir. Mr. King was mistook by Colonel Dabney himself—Colonel Dabney bein' strict. Then they preferred to come straight to you, sir, on account of what—what Mr. King may 'ave said about their 'abits
