On the way they picked up Danny Chatterton, who had been talking with Leon Bentley.
“Bent is sore as bub-bub-blazes,” declared Danny. “He says Sus-Sterndale’s gettin’ to be an old wo-woman, for he lets somebub-bub-body else ru-run the eleven and ch-changes his mind about mum-making Scott’s father pup-pup-pup-pay for the fuf-football and suits. He sus-says he’d ha-ha-had to pay if he’d done it, and he thinks Sus-Sterndale ought to bub-bub-back up his threat to gug-go to Scott’s fuf-father.”
“I wouldn’t have too much to say to that fellow, Chat,” advised Dick. “You’ll be just as well off if you keep away from him.”
When the football field was reached, Renwood led them through the gate. It was already quite dark, and rapidly getting darker.
“Look there!” he said, with an outward fling of his arm.
They looked, and what they saw caused some of them to utter exclamations of astonishment, not unmingled with alarm. Before their eyes, dimly seen through the gloom, something dangled in the air. And that something very much resembled a human being, hung by the neck, with its feet lifted just clear of the ground!
“Jupiter!” exclaimed Rob Linton.
“Pwhat is it, Oi dunno?” gasped Dennis Murphy.
“A mum-mum-mum-man!” fluttered Chatterton. “Hu-hung up by the nun-neck! Oh, gug-ginger!” His teeth began to chatter and he backed away.
“It does look like a man,” admitted Water Mayfair.