The exclamation was followed by a patter of feet outside in the playground.
"Some young beggar must have been hiding away here," muttered Jarvis, "and has just bolted. Let's see after him."
"Bother it! He must have heard what we have been talking about. He may let the cat out of the bag."
"No fear," answered Roden. "Every one knows now what's going to happen, and nobody would dare to go and sneak to Chard."
"I hope it wasn't that little rascal Downing," said Brookfield uneasily, as he prepared to return to the schoolroom. "He's such a dirty young toady, always trying to curry favour with Draper or Wills; and of course if it got to their ears, it's as bad as if any one had told old Chard himself."
"Oh, there's no danger of that!" said Jarvis, as the quartet sauntered slowly across the gravel. "Young Downing has too much regard for his own skin to do a thing of that kind. He'd know too well what he might expect. Besides, there's no reason to suppose it was Downing."
"No, only it's just like one of the little wretch's sly, sneaking tricks," answered Brookfield, and so the conversation ended.
As might have been expected, those day boys to whom the project was mentioned displayed no great readiness to take part in the rebellion. Most of them had private celebrations of the Fifth at their own homes, or were invited to assist at similar undertakings at the houses of friends, and for this reason were unwilling to go out of their way to join in a spree which might be followed by serious results. Only one, an arrant duffer nicknamed "Sloper," from some supposed facial resemblance to that popular hero, volunteered to assist, and that in a manner which could scarcely be said to entail any special display of courage.
"Let me know what time it happens," he said, "and I'll come outside, and chuck squibs over the wall."
One boy alone tried to use his influence in such a manner as to prevent the revolt taking place, and he was a senior named John Oliver, who sat next in form order to the head of the school. The conspirators had not taken him into their confidence, feeling pretty certain that he would not approve of the project; but from remarks let fall by one and another, he could form a pretty shrewd guess as to what was intended.