While they were shrieking with laughter at his discomfiture Plunger shouted above it all:
"Go on—go on! As you have gone so far, you'd better go on a bit farther. Ah, you're not quite so ready with your reading now, Mr. Leveson."
The laughter suddenly stopped.
"Read—read," came in a chorus.
And Leveson read: "'Dropped—somewhere near sand-pit on Cranstead Common—Honour of the Fifth. When last seen, was covered by crawlers—believed to be Beetles.'"
There was an ominous silence on the part of the senior boys. The juniors tittered. Leveson screwed up the paper in his hand.
"Mind what you're doing, Leveson. That's my paper," cried Plunger. Then there was silence again, as Paul Percival entered the room.