"What an idiotic question to ask me," retorted Baldry indignantly. "You ought to know best. Are you sure there's anybody in the shed at all?"
"I'm sure of that. And—and—I could have sworn it was Percival."
"You've made a nice mess of it."
"Well, if I have made a mess of it, I've kept you out of it," retorted Harry, beginning to feel sore at the tone taken by Baldry. "After all, Plunger and the others will be taken in a good deal more than we've been, remember. He still thinks it's you he's got a prisoner."
"Ah, yes, so he does," exclaimed Baldry, breaking into laughter again; "I'd forgotten that. When that door opens it'll be one of the best little surprise packets Plunger's ever had in his life. Hallo, here comes a lot of the Fifth fellows, and they seem making for the shed, too!"
The shadowy figures of Arbery, Parfitt, Hasluck, and a couple of others passed within a short distance of where the two boys were standing. They were conversing eagerly together.
There was silence between them for a moment; then an unearthly yell rose on the air.
"Goodness! What was that? Enough to lift your hair off, wasn't it, Moncrief?"
Harry did not answer. He was trying to pierce the darkness to see what was happening in the direction of the shed.