"What's the 'realms of Creepy-crawly, Shivery-shaky' I wonder?" asked Harry, in an equally dejected tone.
"Some ditch with plenty of toads and slime about it, I expect. You needn't be anxious. We'll know soon enough!" groaned Plunger. "I wish to goodness you'd been anywhere before you let me in for this mess! Why did they ever let you loose from Gaffer Quelch's?"
"Oh, shut up, Plunger! You're tiring! After all, you wouldn't make such a bad Beetle. You can crawl a lot better than you can punt, and——Oh, oh!"
Plunger had caught him by the ear and given it a vigorous pull. Harry returned it by kicking Plunger on the shins. Having thus equalised matters, they became once more on friendly terms.
"Look here, Harry, we're both in the same boat. Supposing we don't go?"
"Then what'll happen?"
"I don't know. We shall have to chance that. They can't eat us."
"Oh, but I'm not afraid! It's not that; but—but I don't somehow like breaking my word."
"Neither do I. It's jolly awkward; yet, come to think of it, I don't see why we shouldn't."
"We promised to be true to the cause."