Mr. Harmer and Mr. Young left the room, and the dean took his seat at the masters desk.
He was glancing over the list of subjects which the boys had done, when suddenly a voice exclaimed, “Come, Joe, hurry up!” Then there was a quiet laugh.
“What boy has dared to make that impertinent remark?” exclaimed the dean angrily.
“I will severely punish every boy, if necessary, to find out the guilty one,” said the dean.
“As you are all silent, I shall question each one of you separately, and the boy who has been guilty of this insult shall be severely punished.”
“Herbert King,” said the dean, “stand up. Did you speak, or do you know who spoke?”
“Who whistled?” exclaimed the dean. “It was one of you boys at the end of the room. Do you suppose I cannot tell where the sound comes from? Stand up, every one of you!”
As the boys rose a voice called out, “Wipe your boots!”
The dean looked at the boys in blank astonishment.
“One of you boys is trying to mock me by imitating a man’s voice. How dare you? Which boy is it? It must be one of you who were sitting on that end form. Unless you at once confess, I will send for Mr. Harmer and have you all caned.”
The dean could see that none of the boys was speaking.
The dean and all the boys looked towards the end of the room. No one was there.
“Where’s the bottle?” said the voice, and then there was a loud whistle, followed by a sneeze.
“Please, sir,” said Steve, “there’s Mr. Cottenham’s parrot on that beam. He lost it last night.”
“Oh dear! Oh dear!” said Polly, “where’s the sugar?”
Steve was right. There was the lost parrot eyeing the boys in a very knowing manner. Had the dean been anyone else than a dean he must have laughed; as it was, he smiled.
“You had better fetch Mr. Cottenham,” said the dean to Steve. “King, close the window, so that the bird cannot fly away.”
Away ran Steve as fast as he could, and in less than five minutes he was at Mr. Cottenham’s.
“If you please, sir,” he exclaimed, breathless, “your parrot is in our school-room!”
“What, Steve,” said Mr. Cottenham, “is my Polly up there? I will come back with you at once and get it.”
As they walked to the school, Steve related the amusing little scene with the dean. He could enjoy the joke now.