Now, as the aforesaid Philistines play rather an Important part in the
opening chapters of our story, I propose to answer the question myself,
in such a way that the reader may be enabled to take a more intelligent
interest in the chain of events which commenced with the destruction of
the snow man; and in order that this may be done in a satisfactory
manner, I will in a few words map out the ground on which this memorable
campaign was afterwards conducted.

Take the well-known drawing of two right angles In Euclid's definition,
and imagine the horizontal line to be the main road to Chatford, while
the perpendicular one standing on it is a by-way called Locker's lane.
In the right angle stood The Birches; the house itself faced the
Chatford road, while behind it, in regular succession, came first the
sloping garden, then the walled-in playground, and then the small field
in which were attempted such games of cricket and football as the
limited number of pupils would permit. There were three doors in the
playground--one the entrance from the garden, another opening into the
lane, and a third into the field, the two latter being usually kept
locked.

Locker's Lane was a short cut to Chatford, yet Rule 21 in The Birches
Statute-Book ordained that no boy should either go or return by this
route when visiting the town; the whole road was practically put out of
bounds, and the reason for this regulation was as follows:

At the corner of the playing field the lane took a sharp turn, and about
a quarter of a mile beyond this stood a large red-brick house, shut in
on three sides by a high wall, whereon, close to the heavy double doors
which formed the entrance, appeared a board bearing in big letters the
legend--