But he would run out to follow a guy, without even putting on a coat or
a comforter, and it was a very damp, foggy afternoon and nearly dark, so
you see it was his own fault entirely, and served him jolly well right.

We saw him coming over the Heath just as we were deciding to go home to
tea. He had followed that guy right across to the village (we call
Blackheath the village; I don't know why), and he was coming back
dragging his feet and sniffing.

'Hist, an unwary traveller approaches!' whispered Oswald.

'Muffle your horses' heads and see to the priming of your pistols,'
muttered Alice. She always will play boys' parts, and she makes Ellis
cut her hair short on purpose. Ellis is a very obliging hairdresser.

'Steal softly upon him,' said Noel; 'for lo! 'tis dusk, and no human
eyes can mark our deeds.'

So we ran out and surrounded the unwary traveller. It turned out to be
Albert-next-door, and he was very frightened indeed until he saw who we
were.

'Surrender!' hissed Oswald, in a desperate-sounding voice, as he caught
the arm of the Unwary. And Albert-next-door said, 'All right! I'm
surrendering as hard as I can. You needn't pull my arm off.'

We explained to him that resistance was useless, and I think he saw that
from the first. We held him tight by both arms, and we marched him home
down the hill in a hollow square of five.