matter to Dr. Clay."
"To think we should run into a burglary!" declared the senator's son.
"I wonder if the same fellows robbed Mr. Lapham who committed the robbery at Oakdale?"
"It is more than likely. I hope they catch the fellows."
It did not take the three youths long to reach the academy grounds. Roger slipped in ahead and was gone five minutes.
"Hurry up – the coast is clear!" he whispered, on coming back. "The side door is open and nobody on the stairs, so far as I could see."
They ran across the campus, Dave with the cage full of bats still in his hand. They had almost reached the door when they heard it slam shut. Then the key was turned and the bolt shot into place.
"We're locked out!" whispered Shadow, in consternation.
"Let us try the other doors," suggested Dave.
They did this, making the entire round of the school building. Every door was shut and locked, even that to the kitchen addition being tight.
"Now we are in a pickle and no mistake," groaned the senator's son.
"I suppose the other fellows have gotten tired of waiting for us and gone to bed," said Shadow. "We've been away an hour and a half longer than we expected."
"One thing is certain, we must get into the Hall somehow," said Dave. "We can't stay out here all night."
"Let us go around under one of our windows," said Roger.
They were soon under a window of Dormitory No. 12. It was open from the top to admit the fresh air. All was dark in the school building and they had only the starlight to guide them.
Gathering up a handful of pebbles, Dave threw them at the window and Roger and Shadow followed suit. At first nobody paid attention to this. Then the window was raised from the bottom and the head of Phil appeared.
"Hello you!" he called softly. "Thought you were going to make a night of it."
"We were delayed," answered Dave. "All the doors are locked. Can't you open one for us?"
"I'll see."
Phil's head disappeared, and then Sam Day and Buster Beggs showed themselves.
"Got the bats?" asked Sam.
"Yes."
"Where are they?"
"Here, in this cage."
"Good enough!"
The boys below waited fully five minutes after that. Then Phil appeared once more.
"It's pretty risky to open a door," he announced. "Mr. Dale is below, and so are Pop Swingly and one or two others. I think they are watching for somebody."
"I hope they are not watching for us," returned Shadow, with a shiver.
"No, I think they are looking for some other fellows who went out."
"Here's a fishing line," said Sam. "You can send up the bats on that, if you like. Then if you are caught, they won't find out what you were after."
"A good idea," answered Dave, and tied the cage to the end of the line. Soon the bats were hauled up to the dormitory and stowed away in a safe place.
"I wish we could go up on the line too," said Shadow, wistfully.
"We can get a ladder from the barn and go up, if you say so," suggested Roger. "Only, what will we do with the ladder afterwards?"
"The ladder would expose us," said Dave. "I've got a plan. Take the bed sheets and make a rope of them, and we'll haul ourselves up somehow."
The charm of this idea took instantly, and those in the dormitory set to work to knot together five or six sheets without delay. Then one end was held fast while the other was dropped to the ground.
"Will it hold?" questioned Roger. "We don't want to break our necks."
"I'll try it," said Dave, and began to mount the improvised rope hand over hand, bracing his feet against the brick and stone building as he did so. As the youth was a pretty good athlete he had small trouble in gaining the top and hopping into the dormitory. Then Shadow came up, followed by the senator's son, and the bed sheets were hauled back and separated. The sheets were somewhat mussed from the strange usage, but that was all.
The other boys wanted to know what had kept Dave and his companions so long, but it was too late to relate the whole story.
"We can tell it in the morning," said the senator's son. "Just now let us see how the land lies for getting the bats into old Haskers's room."
He and Dave tiptoed their way out into the hallway, which was dark saving for a faint light near a bathroom door. Not a person was in sight, but a faint murmur of voices came from a room below.
"I am afraid he will have his door locked," said Dave. "He learned his lesson when he had the trouble with the ram."
But to their satisfaction they found the door to the assistant teacher's bedroom unlocked. They listened and heard Job Haskers breathing heavily.
"He is sound asleep," whispered Roger.
"Let us put the key on the outside first," answered Dave.
This was done, and then the two boys went back for the cage of bats. The other students in the dormitory wanted to see the fun, and half a dozen went out into the hallway. In order that they might not be seen and recognized, the light was extinguished.
"I am going to loosen the bottom of the cage and then throw the whole thing on Haskers's bed," said Dave. "Stand ready, somebody, to lock the door."
"I'll do that," answered Phil.
With caution the door was opened for a little over a foot. Then Dave loosened the bottom of the cage and shook the bats up. As they fluttered around he threw cage and all directly on the teacher's bed. Then the door was quickly closed and locked and the key thrown down into the lower hallway.
For a moment there was silence. Then from Job Haskers's room there arose a frightful shriek.
"Help! Get away! What is this? Oh, my eye! Get away, I say! Oh! oh! Save me! I shall be killed! Get away!" And there followed a series of yells and thumps and the overturning of a chair and a table.
"He is enjoying himself – I don't think!" cried Roger, with a chuckle. "Oh, say, listen to that!"
"Back to the room, or we'll be discovered," warned Phil, and back they ran with all speed.
But the strange commotion had aroused the whole Hall, and dormitory doors were opened on all sides and students rushed out to see what was the matter. Then Dr. Clay appeared, garbed in a dressing gown. Andrew Dale, the first assistant teacher, ran up from below.
"What is the meaning of this unseemly noise?" thundered the good doctor. "Make a light, somebody."
Several lights were lit. In the meantime the noise in Job Haskers's room continued. The second assistant was having a hot fight with the bats. The creatures banged him in the face, whizzed past
