29
“They may alike fastened,” said Blake, who had a fashion
of looking at the dark side of things.
“The door’s locked/’ exclaimed Richardson in an angry
tone a*s he tried the door.
“Don’t make so much noises you chump; you’ll raise
the dead,” warned Blake in an emphatic undertone.
“We m ust get in at the window,” said Richardson, de
scending the steps, followed by Blake.
Pierce assisted by his companions climbed up to one of
the windows, but found it fastened solidly. ‘
“There’s no use trying^” grumbled Blake. “Everything
is locked up tight; and, if we had gotten in, there’s not one
chance in a thousand that we would have found the ques*-
tions.”
“Cold-footer,” retorted Richardson. “The very security
of the place makes me think those questions are in there,
and; if we don’t find them/ I positively know that it means
another year of rhetoric for me. , I ’ll get in if I have to break
in,” he added Iti such a determined manner that he would“;
doubtless, have carried out his threat if it had . been neces
sary.
As Richardson and Blake were talking, Pierce had gone
around the corner of the building looking for some means of
ingress, and now returned, calling excitedly, ‘’Come on, fel
lows; I’ve found a window that’s loose/’.
They followed Pierce to one of the small windows on
the north side of the building and soon, they were inside.
By means of one of Pierce’s skeleton keys, ah entrance was
effected to the Rhetoric room, and the three conspirators
stealthly approached the. desk.
Blake lighted the candle, which he tried to conceal under
his coat to avoid illuminating the room.
As Richardson and Blake were examining the contents
of the drawer, Pierce, making a quick step backward, ex
claimed in a voice of alarm, “Who’s that!”
Richardson raised his arms in an attitude of fear, and
prepared himself for flight; while Blake jumped as if he
had been bitten, dropped the candle, which was extinguished,
U niversity
of
O regon M onthly