the three boys had scoured the entire lake front without obtaining any clues as to the whereabouts of the missing cadet. on the way back a sudden thought occurred to terry.
“look here,” said the red-headed boy. “don was seen to be going in the direction of the boathouse. perhaps he took out a boat. hadn’t we better go back there and find out?”
“that’s a good idea,” rhodes agreed. “i don’t see why he would take a boat ride, but we had better look into it.”
when they arrived at the boathouse they found the keeper of the boats there. jim asked him if don had come to him the day before to request the use of a boat.
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“no, he didn’t,” answered ryan, the keeper. “i wasn’t around the boathouse until late in the afternoon. but one of the boats is gone. the one that was in that rack.”
he pointed to the empty rack and went on: “when i got down here yesterday i noticed that boat was gone and i looked around the lake for it. it wasn’t until this morning that i heard mr. mercer was missing, and even then i didn’t think that he might have crossed the lake in my boat.”
“i suppose it is useless to think of crossing the lake and making a search in the dark?” jim advanced.
rhodes looked out of the boathouse window. “i’m very much afraid that it would be out of the question,” he answered gravely. “it is growing quite dark and it has begun to snow again. but in the morning we’ll ask for permission to cross the lake and search the woods and that old farmhouse over there.”
“that’s so!” exclaimed terry. “i never thought of that old place. perhaps it has something to do with the whole thing.”
“it’s possible,” agreed jim. “what if major tireson will not give us permission to skip classes in the morning?”
“if he doesn’t,” said rhodes, grimly, “we’ll just wire your father to come down here and take charge of things. then i think he won’t refuse your request.”
jim chafed against the falling darkness and the snow which had begun to fall. the snow itself would not hold up his search, but the darkness delayed everything in a way that was maddening. there was nothing left to do, however, but to wait until another day.
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at supper time cadet vench signalled him to wait for him after the meal, and when it was all over the little cadet walked to his room with him. rhodes was in the room talking with terry as they went in.
“what did you want to see me about?” asked jim.
“i wanted to see all of you,” vench replied. “look here, rhodes, can you sleep in don’s bed tonight?”
“here, in this room?” asked rhodes, astonished.
“yes. i want you three to sleep together tonight and to be right where i can get ahold of you. you don’t need to ask permission to do it. just wait until the officer of the day passes by on his rounds and then come in here, with your clothes. you can get out early in the morning. i want you all together, because i may have some work for you all before morning.”
“what is up, vench?” inquired terry.
“well, i’m not even certain enough to tell you what i have in mind,” confessed the little cadet. “i think i have run across a valuable tip and i’m going to look it up alone. not because i want to be selfish or anything like that, but it will mean some cold and dangerous work, and as it may be a wild goose chase i want to saddle no one but myself with it. you’ll sleep here tonight, won’t you, rhodes?”
“why, yes, i’ll do it,” nodded the cadet captain. “i suppose you must have some very good reason for asking it and i’ll try to help out.”
“thanks,” said vench.
“has all this business got anything to do with don?” asked jim, eagerly.
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“i think that it has, but i’m not dead sure. as i told you, i received a valuable tip and i want to work on it. now, we must arrange some kind of a signal. i may be out most of the night, and i want to signal you fellows to join me outside. if i do i don’t want to have to come back inside the building to get you.”
“you may be outside most of the night!” cried rhodes. “you’ll freeze, vench.”
“i may be too active to freeze,” grinned the cadet. “has anyone of you fellows got a long cord?”
“i have a ball of string in my trunk,” terry offered.
“fine. let’s have it.”
terry procured the ball of string and handed it to vench. the little cadet looked from one to the other.
“which of you is the lightest sleeper?” he asked.
“i’m a fairly light sleeper,” said rhodes.
“all right.” vench tied the string to the end of don’s bed and then hid the ball under the mattress. “now, as soon as the officer of the day has made his inspection you drop that ball of cord out of the window and let it hang there. if i want you guys during the night i’ll yank that cord and wake you up by shaking the bed. if i don’t pull it at all during the night pull it up again in the morning. is that understood?”
“yes,” the boys nodded, completely mystified.
“all right. now, if i do pull the cord, you three fellows dress and slip out of the side door and join me there. is all that clear?”
“almost,” laughed terry. “be a sport, vench, and tell us what is up?”
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“nothing doing,” vench returned, firmly. “this may all be a false alarm, and if it is i don’t intend that anyone but myself shall pay the penalty for it.”
“but if it has anything to do with don we ought to have some hand in it,” urged jim.
“if it turns out as i expect and don is concerned in it, you will have a hand, maybe both hands in it,” countered vench. “now, i must get back to my room. don’t forget to drop that string out of the window, and whatever you do don’t keep on sleeping if i pull it. so long.”
“so long,” they returned, and rhodes added, “and good luck to you in whatever it is you are doing.”
vench went out of the room, chuckling at rhodes’ parting shot. terry looked at his companions.
“mr. vench is getting very mysterious!” he said.
“he certainly doesn’t mean to bother anyone else with his ideas,” commented rhodes.
mr. vench returned to his own room and picked up a book. after a few moments he put it down and turned to his roommate, who was studying at the same table.
“i want you to help me out,” he said. “after the officer of the day comes around i’m going out of the building on some very special business, something which may keep me out all night. i’ll tell you what it is when it is all over. what i want you to do is simply not to worry your head if i seem to be a bit unusual in my movements tonight.”
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“all right,” agreed his roommate in some astonishment.
before long the warning bell sounded and vench and his roommate undressed and got into bed. the officer of the day visited the room and made his inspection. then the lights went out and the dormitory became still. in another fifteen minutes the footsteps of the officer of the day sounded on his return trip. and when vench was sure that the temporary officer had gone to bed he got up quietly and dressed.
his roommate heard him but made no comment, and vench finished his dressing and put on his overcoat. very carefully he opened the door and looked out into the hall. it was totally deserted and the little cadet left his room and walked quietly down the corridor, down the stairs, and soundlessly let himself out into the cold night. he had no hat on, but vench was used to going without one and did not mind in the least.
he stood for an instant in the gloom of the building and looked out over the campus. clinton hall was the last of the dormitories and he was in no danger of being seen from locke, where the major had his rooms. the night was cloudy and quite dark, with occasional flurries of snow. the air was slightly damp and very cold. vench thrust his hands into his pockets and looked from right to left.
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a short distance before him, directly across the campus, was a fringe of trees and snow-covered bushes behind which lay clanhammer hall. it was to this thicket that vench now directed his attention, and he made his way toward it, keeping as much as possible in the shadows. it was a lucky thing, he reflected, that it was not a moonlight night, for that would have made his already difficult job more dangerous, since he was compelled to cross open ground to gain the woods just before the old hall. to be seen by anyone as he flitted across the snowy campus would have seriously hindered his objective, and he was more than thankful for the obscurity of the stormy night.
he gained the fringe of trees and undergrowth and concealed himself in it. right in front of him, and at a distance of forty yards, was the main door of clanhammer hall. there was no light in the place and the dirty windows stared at him like dead eyes.
vench looked at his watch and saw that it was barely a quarter after ten. “i’ve got three-quarters of an hour yet,” he murmured. “hope it shows up on time.”
fifteen minutes dragged by and vench grew cold. he moved his arms back and forth to keep up the circulation of his blood, being careful to keep from making any noise while doing so. there was plenty of space in the thicket in which to walk up and down and he began to do so, wearing a path in the snow. this helped him to keep warm and made the time pass a little more quickly. when he looked at his watch it was a quarter of eleven.
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and at that moment there was a step on the snow close by. quick as lightning vench crouched down behind the nearest bush and looked out. the major was coming up the driveway toward the old school, muffled in his overcoat, his head sunk forward in his collar. it was evident that he had no fear of detection, for he glanced neither to the right nor to the left, but walked confidently up to the door, inserted a key in the lock and opened the barrier. he went in and closed it back of him.
there was no light in the place and no light showed after the major closed the door. it was evident that the major was very familiar with the place, and after watching for at least ten minutes vench straightened out and once more began his pacing. but a few minutes later he stopped and listened eagerly.
the soft chug of a car was approaching, and in a short time it drew nearer until it was in sight. it had approached by way of the east gate and stood just outside the hall and across from vench. it was a long black car.
a driver sat at the wheel, a short fat man who looked to be quite old, although there was not much to be seen of him, for he was bundled up in a huge fur coat that made him shapeless, and a fur cap was on his head. as soon as the car had come to a halt he leaned over the wheel and appeared to go to sleep. the door of the car opened and two men got out. both of them were plainly dressed and looked to be ordinary businessmen. they closed the door of the car, and just before the door shut vench could see that there was no one else in it.
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one of the men opened the front door of the car and shook the driver. “wake up, garry,” he said, impatiently. “we’re going inside. as soon as we come down you be ready to go. get me?”
“all right,” growled the driver, and slumped over the wheel again.
the two men made their way up the steps and entered the building. the major had evidently expected them and had left the door open. when they had gone inside there was no sound, and the man on the wheel did not move.
vench considered, his pulses pounding rapidly as a sudden thought struck him. things were working out as he had planned, but he was now considering something which had not occurred to him before. swiftly he shed his overcoat, dropped it in the bushes, and rubbed his hands together.
then, his eyes concentrated on the figure over the wheel, cadet vench moved swiftly. from the back of the car, his footsteps noiseless in the light snow, he drew nearer to the unheeding driver. then, with a single bound cadet vench leaped to the car and threw himself upon the man at the wheel.
the man was taken completely by surprise and for a second he offered no resistance. in that precious second vench slipped one hand over his mouth and kept it there. that left him just one hand to fight with, but it was vital that he keep the man from crying out, so he kept his hand glued to the mouth of the driver. for a brief second the man was motionless with surprise and fear, and then he began to struggle furiously.
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vench gripped his throat determinedly, realizing that the struggle must not take much time. he drew the man toward him as he saw that he intended to blow the horn and bring the men in clanhammer hall to the spot. the driver fell from the seat and they both rolled to the ground, vench’s hand still clenched over his mouth. with the other he still choked the man.
the struggle did not take long in actual time but it seemed to vench that it did. the man was old and stout, not in any kind of physical condition, and he was handicapped by the heavy coat which he wore. vench felt his struggles grow weaker and weaker, and at last they stopped altogether. when the cadet felt that it was safe he released his hold on the man’s throat but not on his mouth. the man lay still and vench was satisfied that he was unconscious.
then vench released his hold on his mouth and looked around him. the snow was badly kicked up where they had struggled, but there were no other signs. he stripped the big fur coat and the cap from the man’s person and then pulled off his belt. with this he secured the driver’s hands behind his back and then considered.
“i can’t leave him here to freeze in the bushes,” vench reflected. “but where will i put him?” then it flashed over him that there was a tool house not far away, the door of which was always unlocked, and he determined to take the man there. but when he tried to lift him he found it a task beyond his strength.
“nothing left but to drag him,” decided the cadet, and he took the man by the feet and started. finding this inconvenient he placed his hands beneath the man’s shoulders and dragged him through the thicket and over the campus to the tool house. the door was open and he tumbled the man in.
the driver had regained consciousness but contented himself with groaning. knowing that if his hands were left tied they might become frost bitten vench took off the belt and went out, dropping a wooden bar across the holders as he did so. he knew that the man might work his way out, but it would take him several hours to do so.
then vench sped back to the car before clanhammer hall. no one had come out yet and his way was clear. he put on the fur coat and the cap, slumped down in them and hung over the wheel, waiting for the next move in the game that he had decided to play.
