"And it will be one on all of us if we don't get into bed before the lights are turned off," added Arthur.

"Yes, that's all right and very funny and I acknowledge that Jack has nicely got the best of me," said Billy somewhat dolefully, "but what am I going to do? I can't go to sleep in a wet bed."

"I have an extra set of blankets and things," said Jack. "I saved them out for you when I fixed your little joke to work backward. Here you are and now hurry and get fixed."

"H'm! I bet you never had a thought of Jack in that line," said a boy of the name of Sharpe. "Did you, now?"

"Well, no, I didn't," said Billy, making his bed with the dry blankets and sheets. "That's one on me. Still, no one offered me any dry things the other night."

"Nor me, either," said Jack. "I was to be put through the mill in fine shape, but the joke went on the wrong tack."

"And several of us got on more tacks than one," rejoined Arthur. "I did, at any rate."

"It just shows you that there is little use in trying to play tricks on Jack Sheldon," said Billy, "and I won't be such a chump again."

"Some one else thinks the same way," said Jack quietly to Arthur.

"What do you mean by that, Jack?" the other boy asked.

"I'll tell you to-morrow if you don't hear of it in the meantime," Jack answered, and then the lights went down as a warning that they would presently go out entirely, and the boys all made haste to get to bed.

The next day when the boys came down Arthur and Harry happened to come upon Herring and Merritt unexpectedly, the two bullies not seeing them, and heard Merritt say angrily:

"Huh! that was a pretty hazing scheme you got up on Jack Sheldon, Pete Herring. I got the worst of it."

"You didn't get it any worse than I did," snarled Herring, "but never mind, I'll get even with him yet."

"What are you two ruffians talking about now?" asked Arthur, and the two bullies quickly went away.

Later Arthur saw Jack, and said:

"Did Herring and those other sneaks try to haze you, Jack?"

"Yes," said Jack, smiling. "How did you hear of it?"

"They were talking it over when Hal and I came upon them unexpectedly.

I imagine from what was said that it did not work very well."

"No, it did not and now that it has partly come out. I'll tell you about it, as I promised."

CHAPTER VII

A TOUCH OF EXCITEMENT

One morning in the second week of school, Bucephalus, the coachman, a.s.sistant cook, head waiter, butler and general factotum of the Hilltop inst.i.tution, quite astonished the boys by a bit of news he brought and gave them a touch of excitement they had never expected.

Bucephalus waited on the table at breakfast and then went to the station at the foot of the hill and brought back the mail, delivering it some little time before the morning session began.

This morning when the boys came to get their letters the general factotum said excitedly:

"I done pring de letters, what dey was of dem dis mo'nin' but ef dey was any come las' night yo' won' get 'em 'cause de post-office was buglariously entahed some time in de night an' letters an' stamps an'

money done took o't."

"The post-office robbed?" cried the boys as Bucephalus began distributing the letters he had in his pouch.

"Yas'r an' de station an' de spress office an' mo' dan dat de post-office on de river was visited, too, in de same buglarious fashion an' a big lot o' pussonal property misappropriated by de nocturnal malefactors. Dey done said dat dey was abo't to call on de bank but got skeered off."

"So, they robbed the Riverton station and post-office as well, did they?" asked Harry. "Have they any notion as to who did it?"

"Wall, Ah reckon ef dey did dey would have apprehended dem by dis, Master Harry. All dey know is dat de malcomfactors done come in a auto an' went away in a hurry."

"Did the same fellows rob both places?"

"Ah reckon dey did and done went to de bigges' place fust. Down at dis station de postmaster and station agent, bein' one an' de same, as you'

am aware, was woke up by hearin' de noise an' come a runnin' to stop de robbery. Dey was an exchange of compliments in de way of pistol shots an' de robbers took deir leave an' as much else as dey could get away wif an' struck fo' de nex' town below."

"Then the agent saw them go?"

"Yas'r an' dey took de wrong road at fus an' was headin' fo' de little creek what runs into de river o't'n de ravine jus' back o' here. De agent tried to catch 'em an' done telephoned to de river station but de wiahs was cut. Den de robbers done turn de oder way an' got off, goin'

like de wind an' all."

The boys were naturally excited over this piece of news and during the day more was heard which greatly added to the touch of excitement they had already received.

After school d.i.c.k Percival, who had a little runabout which the doctor allowed him to keep in the barn, came to Jack and said:

"I am going down to the station to learn some more of this affair of last night. Will you come along? We won't be away more than an hour and I have already obtained permission to go."

"Certainly. I want to hear more about it myself and would enjoy the ride very much."

"All right then, I'll get it out and we'll go at once."

Jack went to the barn with d.i.c.k and showed great interest in the little car, so much so in fact, that d.i.c.k said:

"You seem to be interested. Do you know anything about cars?"

"Oh, yes," returned Jack, quietly.

"Would you like to run it down to the station?"

"Yes," and both boys got in and Jack ran it out of the shed and toward the road.

As they pa.s.sed the school buildings they saw Peter Herring and some of his cronies standing together, Herring saying quite audibly:

"There's Percival and his chauffeur. I guess that's what he was before he came here and we gentlemen have to a.s.sociate with him. H'm! just an auto driver mixing in with gentlemen! It's a shame."