CHAPTER XXVIII
THE BOOK
Andy and Dunk, who had jumped up and come to the door of their room onhearing Frank's explanation, stood looking at him for a second, ratherstartled by his news. Then Andy, realizing that this might be a chanceto discover who had been carrying on the mysterious quadranglerobberies, exclaimed:
"Come on down this way! The hall ends just around the corner and there'sno way out. It's a blind alley, and if the fellow went down here we surehave him!"
"Good for you!" cried Dunk. "Wait until we get something to tackle himwith in case he fights."
"That's so," said Andy. "Here, I'll take our poker, and you can have thefire tongs, Dunk."
From a brass stand near the fireplace Andy caught up the articles hementioned.
"Where's something for me?" asked Frank.
"Here, take the shovel," spoke Dunk passing it over. "Say, what sort ofa fellow was it you saw run out of your room?"
"I didn't have much chance to notice, he went so like a flash."
"Was it--er--one of our fellows--I mean a college man--did he look likethat?" asked Andy. He was conscious of the fact that he had ratherstammered over this. Truth to tell, he feared lest Link might haveyielded to temptation. Since the episode of Dunk's watch Andy had beendoing some hard thinking.
"Well, the fellow did look like a college chap," admitted Frank, "but ofcourse it couldn't be. No Yale man would be guilty of a thing likethat."
"Of course not!" agreed Dunk. "But say, if we're going to make a capturewe'd better get busy. Are you sure there's no way out from thiscorridor, Andy?"
"Sure not. It ends blank. The fellow is surely trapped."
They hurried out into the corridor, and started down it, armed with thefire irons. Though they had talked rather loudly, and were underconsiderable excitement, no attention had been attracted to them. Mostof the rooms on that floor were not occupied just then, and if therewere students in the others they did not come out to see what was takingplace.
"Say, it would be great if we could capture the thief!" said Dunk.
"Yes, and end the quadrangle mystery," added Andy.
"I don't care so much about ending the mystery as I do about gettingback my tennis cup and the book," spoke Frank.
"What sort of a book was it?" Andy inquired.
"A reference work on inorganic chemistry," answered Frank. "Cost me tenplunks, too. I can't afford to lose it for I need it in my work."
"Some book!" murmured Andy, as the three hastened on.
They tried door after door as they passed, but most of them were locked.One or two opened to disclose students dressing or shaving, and to therather indignant inquiries as to what was wanted, Dunk would exclaimhastily:
"Oh, we are looking for a fellow--that's all."
"Hazing?" sometimes would be inquired.
"Sort of," Dunk would answer. "No use telling 'em what it is until we'vegot something to show," he added to his companions. They agreed withhim.
They had now reached the turn of corridor where a short passage, makingan L, branched off. So far they had seen no trace of the thief.
"There's a big closet, or storeroom, at the end," explained Andy. "Thefellow may be hiding in there."
An examination of the few rooms remaining on this short turn of thepassage did not disclose the youth they sought. All of the doors werelocked.
"He may be hiding in one of them," suggested Dunk.
"If he is all we'll have to do will be to wait down at the other end, ifwe don't find him in the store room," spoke Andy. "He'll have to comeout some time, and it's too high up for him to jump."
"It's queer we didn't hear him run past our room," remarked Dunk.
"He had on rubber shoes--that's why," explained Frank. "He went out ofmy room like a shadow. At first I didn't realize what it was, but when Ifound my stuff had vanished I woke up."
"Rubber shoes, eh?" said Andy. "He's an up-to-date burglar all right."
"Well, let's try the storeroom," suggested Dunk, as they neared it. Theywere rather nervous, in spite of the fact that their forces outnumberedthe enemy three to one. With shovel, tongs and poker held in readiness,they advanced. The door of the big closet was closed, and, just as Andywas about to put his hand on the knob, the portal swung open, and outstepped--Mortimer Gaffington.
"Why--er--why--you--you----!" stammered Andy.
"Did you--have you----?" This was what Dunk tried to say.
"Is he in there?" Frank wanted to know.
Mortimer looked coolly at the three.
"I say," he drawled, "what's up? Are you looking for a rat?"
"No, the quadrangle thief!" exclaimed Andy. "He went in Frank's room andtook his book and silver cup, and lit out. Came down here and we'reafter him! Have you seen him?"
"No," replied Mortimer, slowly. "I came up here to get Charley Taylor'smushroom bat. He said he stuck it in here when the season was over, andhe told me I could have it if I could fish it out. I had the dickens ofa time in there, pawing over a lot of old stuff."
"Did you get the bat?" asked Dunk.
"No. I don't believe it's there. If it is I'd have to haul everythingout to get at it. I'm going to give it up."
As he spoke he threw open the closet door. An electric light was burninginside, and there was revealed to the eyes of Andy and his chums aconfused mass of material. Most of it was of a sporting character, andbelonged to the students on that floor, they using the store room forthe accumulation that could not be crowded into their own apartments.
"A regular junk heap," commented Frank. "But where the mischief did thatfellow go who was in my room?"
"It _is_ sort of queer," admitted Andy, as he looked down. Withoutintending to do so he noticed that Mortimer did not wear rubber-soledshoes, but had on a heavy pair that would have made noise enough downthe corridor had he hurried along the passage.
"Maybe you dreamed it," suggested Mortimer. "I didn't see anything ofanyone coming down here, and I was in that closet some time, rummagingaway."
"Must have been pretty warm in there--with the door closed," suggestedDunk.
"It was hot. The door swung shut when I was away back in a corner tryingto fish out that bat, and I didn't want to climb back and open it. Well,I guess I'll go clean up. I'm all dust."
Truth to tell, he was rather disheveled, his clothes being spotted inseveral places with dust and cobwebs, while his face and hands were alsosoiled.
"Well, I guess he fooled us," commented Andy. "I can't understand it,though. We came down this hall right after him, and there's no stairwaygoing up or down from this end. How could he give us the slip?"
"Easily enough," said Mortimer. "He could have slid into some emptyroom, locked the door on the inside and waited until you fellows rushedpast. Then he could come out and go down the stairs behind you withoutyou seeing him."
"That's what he did then, all right," decided Dunk. "We might as wellgive it up. Report your loss, Frank."
"Yes, I will. Whew! Another quadrangle robbery to add to the list. Iwonder when this thing will stop?"
No one could answer him. Mortimer switched off the light in the storeroom, remarking that he'd have another look for the bat later. Then heaccompanied Andy and the others on their way back down the corridor.Gaffington departed to his own dormitory, while Frank went to report tothe Dean, and Andy and Dunk turned into their room.
"Well, what do you think of it?" asked Andy.
"I don't know," responded his roommate. "Mortimer's explanation seems tocover it."
"All the same we'll leave our door open, on the chance that the thiefmay still be hiding in some empty room, and will try to sneak out,"suggested Andy.
"Sure, that's good enough."
But, though they watched for some time, no one came down the corridorpast their room but the regular students.
And so the theft of the book and silver cup passed into history with theother mysteries. Further search was made, and the private detectiveagency, that had b
een engaged by the Dean, sent some active men scoutingaround, but nothing came of it.
The Christmas vacation was at hand and Andy went home to spend it inDunmore. Chet, Ben and his other school chums were on hand, and as Andyremarked concerning the occasion, "a jolly time was had by all."
Chet and Ben were with Andy most of the time, and when Andy told of thedoings at Yale, Chet responded with an account of the fun at Harvard,while Ben related the doings of the Jersey Tiger.
Andy's second term at Yale began early in the new year, and he arrivedin New Haven during a driving snow storm. He went at once to his room,where he found a note from Dunk, who had come in shortly before.
"Come over to the eating joint," the missive read, and Andy, stowingaway his bag, headed for the place.
"Over in here!"
"Shove in, plenty of room!"
"Oh, you, Andy Blair!"
"Happy New Year!"
Thus was he greeted and thus he greeted in turn. Then, amid laughter andtalk, and the rattle of knives and forks, acquaintanceship andfriendship were renewed. Andy was beginning to feel like a seasoned Yaleman now.
The studies of the second term were of increasing difficulty, and Andyand Dunk found they had to buckle down to steady work. But they hadcounted on this.
Still they found time for fun and jollity and spent many a pleasantevening in company with their other friends. Once or twice Mortimer andhis cronies tried to get Dunk to spend the night with them, but herefused; or, if he did go, he took Andy with him, and the two alwayscame home early, and with clear heads.
"They're a pair of quitters!" said Len Scott, in disgust, after oneoccasion of this kind. "What do you want to bother with 'em for, Mort?"
"That's what I say," added Clarence Boyle.
"Oh, well, I may have my reasons," returned Mortimer, loftily. "Dunkwould be a good sort if he wasn't tied fast to Andy. I can't get alongwith him, though."
"Me either," added Len. "He's too goody-goody." Which was somewhatunjust to Andy.
The winter slowly wore on. Now and then there would be another of themysterious robberies, and on nearly every occasion the article taken wasof considerable value--jewelry, sporting trophies or expensive books.There was suspicion of many persons, but not enough to warrant anarrest.
One day Hal Pulter, who roomed in Wright Hall, near Dunk and Andy,reported that an expensive reference book had been taken from his room.The usual experience followed, with no result.
Then, about a week later, as Andy was walking past the small building atHigh and Elm streets, where the University Press had its quarters, hecame up behind Mortimer Gaffington, who seemed to be studying a book.
Andy wondered somewhat at Mortimer's application, particularly as it wassnowing at the time. This enabled Andy to come close up behindGaffington without the latter being aware of it, and, looking over theshoulder of the youth, Andy saw on the fly-leaf of the volume a peculiarink blot.
At once a flash of recollection came to Andy. Well did he know that inkblot, for he had made it himself.
"Why, that's Pulter's book!" he exclaimed, speaking aloudinvoluntarily. "Where did you get it?"
Mortimer turned quickly and faced Andy.
"What's that?" he asked, sharply.
"I say that's Pulter's book," Andy went on.
"How do you know?" asked Mortimer.
"Why, by that big ink blot. I made it. Pulter was in our room with thebook just before it was stolen, and my fountain pen leaked on it. Thatsure is Pulter's book. Where did you get it? That's the one he made sucha fuss about!"
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