"You can't," smiled Frank. "There is no danger of that."
"Still, I rather wish you were coming along."
"I can't do that without getting dismissed from recitation, and that isn't possible."
"Well, I will do the job quickly, and I'll have it finished by the time your class is through reciting."
So they parted, and, with the precious ring in his possession, Hodge hurried to the room where the microscope was kept, having provided himself with the necessary materials for making the drawing.
He lost no time in getting to work, and he made rapid progress. As the drawing developed, he grew excited and enthusiastic, for he plainly saw it must be a map of some wild bit of country.
"I'll bet the man who can read this correctly and knows where this country is located, can go straight to a fortune!" muttered the lad. "But I do not see how it is going to benefit anybody who does not know what section of the country this map represents."
It was a warm spring day, and Bart had opened a window near the table at which he was working. A pleasant breeze was stirring.
Although he took care to be quite accurate, it did not take the lad long to complete the drawing.
He was examining it carefully to make sure he had omitted nothing and had made no errors, when a strong wind sucked through the building, swinging open the door of the room.