“Old Maul is very much alive,” retorted the colonel. “He is the one who is directing this whole campaign. Did you think this old man was doing it for fun? He has been paid by Maul to keep this thing going, and he planned to burn you out of your house pretty shortly.”
“Then you ought to let us whip this sneaking skunk!” shouted the elder Hyde.
“Brutality won’t do any good,” returned the headmaster.
“Here comes the sheriff,” announced Jordan, as a heavy step was heard outside the door.
The door opened to admit the sheriff, followed by Vench and Douglas. The two cadets looked grave and a trifle angry and the sheriff was his usual blustering self.
“What’s going on here?” he roared, looking around. His angry eyes fastened themselves on the colonel. “I hear that you requested me to come up here. Requested me! Who are you, sir? I never saw you in my life!”
“I never saw you either,” retorted the unmoved colonel.
“What is the trouble here, anyway?” sneered the sheriff.
The trouble was explained by the colonel, but the sheriff shrugged his shoulders. “I think you would have done well to have minded your own business, sir,” said the officious man. “This man needs a sound horsewhipping. If it had been your house he burned you would be the first one to whip him. What am I supposed to do?”
“You will arrest the old man and put him where he will be safe,” said the colonel. “As for the Hydes, you can’t do anything but send them home.”