“Say, I wonder how he happened to hear about what we were doing?” asked Bob. “I’m sure no one saw me smuggle the eats in.”
“And we had everything dark,” added Ned.
“Oh, I guess Thorny has his own ways of finding out,” contributed Jerry. “What gets me, though, is how he happened to have the key to my room. I thought I had the only one there was, and it’s a patent lock. An ordinary key wouldn’t open it. Did he ever do that before when he busted up a spread—open the door and walk in?”
“I never heard of it,” said Newt Ackerson, a senior. “He always knocked and demanded admission. Then there was time to slip the stuff away and jump into bed.”
“I have an idea how he might have got hold of a key,” said George Fitch, “and also how he happened to know all about what was going on.”
“How?” inquired Jerry.
“Well, you know Frank Watson used to have the room where you are, Jerry. He chummed with Bart Haley and they each had a key.”
“What’s that got to do with the proctor?” asked Jerry.
“Well, Frank doesn’t like you fellows any too well, though why I can’t see for the love of sour apples. Anyhow, he’s got a grudge against you. Now what was to hinder him from dropping a hint to the proctor that there was something doing in your rooms last night? And, also, what was to stop Frank from slipping the proc the extra key so he could get in and catch you with the goods?”