“We shan’t damage the picture any; shall we?” Ned demanded.
“Not a scratch, if we can help it,” promised Jerry. “We’ll just hoist it up and leave it where a good view can be had of it. Are you game?”
Again Bob and Ned said they were. They were mildly excited, too. As Jerry had stated, matters had been a bit dull at Boxwood Hall of late. Nothing of interest had been done, save that a few of the old-time jokes—“standardized plays”—Jerry called them, had been executed. The boys welcomed any sort of change.
Jerry went carefully over all the details with his chums.
“We’ll have to work quickly,” he told them. “And I’ll lay out the work so each one of us will have just certain things to do. And do ’em fast—that’s the word—fast!”
The boys waited until it was near the hour when lights must be extinguished and every student, who had not permission to remain out, must be in his room. Then, with a final word of instruction, Jerry led his chums forth. As he left his room he took up a black robe they sometimes used in the automobile when it was chilly.
“What’s that for?” asked Ned.
“To throw over the picture. The gold frame might shine when we passed some lamp and give the game away. I’ll cover it with this robe.”
“Good idea,” said Bob.