Then Charlton, as soon as he was gone, slipped from his bed also. At first he thought of rousing Ralph and Warren; but he paused. A strange ambition filled his heart. How lovely it would be to do this all by himself—to follow and see what mischief they were doing, and, if it was anything to harm Ralph, to frustrate their plot, alone and unaided!
Rapidly he slipped on his clothes. At any other time he would have trembled at the audacity of such a deed after hours; but now he was filled only with the one thought of serving Ralph, and he neither considered the risk of being discovered, nor the seriousness of matching himself against two such boys as Elgert and Dobson—for he felt absolutely certain that Elgert would also be in this business.
Then, in his stockinged feet, he also slipped into the corridor and stood listening. Where had Dobson gone? How horribly dark it seemed—and how cold and desolate! He stood undecided for a moment; then he heard a stealthy sound—and from the entrance to the Fifth he saw Elgert come. Ah, he had not been mistaken, then! He stepped back and peeped round the dormitory door. Elgert was stealing down the stairs, and—yes, there Dobson was awaiting him. The two glided on, noiseless as mice; and Charlton, his heart thumping so that it seemed as if the two in front must hear it, creeping cautiously in the rear, determined to ascertain what they were going to do.
Down, past the Fourth class-room, they groped their way, and then to the Head's room. The Head's room! The room in which the examination papers were kept!
Charlton, crouching at the door, watched them as they lit their bicycle lamps and stole to the big desk at the top of the room. Then came a slight click and the top was rolled back, and he could see the two bending over the interior, searching for something.
"Here we are!" whispered Elgert, as he took up a neat little roll of papers. "Mind your fingers, silly!"—and he let the top of the desk down with the greatest care. "You see how easy it is."
"Best blow out the lamps until we get to the class-room," suggested Dobson. "Some one might see them. You never know." And Elgert, willing enough to take every precaution, complied.
"We will precious soon spoil Rexworth's chances now!" he laughed softly; and Charlton understood—or thought that he did. They were going to destroy Ralph's answers, and they should not do it!
Regardless of secrecy or of self, he sprang from the darkness; and, before either of the startled boys could realize what had happened, he had snatched that roll of paper from Elgert's grasp.
"You sha'n't have them!" he said aloud. "You want to destroy them, and you shall not have them!"