"I believe we would be more model prisoners if we stayed in our room, thank you," answered Ned. "We are under arrest, you know!"
Laughingly the officer agreed to excuse them under the circumstances and again complimenting them on their vocal efforts and on their model conduct as prisoners, he permitted them to return to their room.
Jimmie again sought the comfort of the great bed, declaring that he had not slept in a real bed in ages and this was so good he was afraid it would not last. The other boys began an inspection of the place.
"Hello!" cried Harry presently. "Here's a piece of wire. Now I wonder what they were doing with such a thing in a place like this!"
"Let me have it, please," requested Jack. "I've found a hole in the wall and I want to poke something into it. It looks inviting!"
Harry brought the piece of wire to Jack and watched him as he investigated the interior of a curious hole.
"Well, what do you think of this?" he shouted in a moment. "Here's the mate to your key-hole, Jack. It looks just like that one!"
"Maybe it is a key-hole," Jack responded. "Try to pick it!"
The two holes were a short three feet apart and the wire was more than five feet long. Harry, therefore seized the free end and without disturbing Jack began prodding about in the hole he had discovered. Directly a low rumbling was heard coming as it seemed from the wall. The boys looked up startled. As Jack withdrew the end of the wire he noticed a flash of fire from the interior of the key-hole at which he had worked.
"Hello, boys!" he cried. "I struck fire here just now!"