“But perhaps you haven’t lost it,” said Egan, finishing the sentence for him. “In fact, I know you haven’t. We found it this morning leaning against the door of the boat-house, where that chicken-thief left it last night. Whether or not he knew what happened to you, I can’t say; but I do know that when he discovered the gun, he made all haste to return it, for fear that we might look for it and so run on to his hiding-place.”
“That’s the best piece of news I have heard in a long time,” exclaimed Don. “But how does it come that that darkey knew where to leave it? He never saw me before.”
“Don’t you believe it. He knows everything that goes on around here as well as Barr does. Now, boys,” said the ex-sergeant, “I should like to ask you a few questions which I would not have asked you under any consideration while I was a member of the academy; but don’t answer them unless you can do so without violating anybody’s confidence. How did you learn about our plans? You must have known all about them, or you could not have managed matters with so much skill.”
“Jones and I were hidden in the recitation room when you held your business meeting,” replied Enoch. “I mean on the night that Blake and his committee presented their report.”
“Why, Enoch!” exclaimed Hopkins, who was fairly staggered by this revelation. “Didn’t you know that by doing that you put yourselves in the way of the best kind of a thrashing?”
“We did, but we took our chances. Now, I want to ask you a question: Did we shut the door of that lodge-room against ourselves by playing the part of spies?”
“Of course not,” answered Egan, promptly. “You didn’t hear anything, and you never will until you have traveled—so and so.”
Here Egan made several motions with his hands, only one of which was intended to mean something; but which one that was, nobody but a first-class boy could have told.
“Now clear up another point,” continued Egan. “Did Bob Endicott’s father know what base uses his carriage was going to be put to that day?”
“No, sir,” said Enoch, with a laugh. “Bob told him that he wanted the carriage, and his father let him have it; but he did not know what was going to be done with it. Bob was sharp enough to keep that to himself. He gave Sam and the footman five dollars apiece for what they did.”