They proceeded in silence until there came a sudden cry of dismay from Bill.
“What’s the matter?” inquired Cap.
“Oh, I stumbled in a hole! Say, it’s as dark as red ink, and full of gullies along here.”
“You’re as bad as Beantoe,” declared Pete. “Come on. How much farther, Cap?”
“It’s around here somewhere I think. I spotted it to-day as I was coming from town, and that’s how I happened to think of the scheme. Ah, here it is,” and in the semi-darkness he went over to something that looked like half of a wagon truck. It consisted of two high wheels, with an iron arrangement between them, a long pole or lever and several chains.
“What’s that, for the love of tripe?” demanded Bill.
“That,” said Cap, “is a stone-carrier, a pipe-carrier, a stump-puller and is also used in a variety of other ways to lift heavy weights and transport them from one place to another. The technical name has escaped me, but I think that will answer you,” and with this delivered in his best class room style, Cap took hold of the long pole and began moving the machine out from amid a pile of sewer and water pipes.
“Say, I believe that will do the trick!” exclaimed Bill admiringly.
“Of course it will,” declared Cap. “Come on, now. We haven’t any too much time, for the Seniors may come out of meeting any minute, and some may take a notion to stroll around the campus, though it’s not likely.”
Behold the conspirators then, a little later, trundling the big two-wheeled affair along the dark road. Fortunately the dirt was thick, and the machine made no noise. Also the campus grass was long and soft and the wheels rolled smoothly along.