CHAPTER V.
ON THE TRACK OF THE BURGLARS.
Matt Randolph lost no time in discharging his duty at the bell-rope, and he performed it with the utmost vigor and determination. He rang the bell, which was in a cupola at the top of the building, as the students had been instructed to do in case of fire. There was no art or skill to be used in the operation, and the ringer was simply required to make all the noise he could; and Matt made it.
Dory reached the rear of the shops in season to escape being shot by the reckless burglars, and even to avoid being shot at. Perhaps it was fortunate that he was too late to see the marauders leap from the window, as he had expected; for his life, or the comfort and well-being of his well-developed frame, might have been endangered.
When Dory reached the rear of the shops, he found one of the windows open; and he halted under it to obtain further information, for he was not a fellow to lose his head, and fly off at random. The rapid ringing of the bell was rather exhilarating; but he considered it quite necessary to keep cool, and he did not allow himself to be carried away by the excitement of the moment. He stopped short under the open window.
It was too dark to see any thing. He had thought of bringing the lantern with him; but when he thought that it would be of more assistance to the burglars in avoiding him, than it would be to him in finding them, he concluded to let the darkness hide his movements. It occurred to him that the light would enable them to use their revolvers effectively.
All he could do was to stop and listen. The wind was blowing very hard; and the noise it made in the trees prevented him from hearing the tramp of footsteps, if there were any to be heard. There was not a sound that could be distinguished above the rattling of the leaves and the swaying of the branches.
It was rather discouraging to the volunteer thief-taker; and he began to feel that he had come to the end of his rope, for it was useless to run here and there without something to guide his steps. As he had no clew to the marauders, he could only consider probabilities. What direction would the burglars take to make their escape? If they had come in a boat, they could embark anywhere between the bridge above the quarries and Beaver River.
By land they could pass through the grounds of the estate, and reach the street; or they could follow the cart-path through the quarries, pass over the bridge, and reach Lake Champlain at Porter's Bay, or any point below it, or strike a road which would lead them to the north.
While he was thinking of it, he heard the voice of Matt Randolph calling to him. But the bell was still ringing, even more furiously than at first; and it was plain that he had turned this task over to some other student, for no one but a boy would have put so much vigor into the operation. And by this time the tremendous racket ought to bring a crowd to the centre of the disturbance.
"Have you seen any thing of them, Dory?" shouted Matt, as he reached the corner of the building.