The room, one of the smaller ones, was unlighted save for what radiance came through the window from the lamps along the path below, but Hugh could see two other figures in the gloom and he was eager for battle.
“Come on,” he challenged. “I’ll take you both!”
“I—I don’t want to fight, thanks,” said a mild voice from the darkness. “I—I——”
“Are you a junior?” asked the other occupant of the gloom.
“No, are you?” replied Hugh.
“Yes, they collared me and Twining just as we were coming around the corner. We climbed out of a window in the gym and were trying to get to Manning. Do you suppose they mean to keep us here long?”
“So that’s it, eh?” mused Hugh. “I thought you were upper middle fellows when I saw you scuffling down there. Well, they’ve got us to rights, haven’t they?” He made his way to the window, raised the lower sash and looked out. Everything was quiet below, a fact explainable by the unmistakable presence on the walk further along near Manning of two masters in conference. Hugh pulled his head in quickly for fear they might look up and see him.
“They’ve all gone,” he announced to his fellow prisoners, “and Mr. Smiley and one of the other masters are down there.”
“Then if we call to them they’ll let us out,” said the youth who wasn’t Twining.
“Yes, but——” Hugh thought a moment. Then: “All right,” he agreed. But when he put his head through the window again the masters had disappeared. “They’ve gone now,” he reported. “Try that door and see if it’s really locked, one of you chaps.”