"Just what I was thinking," responded Frank. "I guess it's safe to open the door." He swung the portal wide, not taking the trouble to turn down the gas, and saw the smiling face of Jack Sanderson.
"I thought you fellows were never going to open up," complained the newcomer as he quickly slid in, and shut the door after him. "Did he come? Did he catch you?"
"Yes—and no," replied Frank. "Thanks to your tip we were in bed when Thorny paid his little visit. He burned his fingers with a match and went out in a hurry."
"Burned his fingers? Say, that's a good one all right! It's the first time anybody's put anything over on him in a long while. Say, you fellows are all to the rice pudding."
"Oh, we didn't do it," explained Andy modestly. "He was so interested in hearing us snore that he forget he held the fire-stick."
"Snored did you?" gasped Jack in delight. "Better and better! Say, I'm glad you chaps came to Riverview. We need some one like you to wake up this ancient place."
"Is it safe to talk here?" asked Frank, for there were several things he wanted to know from some student who had been at the school long enough to be an authority.
"Oh, yes, I don't believe Thorny will come back," was Jack's opinion. "His room is near mine, and I waited until he went in before I came out again. I wondered what he was muttering about, but it must have been his burned fingers. Crackey! That was great, and he did it himself! He can't blame anyone. Yes, fire away. I can stay a little while longer, then I've got to get back to my den and bone on Latin. Beastly stuff, isn't it?"
"Oh, it's not so bad," said Frank, who really liked studying. "But what I wanted to ask you was what ails this place, anyhow?"
Jack looked about the room before replying.