"Hum!" murmured Frank, as he slid into his room. "We may give you plenty of excuse for saying that, Thorny, before we get through with you." The next words of the crabbed instructor came to Frank as a shock.
"I have to go to Dailsburg on some money matters," went on Mr. Callum. "I am trying to collect an outstanding debt, and I fear I shall have to take strenuous measures."
"By Jove! He's going to annoy Gertrude and her mother again!" whispered Frank to his brother. "I'm going to stop that business!"
"How are you going to do it? You can't go out and have a row with Callum, now."
"I know it, but I can go to Dailsburg myself and tell Mrs. Morton that dad will take charge of her financial affairs. Dad will make Thorny know what's what, and teach him to let a poor widow and her daughter alone. I'm going to Dailsburg."
"Good for you!" exclaimed Andy. "I'm with you. We'll run the guard right after supper."
But Andy and Frank were not to get away as soon as they hoped to. They hurried to their room after the evening meal, dispensed with study that evening and made preparations for getting quietly out of school. This was against the rules, but they knew Mr. Callum was not on guard.
"Professor Dickson will be easy," was Frank's opinion. "He'll probably keep to his room all evening working on some mathematical problem. We can get out and back again before he knows it. Come on, Andy."
There sounded a cautious knock on their door—the knock of Jack or Ward, given in the usual signal code. Frank swung the portal.
"Hurray! Good news!" cried Jack, for it was he and his chum who stood in the hall.