He seemed for a moment unable to comprehend the situation, and stood staring wildly out through the grating that protected the first story windows. Then, as his wits returned to him, he sprang hastily toward his door, evidently to give a general cry of alarm. Had he remained within his room and contented himself with shouting, he might have utterly destroyed our plans, but in opening his door he placed himself at our mercy. This was just such an emergency as Percy Randall loved. Quick as a flash he turned, and, crying to the nearest man, “Help me shut this fellow up!” he dashed into the entry, followed by his companion. They met the bewildered student just as he opened the door. There was a short, sharp struggle while Percy and his companion bound him tightly; then he lay perfectly still.
“There, that nips his little game in the bud,” said Percy. “Now what shall we do with him? Take him along, too?”
“No,” answered his companion, who proved to be Ray Wendell. “Put him in on his bed and leave him. We must hurry.”
Accordingly the two lifted the student into his room, and, after making sure that the gag was arranged to give him no pain, they left him and we were off again.
We were now safe outside of the college grounds, and so, unmindful of the noise of the wheels and the clanking of the gates, we pulled furiously toward the river, where we could see the Geraldine awaiting us.
As we struck the downward grade the ropes slackened in our hands, and, instead of our pulling, the cannons gathered speed and began to press us hard. It was too late to stop them, so down the grade we scrambled in confused ranks, straining every nerve to avoid our old iron pursuers, who came bumping along behind us until they struck the soft earth just before the dock, where they buried their muzzles in the ground.
Then, laughing at the situation, we gathered about them, pulled them out, and dragged them down the pier, with a great rumble and roar of the heavy wheels upon the echoing timbers.
As we looked backward with relief at the college buildings, now far behind us, we wondered if the dull thunder of our cannon wheels broke in upon the dreams of any of the sleepers there, and if they had any appreciation of the true significance of the sound.
A few minutes sufficed to roll the cannons aboard the Geraldine, and then, without more delay, we turned toward Belmont. The object of our trip had been accomplished. Our delight knew no bounds. Percy Randall was for giving three rousing cheers, but Ray Wendell repressed him.
“No,” he said. “Don’t disturb their rest. Let their surprise be complete when they get up to-morrow morning and find cannons and gates gone.”