the enemy, evidently aware of their helpless condition, had dared for
the first time to actually come and beard them in their own den.

"What I want to know first is this," began Acton. "You can see by the
footmarks that they came in through that door; of course it's always
kept locked, and here's the key hanging up inside the shed. Now who
opened it for them, and how was it done?"

"Perhaps it wasn't fastened," suggested Morris.

"Yes, it was," answered Kennedy excitedly. "I noticed that this
morning, when we were picking up stones for the snow man's buttons."

"Then I tell you what it is," continued Acton solemnly: "some one here's
playing us false, and my belief is it's old Noaks. D'you remember last
term when Mason and Jack Vance and I made a plot for going down and
throwing crackers into their yard? Well, they must have heard of it
from some one; for they were all lying in wait for us behind the wall,
and as soon as we got near to it they threw cans of water over us and
pelted us with stones."

There was a murmur of suppressed wrath at the memory of the fate of this
gallant expedition.

"Yes," added Shaw, "and I believe some one told them about this snow
man."

"Well, one thing's certain," said Acton--"we must serve 'em out somehow
for knocking it down. They evidently think now Mason's gone they can do
what they like, and that we shall be afraid of them. Now what can we