“This is the brick that hides the place, I reckon, suh,” announced the Virginian rather deliberately.

“Let’s pry it up, then,” suggested Greg.

But the brick resisted rather strenuous efforts.

“That’s odd, in itself,” muttered Holmes.  “Almost of the bricks in these fireplaces come up as easily as a naval apprentice’s dinner.  Anse, we’ve got to work at this brick until we have loose.  It surely hides something.”

“We mustn’t damage either the wooden or brick flooring,” warned Furlong.  “If we did find anything, after all, think of the row Dodge could raise over the vandalism in his room.”

So the time slipped by, faster than any of them knew.  But these five cadets, now satisfied that the obdurate brick really did hide a secret toiled on with no thought of surrender.

At last they struck the combination.  The brick back of the one that so resisted their efforts was finally pried up, after a good deal of effort.  This opening laid bare a neat but powerful spring.

Had they had, at the outset, the whole secret of this spring, they could have raised the resisting brick in a second’s time.

“Get it up—–­must have a look!” cried Prescott hoarsely.

It was Greg who raised the brick that had resisted their efforts for so long.  Underneath Cadet Holmes found a collection of things that chained the attention of all, as each took eager looks in turn.

“Going to put the stuff back, for the present?” asked Anstey, with an odd quiver in his voice The honorable Virginian was upset by what he had seen.

“Not never!” retorted Greg with ungrammatical emphasis.  “It won’t be just the thing for old ramrod and myself to have it, either.  Milesy, you and Dunstan take it along with you.  Now, old ramrod, just what had we better do?”

“I don’t see anything for it but to root out again after taps and the subdivision inspector’s visit tonight,” muttered Dick, who was alternately pale and flushed over the discovery, and all that it meant.  “Gentlemen, will you come softly to my room fifteen minutes after the sub-division inspector’s official visit at taps?”

Greg and Anstey restored the bricked flooring of the fireplace so that nothing indicated the late search.

Then, Dunstan and Furlong carrying away the discovered stuff, the five prowlers turned out the gas and separated.

CHAPTER XXIII

The “Committee on class honor”

At a few minutes after eleven, that same April night, five cadets fully dressed stole down the corridor, and the leader laid a hand on Dodge’s doorknob.

In another moment they had stepped inside and their arrival awakened Cadet Brayton.

“Plebes’ quarters next floor up, brothers,” called Brayton in drowsy good nature.

“I’m sorry to say, Brayton, we’re on the right floor, and in the right room,” responded Dunstan.  “But this visit won’t bother you!”