Walking to the door and making sure that no one was near, the lad returned to the desk.  Quickly he looked over the assortment of papers, and at length a smile lighted up his face.  Evidently he had found what he was in search of, for he quickly thrust a paper in his pocket.

He did not leave at once, but continued to rifle the contents of the general’s desk.  Finally he appropriated several more documents, which he also thrust into his pocket.

There was the sound of a door slammed on the floor below.  Quickly the lad closed the desk, and, walking softly to the door, peered out.  There was no one in sight.  Closing the door quietly behind him, Chester walked rapidly down the hall to his own room, where Hal was waiting for his return.

“Did you get it?” asked Hal, as Chester entered the room and closed the door behind him.

“Yes,” replied Chester; “and you?”

“They are under the bed,” said Hal, with a grin.  “I believe I would make a first-class burglar.”

“And I,” agreed Chester.  “However, ‘All’s fair in love and war,’ you know.”

“I am glad I do know it,” said Hal.  “Otherwise I wouldn’t think much of myself now.”

“We had better hide these things,” said Chester.  “Their loss might be discovered and a search made.”

“Where shall we put them?”

Chester glanced around the room.  He walked to the closet and opened the door.  Peering in, he found, just above the top shelf, a small opening, apparently not meant for use, as it was too close to the ceiling.

“Put ’em in here,” he said, and, withdrawing the papers from his pocket, he suited the action to the word.

Hal now brought the uniforms out from under the bed, and, by dint of hard squeezing, also finally succeeded in secreting them.  The dark cloth made the hiding-place look like nothing more than a hole.

“All we need now are swords and pistols,” said Chester.

“Pistols,” agreed Hal.  “I don’t know that we need swords.”

“You don’t,” said Chester, in contempt.  “We would make a couple of fine-looking officers, strutting around without swords, wouldn’t we?”

“You’re right,” Hal agreed, somewhat sheepishly.  “Where are we going to get them?”

“The general always leaves his sword and revolvers on the table in the hall before retiring,” said Chester.  “Then I noticed another pair of swords hanging on the wall there.  Also the lieutenant invariably leaves his weapons on the parlor table.  Careless, I say, but lucky for us.”

Chester’s thoughtfulness in hiding the articles they had appropriated stood them in good stead, as it turned out that evening.  General Strauss, upon his arrival home, went straight to his private office, saying that he would be in to dinner in a few moments.

Accordingly the others went in and sat down at the table without waiting for him.  A moment later the old general came storming into the room.