Leaning over, Thad groped around until he managed to find the hand that held the little electric torch.  This latter article he tore from the grasp of Leon, and immediately pressed the button that caused the battery to work.  The intense darkness around them was dissipated to some degree.  Thad threw the glow directly into the face of the fellow Hugh was holding.

Leon stopped his desperate struggles.  He realized that the game was up so far as trying to keep his identity a secret; and, being a most resourceful sort of chap, he now resorted to another little scheme which he had undoubtedly thought out, to be used in case he was discovered, and cornered, while on his night mission.

“Oh! is that you, Hugh?” he burst out, in a shaky voice.  “Say, you gave me an awful scare!  I thought it must be some old tramp that grabbed me, sure I did.  It’s all right now, Hugh, and I’m not wanting to clear out, since I know who you are.  That’s Thad, too, I reckon, holding my little flash-light.  How you did startle me, though.  I never dreamed anybody was around here when I started to come back after my watch.”

“What’s that you say?” gasped Thad; “your watch?  Tell that to the marines, Leon Disney!”

“But it’s so, I tell you.  Thad, it sure is,” persisted the other tenaciously, as though he had laid all his plans for just such an “accident,” whereby his attempt to rob Hugh’s locker would be held up.  “I believe I must have forgotten to take it out of my locker this evening when I was dressing, after hard work on the field, running, and practising throwing the hammer.  I never noticed it till long after supper, and I was afraid of what my dad would say when he asked me for it in the morning, to take back to the store where he got it, to exchange for another.  So, Hugh, don’t you see, the idea came to me that mebbe I might be able to get in the building out here if a window happened to be unfastened; which turned out to be the case, you know.”

“Yes, the very first window you tackled in the bargain, Leon; how fortunate for you!” sneered the unbelieving Thad.  “And say, you ought to know that this isn’t your locker, because the numbers are painted big enough on the door for anybody with only one eye to see.”

Even this did not appear to disconcert the other boy.  He was a slippery sort of customer, who always seemed able to find some sort of ready excuse, or a way to “climb down a tree” when caught in the act.

He turned, and stared at the number 16 plainly on the door.  Then he grinned at Thad as he hurriedly went on to explain further; for his inventive faculties seemed without end when they were exercised in order to get him out of any bad scrape: 

“Well, that shows my first guess was the right one after all.  You see, Hugh, I knew my number was either 16 or 19, and, for the life of me, I couldn’t tell which.  Of course, if the first belongs to you when my number is 19, I was foolish to change my mind; though, of course, even if the key opened your locker I’d have known my mistake right away.  No harm done, I hope, Hugh?”