“No use, fellows.  They’ve got away and we might as well go back.  Foster,” he added, “did you know the canes were gone?”

“Gone?  Gone where?” replied Foster blankly.

“I haven’t the slightest idea.  All I know is that Mr. Whitaker told Mott that the canes had been in his house but they had been taken away.”

“Who took them?”

“I haven’t the slightest idea.”

“You don’t suppose the sophs got them, do you?” said Foster hastily.

“I hadn’t thought of that.  It never entered my mind that anybody but our own fellows had come for them.”

“I don’t believe it was anybody else that got them,” said Will.  “You ought to have heard Mr. Whitaker talk to Mott and the other sophs.  They were just determined to go into his house, but the old man would not let them.  No, you can rest easy about it, Mr. Whitaker never let the canes go out of his house without knowing who had come for them.  No, sir.  Not much.”

Somewhat comforted by Will’s positiveness, the boys began to retrace their way down the long road, and after a moment Hawley said, “We’ll find out all about it anyway, for Mr. Whitaker will tell us.  He’s all on our side.  That’s what comes of having his grandson in our class.  Say, fellows, you just ought to have heard Mott rake over our class.  He had the nerve to stand there and tell Mr. Whitaker that we were the worst lot that had ever entered Winthrop.”

“I wish we had caught him!” said Foster warmly.  “We would have made him come up in his estimate of the freshmen.”

“Oh, he was just talking to hear himself,” said Will Phelps lightly.  “He knows who we are all right enough, and he isn’t going to forget us right away either.  But I wish we had caught him.”

“Here we are, fellows,” said Hawley, as the five young men clambered over the fence and once more were in Mr. Whitaker’s yard.  “Let’s go in and ask him about it now.”

“All right,” responded Foster as they started toward the door.  “Hold on a minute.  Let me take a look at my horse first.  I’ll be with you in a minute.  Gre-a-at—­” he suddenly began.  “The horse is gone!”

“What!” exclaimed Will in astonishment.

No heed was given his expression, however, as all five ran quickly to the post to which the horse had been tied.  But the horse and sleigh were gone, and not a trace remained to show in which direction they had departed.

“Sure you fastened him all right?” inquired Hawley anxiously.

“I know I did,” replied Foster.

“If you did then he couldn’t have got loose.  I wonder if Mott and the sophs could have done it?  Come on!  We’ll go in and tell Mr. Whitaker and he may be able to give us a point or two.  There’s a light in the kitchen, and we’ll probably find him there.  Come on, fellows!”

Hastily the boys ran to the kitchen door, and in response to their knock Mr. Whitaker himself opened the door and stood before them.