Neither responded to his question, but both left the room and resumed their search.

“You don’t suppose they have really got those canes somewhere else, do you, Foster?  They might be just trying to put us on the wrong track here, you know?” inquired Will.

“It’s possible, but I don’t believe it,” said Foster positively.  “If that was their game Mott wouldn’t be here.”

“Probably not,” assented Will.  “Let’s begin again.  We’ve no time to waste.”

The freshmen now began to search in the loft of the barn.  They seized the pitchforks that were in the mow, and, thrusting the tines into the hay, they continued their search, working with desperate determination and throwing the hay about them until the entire mow presented the appearance of having been almost completely overturned.

But not a trace of the missing canes could they discover.  At last, satisfied that their efforts were vain, they ceased and for a moment stared blankly at each other.

“No use,” said Will despondently.  “They’ve made game of us this time, Foster, just as sure as you live.”

“We won’t give up yet, Will.  Of course if the canes are here they were not put where we’d be likely to stumble over them.  We’ve just got to think it out—­”

Foster stopped abruptly as a voice was heard calling up from below.  “I must bid you an affectionate and tearful farewell, freshmen.  Keep on with your good work and remember that perseverance conquers everything.  Even the best of friends must part—­”

Foster and Will waited to hear no more, but both plunged down the ladder, but when they had gained the floor below it was to behold Mott speeding up the lane as if he was “sprinting” for life itself.  For a moment the surprise and consternation of the two freshmen were so complete that both were speechless.

“Why didn’t you take after him, Will?” said Foster, who was the first to break in upon the awkward silence.  “What are you standing here for?”

“No use, Foster,” replied Will, shaking his head.  “He’s got too good a start.  I don’t see how he ever got loose.”

“Well, he is loose and that’s all there is about it.  What’ll we do next?”

“Find those canes.  They’re here, I know they are.”

“Just tell me where they are, will you?”

“They won’t come to us, that’s certain!  We’ve got to look them up.  And if we don’t find them pretty soon too it’ll be the worse for us.”

Will turned as he spoke and once more opened the lid of a piano box that was standing on the floor near them.  The box apparently was filled with oats and they had inspected it before, but as it had not presented any appearance of containing the object of their search they had passed it by and gone on to the loft above.

This time, however, Will thrust his arm deep down into the oats and in a moment he almost shouted.  “Here’s something, Foster!  Help me clear away these oats.  There’s something down in there!”