nd the little fellow grinned
and hurried away.

Frank turned back to find Professor Scotch, in his night robe, standing
square in the middle of the bed, wildly waving his arms, and roaring:

"Lock the door--barricade it--keep them out! If those desperadoes are
admitted here, this room will run red with gore!"

"That's right, professor," agreed Frank. "We'll settle their hash right
here and at once. We'll cook 'em."

"Whoop!" shouted the little professor, in his big, hoarse voice. "This
is murder--assassination! Lock the door, I say! I am in no condition to
receive visitors."

"Be calm, professor," chirped Frank, soothingly.

"Be calm, profissor," echoed Barney, serenely.

"Be calm!" bellowed the excited little man. "How can I be calm on the
eve of murder and assassination? I am an unarmed man, and I am not even
dressed!"

"Niver moind a little thing loike thot," purred the Irish lad.

"It's of no consequence," declared Frank, placidly.

"No consequence!" shouted Scotch. "Oh, you'll drive me crazy! You want
me to be killed! It is a plot to have me murdered! I see through the
vile scheme! I'll call the police!"

He rushed into the front room, and flung up a window, from which he
howled:

"Fire! Police!"

He would have shrieked murder and several other things, but Frank and
Barney dragged him back and closed the window.

"Great Scott!" gasped Frank. "It'll be a wonder if the whole police
force of the city does not come rushing up here."

"Perhaps they'll not be able to locate th' spot from which th' croy
came," said Barney. "Let us hope not."

"Yes, let us hope not."

The professor squirmed out of the grasp of the two boys, and made a wild
dash for the door.

Just before he reached it, the door was flung open, and Colonel Vallier,
followed by Rolf Raymond, strode into the room.

The colonel and the professor met just within the doorway.

The collision was violent, and both men recoiled and sat down heavily
upon the floor, while Rolf Raymond barely saved himself from falling
astride the colonel's neck.

Sitting thus, the two men glared at each other, the colonel being in a
dress suit, while the professor wore a night robe.

Frank and Barney could not restrain their laughter.

Then a most remarkable thing happened.

Professor Scotch became so angry at what he considered the unwarranted
intrusion of the visitors that he forgot how he was dressed, forgot to
be scared, and grew fierce as a raging