rely hides something."

"We mustn't damage either the wooden or brick flooring," warned
Furlong. "If we did find anything, after all, think of the row
Dodge could raise over the vandalism in his room."

So the time slipped by, faster than any of them knew. But these
five cadets, now satisfied that the obdurate brick really did
hide a secret toiled on with no thought of surrender.

At last they struck the combination. The brick back of the one
that so resisted their efforts was finally pried up, after a good
deal of effort. This opening laid bare a neat but powerful spring.

Had they had, at the outset, the whole secret of this spring,
they could have raised the resisting brick in a second's time.

"Get it up---must have a look!" cried Prescott hoarsely.

It was Greg who raised the brick that had resisted their efforts
for so long. Underneath Cadet Holmes found a collection of things
that chained the attention of all, as each took eager looks in
turn.

"Going to put the stuff back, for the present?" asked Anstey,
with an odd quiver in his voice The honorable Virginian was upset
by what he had seen.

"Not never!" retorted Greg with ungrammatical emphasis. "It won't
be just the thing for old ramrod and myself to have it, either.
Milesy, you and Dunstan take it along with you. Now, old ramrod,
just what had we better do?"

"I don't see anything for it but to root out again after taps and
the subdivision inspector's visit tonight," muttered Dick, who
was alternately pale and flushed over the discovery, and all that
it meant. "Gentlemen, will you come softly to my room fifteen
minutes after the sub-division inspector's official visit at taps?"

Greg and Anstey restored the bricked flooring of the fireplace
so that nothing indicated the late search.

Then, Dunstan and Furlong carrying away the discovered stuff,
the five prowlers turned out the gas and separated.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE "COMMITTEE ON CLASS HONOR"

At a few minutes after eleven, that same April night, five cadets
fully dressed stole down the corridor, and the leader laid a hand
on Dodge's doorknob.

In another moment they had stepped inside and their arrival awakened
Cadet Brayton.

"Plebes' quarters next floor up, brothers," called Brayton in
drowsy good nature.

"I'm sorry to say, Brayton, we're on the right floor, and in the
right room," responded Dunstan. "But this visit won't bother you!"

The noise of voices awoke Bert