He crept silently back to Clarke and breathed a sigh of relief when he found the door ajar as he had left it. There had always been the possibility that someone would come prowling around, find it undone and relock it. But fortune, it seemed, was with him to-night. He pushed open the door, entered, closed it behind him and noiselessly turned the key again. Then he faced around and discovered himself looking startledly into the eyes of the Assistant Principal! Mr. Collins was clothed in a crimson bathgown, the tasseled cords of which he was still in the act of tying with fumbling fingers. He had evidently just arisen from bed, and hurriedly. Kendall, the electric torch still clasped in his left hand, remained stock-still and regarded the brilliant apparition with open mouth. It was the apparition that spoke first. “Where have you been?” asked Mr. Collins sternly. “Just――just outside, sir,” replied Kendall vaguely. “What for?” “Just――just to look around, sir; to get the air. I――I wasn’t sleepy, please, sir, and I――I took a walk.” “Hm; really?” Mr. Collins’s tone was doubting. “Didn’t you know it was against the rules to leave the building after ten o’clock?” “Yes, sir, but I――I guess I forgot it.” “You guess you forgot it, eh? What’s that in your hand?” Kendall looked down, saw the torch and regarded it with a vast surprise, turning it this way and that in an evident effort to account for it. Finally, though, “That’s an electric torch, sir,” he answered. “Hm; so I see. What’s your name?” “Burtis, sir.” “What’s your room?” “Twenty-one, sir.” “Go to it. I’ll talk with you to-morrow. Wait!” Kendall “waited” abruptly, almost losing his balance. “Are you alone?” “Yes, sir.” “No one else with you?” “No, sir.” “Quite certain of that?” “Oh, yes, sir.” “Very well. Don’t let this happen again, Curtis.” “Burtis, please, sir. No, sir. Thank you, sir.” “Hm! Good night!” But the encounter with Mr. Collins couldn’t spoil the adventure. Unaided and alone, reflected Kendall as he mounted the stairs to his room, he had met the enemy and repulsed it! He had saved the school from vandalism! He, Kendall Burtis, had done it, and from now on they could no longer disregard his existence. He was a hero! Of course, his thoughts continued as he crawled into bed without disturbing the rhythmic breathing of his roommate, of course Mr. Collins might lecture him about leaving the building after lock-up, but what was a lecture in view of his triumph? Eventually Kendall fell asleep to dream of the night’s events in weird parody, little recking of the mischievous possibilities of what is known as Circumstantial Evidence! CHAPTER VII CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE