In due time all was quiet again, and the digger once more tackled his job, with a stubborn spirit worthy of admiration. Lanky liked his nerve in thus taking such great chances of being discovered and caught, when he might expect to be given a good hiding. It would seem as though the man with the spade must attain the object of his search before long, since the hole was already of some depth. As a consequence the boys found themselves more worked up than ever. Lanky discovered that his right arm was feeling prickly all over. He knew what that meant, for it was not the first time his arm or leg had gone to sleep from a continuous pressure of some sort. His intention was to change around and lean with his left arm, if only it could be managed, for he surely did not wish to lose sight of things at this critical stage of the affair. It proved to be rather an unfortunate design on his part for his right arm was as helpless as though paralyzed so when he tried to move it played him a most dastardly and treacherous trick, actually crashing through the window and shattering the pane of glass into a thousand pieces! CHAPTER VII IN THE BLACK BOTTLE It is astonishing what a tremendous medley of sound usually follows the smashing of a window, especially in the dead of night, with everything around gripped in silence. Frank had a sensation almost of panic, hardly knowing what had happened. Paul, on his part, involuntarily ducked down, as if under the impression that the runt outside had hurled his spade through the window and would possibly follow it with other things still more dangerous. Lanky, who was himself the culprit, appeared to grasp the situation and its undoubted disastrous consequences better than either of his companions. This was proved when he made a vigorous bolt for the exit of the room, leading outdoors. "Let's grab him, fellows!" he shouted back over his shoulder, just before tearing open the door and leaping headlong through. In his haste he made some sort of miscalculation, and the next thing he knew he tripped over some object and went headlong to the ground. Frank and Paul, having caught his idea, and being nimble enough to follow close on his heels, also had the experience of taking headers, so for a few seconds there was something of a mix-up. When they managed to untie the tangle and gain their feet, look as they might there was no sign of the little man to be seen. He had vanished as quietly as the wreaths of fog do in the morning when a puff of air welcomes the rising of the sun. "Please somebody kick me for a duffer!" pleaded the disgusted Lanky. Loud voices attested to the fact that the smash and jingle of falling fragments of glass had instantly awakened every sleeper in the near-by bunk-house. Out they came running, helter-skelter, some in pajamas, others partly dressed, as was their habit while sleeping, but all wildly excited. "What happened, boys?" bellowed Lige Smith, racing up barefooted.