He withdrew to one side, and Diamond, with a mystified expression, touched Rattleton on the shoulder and beckoned him to follow. "What's up, Dismal?" said Rattleton. "Get the other fellows," replied Jones. The others were soon drawn from the group of excited students, and then Dismal said: "I've got the key to this whole thing, and if you fellows will help turn it, we'll get Merriwell out of this scrape in less than no time." The boys were too astonished to reply, and Dismal went on: "Yesterday," he said, "a fellow came to me and after a lot of hemming and hawing and beating about the bush, told me that he could put me onto a way to pass Babbitt's examination perfectly; he also said that I could give the same tip to my friends. "I'm not letting any tips on examinations go by, you can bet on that, and so I made him tell me what the racket was. He said he had got hold of two copies of Babbitt's paper." "Who was it?" exclaimed the boys, eagerly. "Wait a minute," said Jones. "He said the printer accidentally struck off more than was necessary, and he got the copies in that way." "What way?" "Oh, I don't know, I didn't ask particularly, because"--Dismal hesitated a moment--"because, well, I'm not putting up a front for being a preacher, or a goody-goody boy, but I didn't quite fancy taking part in a cheat like that, and I told him so. "Besides that, I couldn't see any reasons why he should give this favor to me: he and I have never been chummy, and I don't believe that he got them from the printer, either." "Well, well, who was it?" demanded Rattleton, excitedly. "Ford." "Ford, of all men!" "Yes, he was the fellow." "It's just as Merriwell says," said Page. "Ford is crazy to lead the class, and he will take any means for getting a paper." "How is it going to help Merriwell?" asked Rattleton. "You fellows must get after Ford," responded Jones, "and make him own up. Do you remember how he passed down the aisle and asked Babbitt a question?" "Yes." "And don't you remember Merriwell's papers were knocked off his desk?" "I saw that something had happened," responded Diamond, "but I sat too far away----" "Well, the papers were on the floor," responded Jones, "and I'd like to bet a dollar to a button that Ford tucked in that extra examination paper when he picked the papers up." The boys looked seriously at one another a moment, and then two or three said together: "Let's call on Ford!" Away they went at once, and in a few minutes were at Ford's door. "Come in," he said, when they knocked. One of them tried the door, but found that it was locked. "Wait a minute," called Ford, and they heard him crossing the room. Rattleton heard the scratching of a match at the same moment. Something seemed to go wrong with the key, for Ford fumbled at the lock for a moment before he opened the door. "Hello!" he said in a tone of surprise. "Come right in."