“That is so,” said Ray Wendell. “They are chained and padlocked. That is bad, for the gates are iron, and make mighty solid anchors.” There was a silence for a moment. Our hearts began to sink. “Can’t we file the chains?” I asked. “No,” said Tony. “It would take too long, and we can’t stay here even ten minutes without running great risk of being caught.” “Let us take the gates too, then,” exclaimed Percy Randall in his impetuous way. This remark struck none of us seriously until Ray Wendell, who had been examining the hinges, replied: “Not a bad idea at all. The gates merely rest on their hinges. Two or three of us could slip one off. Lend a hand here, and let us try.” Two fellows sprang forward and put their shoulders to the gate. Ray had judged correctly, for, to our surprise and delight, the gate rose slowly off its hinges, and in a moment was resting beside the cannon. “Good, good!” cried Percy Randall softly. “Now take the other off, and we will bind each on the back of the cannon to which it is chained.” “Oh, this is rich!” said Tony Larcom to me with a chuckle. “I can’t help admiring Percy’s nerve. If the rest of the college had been fast to the gates, I believe he would have proposed taking it in tow.” We lost no time in getting our ropes attached to the cannons, and in swinging the muzzles around. Then, stretching out the ropes in the form of two long loops, we divided our party into two sections, one for each cannon. This done, we lined up and took our places. Percy Randall gave the signal for one section, and Ray Wendell for the other. The two columns swayed forward, the ropes became tight and rigid, and then off we moved slowly, pulling our old cannons after us. Throughout our movements we had thus far been undisturbed. Park College being situated some little distance out of Berkeley, we had no fear of alarm from town folks, and only anticipated the possibility of some one awaking in the college buildings. We had been very quiet in our actions, but, in dragging the cannons, some noise could not be avoided. It was, therefore, a period of terrible suspense, while we tugged frantically at the old pieces, fearing every moment that a note of alarm would be sounded.