Mott drew down the corners of his mouth and then a sudden light appeared in his eyes that caused Will to look keenly at him for a moment. "Come on, Foster," he said simply; "let's put this fellow where he won't do any more harm, at least until after St. Patrick's Day." "Where'll we put him?" inquired Foster. Will turned and looked about him and perceived a small harness room on the ground floor near him, and upon his suggestion the helpless sophomore was placed within it for safe keeping. "Now then, Foster," said Will when he had closed the door of the room, "we've just got to find the place where these canes are hidden. Mott has come here to take the place of the guard that was here last night and nobody knows how long it'll be before some one else comes. Come on, let's get about it." At once the two freshmen began their search. Beginning near the entrance, they examined every bin and peered into every possible place of concealment. Even in the mangers before which the horses were tied they peered and searched, but when they had carefully examined the entire floor they had not been able to discover the place where the coveted canes had been concealed. "What are we to do, Will?" demanded Foster at last. "Let's ask Mott." "He'll never let on." "Try it, anyway." The two boys returned to the harness room and Will at once addressed their prisoner. "Mott," he said, "where are those canes?" The sophomore laughed loudly as he replied, "You certainly are the two most innocent freshmen I have ever struck yet. Perhaps you'd like to have me help you carry them back to the college." "We'll let you go if you'll tell us where they are." "Thanks muchly," replied Mott dryly. "Come on, Will," said Foster. "We can find them ourselves. No use in wasting time here with this fellow. We'll get them ourselves." "You're certain they're here?" laughed Mott. Neither responded to his question, but both left the room and resumed their search. "You don't suppose they have really got those canes somewhere else, do you, Foster? They might be just trying to put us on the wrong track here, you know?" inquired Will. "It's possible, but I don't believe it," said Foster positively. "If that was their game Mott wouldn't be here." "Probably not," assented Will. "Let's begin again. We've no time to waste." The freshmen now began to search in the loft of the barn. They seized the pitchforks that were in the mow, and, thrusting the tines into the hay, they continued their search, working with desperate determination and throwing the hay about them until the entire mow presented the appearance of having been almost completely overturned. But not a trace of the missing canes could they discover. At last, satisfied that their efforts were vain, they ceased and for a moment stared blankly at each other. "No use," said Will despondently. "They've made game of us this time, Foster, just as sure as you live."