“Don’t be so sure of that, Jack. Some of the other fellows may have followed us,” answered Pepper. He was down on his knees on the floor, pulling at an iron ring with all his strength. “Maybe you want to try this,” he added, as he gave an additional tug. The young major of the school cadets leaped from the bottom of the ladder and took hold of the iron ring, which was set in the edge of a heavy trap door. He pulled with might and main, but the trap door refused to budge. “Regular tug-of-war!” he panted. “Say, if we can’t get this door open what are we to do?” “Don’t ask me.” “It’s the only way out of the belfry, Pep.” “I know that—unless we climb out of one of the windows.” “Ugh! I don’t care to risk my neck in that manner.” And Jack Ruddy gave a slight shiver as he spoke. “Well, we’ve got to get out somehow,” continued Pepper, making a wry face. “We don’t want to stay here all night.” “If some of the other fellows played this trick on us——” “They ought to be hammered for it.” “Right you are. Maybe it was Reff Ritter.” “Say, that’s so! Don’t you remember, we saw him and his cronies on their way to the Hall when we came here? Maybe they followed us, came up the stairs on the sly, and bolted the trap from the under side. I shut the door myself—so that we wouldn’t fall through the hole in the dark.” “Well, if Reff Ritter & Company did this thing we’ll have an account to settle with them—when we get free.” “Right you are. But before we talk about getting square let us get this trap door open and get out of here.” The scene was the tall tower of a village church. The time was about nine o’clock of a fine moon-light night, and on all sides everything was quiet and serene. An hour before, the two boys already introduced had left the school which they attended on a “dare” from some of their chums. The dare involved visiting the Cedarville Union Church. The boys were to steal into the edifice by way of a side window, usually left open to admit fresh air. They were to make their way into the gallery and thence to the tower where hung a big bell. They were to remove the clapper of the bell and bring it back to the school with them. If they accomplished the feat the other students were to get up a feast in their honor. To those who have read the previous volumes of this “Putnam Hall Series” the two lads will need no special introduction. But for the benefit of others let me state that Jack Ruddy and Pepper Ditmore were chums living, when at home, in the western part of New York state. Jack was a little the older of the two, and was of a more or less serious turn of mind. Pepper was full of fun, and was frequently called The Imp, a nickname that fitted him well.