half bent
over?" was what Thad whispered in the ear of his chum.

Both of them had come to a full stop, under the impulse of the
moment; and Thad was pointing a little to the right, which was where
the building erected on the athletic grounds stood, dimly seen in the
mysterious moonlight.

So Hugh, staring quickly, made out the object indicated by his
companion. Really, he could hardly blame Thad for asking such a
question, because at first it was next to impossible to determine
whether it was a four-footed creature, or a human being who, for some
good reason, was trying to make himself appear as small as possible.

But as Hugh continued to look he saw the other raise himself to his
full height, as though to take a cautious survey of his surroundings.
Then he knew that it was no canine prowling around to discover scraps
thrown aside by the carpenters working on the board fence, as they
ate their noon lunch.

"It's a human being all right, Thad," Hugh whispered, in such a low
tone that even the sharpest pair of ears going could never have
caught the sound ten feet away.

"Man, or boy, Hugh?" asked Thad, copying the example set by the
other, and even bending his head so that his lips might come closer
to Hugh's right ear.

"Can't make that out," he was told.

"But what in the wide world is he trying to do?" pursued Thad, his
curiosity now fully aroused, as the unknown again started to move
forward, pursuing the same strange cautious tactics as before.

"That's what we ought to find out," Hugh told him. "I don't like the
way he's sneaking around here. It looks as if he might be up to some
game."

"Oh! perhaps it's a tramp," suggested Thad, as the idea dawned upon
his brain.

"He may be meaning to break into the building, to sleep there
to-night. I wouldn't put it past a hobo to steal anything he could
find left in the lockers. Hugh, it's up to us to put a kink in his
rope. Let's chase after him before he disappears."

CHAPTER VII

CAUGHT IN THE ACT

"Hold on, Thad," continued Hugh, as he put a restraining hand on the
shoulder of his more impulsive chum, "we've got to be careful, or
else he'll learn how we're meaning to spy on him. Bend over, and do
the grand sneak act."

"He's headed straight for the building, Hugh!" breathed the other, as
he complied with the directions given by the one whom he was
accustomed to look upon in the light of a leader.

"That's right, and I guess he's meaning