“Got to have a ladder to reach it,” announced Bob.
“Put one of the big pulpit chairs on top of another and we can reach it,” said Jerry. “I figured that out when I was here this morning.”
Jerry was right about the chairs, and on this rather shaky pyramid, while Ned and Bob steadied it, Jerry reached up and lifted down the picture, no easy task, for it was in a heavy gold frame.
The Boxwood picture was one of the treasures of the institution; not because of its intrinsic worth, but because of the associations.
The Reverend Doctor Ebenezer Boxwood, to give him his proper title, had founded the college as a religious school, and the chapel was one of the first buildings erected. He had been a clergyman of great scholarly attainments, and a natural instructor.
Gradually, like many others of its kind, Boxwood Hall broadened, and became a college in which the divinity side was less and less emphasized each year, though the institution still conferred the degree of Doctor of Divinity upon those who wished it, and who passed the necessary tests.
So it was that the faculty of the college revered the picture of the founder, even though the boys did not. For, of course, none of the present undergraduates had known the Rev. Dr. Ebenezer Boxwood.
“Now hustle!” advised Jerry, when the picture was safely down. “Put back the chairs, and we’ll cut out of here.”
This was soon done, and, with the picture covered with the black robe, the conspirators, first looking about to make sure they were unobserved, sneaked out the side door, and made their way toward the flagpole.
Here was where the greatest danger of detection lay, for they were out in the open, and though the flagpole was not near any of the buildings it was in a conspicuous place on the campus, and the boys might be observed by some passing professor.
However, luck seemed to be with them, and they quickly made the flag halyards fast to the picture and hoisted it up to the top of the pole, making sure the fastenings were secure so the portrait would not fall.
[Illustration: THEY MADE THE FLAG HALYARDS FAST TO THE PICTURE AND HOISTED IT UP.]
“Well, I guess that’s some nifty little trick,” chuckled Jerry, as they hurried back to their rooms.