It was Renford's turn next morning to get up and feed the ferrets.

　　Harvey had done it the day before.

　　Renford was not a youth who enjoyed early rising, but in the cause ofthe ferrets he would have endured anything, so at six punctually heslid out of bed, dressed quietly, so as not to disturb the rest of thedormitory, and ran over to the vault. To his utter amazement he foundit locked. Such a thing had never been done before in the whole courseof his experience. He tugged at the handle, but not an inch or afraction of an inch would the door yield. The policy of the Open Doorhad ceased to find favour in the eyes of the authorities.

　　A feeling of blank despair seized upon him. He thought of the dismay ofthe ferrets when they woke up and realised that there was no chance ofbreakfast for them. And then they would gradually waste away, and someday somebody would go down to the vault to fetch chairs, and would comeupon two mouldering skeletons, and wonder what they had once been. Healmost wept at the vision so conjured up.

　　There was nobody about. Perhaps he might break in somehow. But thenthere was nothing to get to work with. He could not kick the door down.

　　No, he must give it up, and the ferrets' breakfast-hour must bepostponed. Possibly Harvey might be able to think of something.

　　"Fed 'em?" inquired Harvey, when they met at breakfast.

　　"No, I couldn't.""Why on earth not? You didn't oversleep yourself?"Renford poured his tale into his friend's shocked ears.

　　"My hat!" said Harvey, when he had finished, "what on earth are we todo? They'll starve."Renford nodded mournfully.

　　"Whatever made them go and lock the door?" he said.

　　He seemed to think the authorities should have given him due notice ofsuch an action.

　　"You're sure they have locked it? It isn't only stuck or something?""I lugged at the handle for hours. But you can go and see for yourselfif you like."Harvey went, and, waiting till the coast was clear, attached himself tothe handle with a prehensile grasp, and put his back into one strenuoustug. It was even as Renford had said. The door was locked beyondpossibility of doubt.

　　Renford and he went over to school that morning with long faces and ageneral air of acute depression. It was perhaps fortunate for theirpurpose that they did, for had their appearance been normal it mightnot have attracted O'Hara's attention. As it was, the Irishman, meetingthem on the junior gravel, stopped and asked them what was wrong. Sincethe adventure in the vault, he had felt an interest in Renford andHarvey.

　　The two told their story in alternate sentences like the Strophe andAntistrophe of a Greek chorus. ("Steichomuthics," your Greek scholarcalls it, I fancy. Ha, yes! Just so.)"So ye can't get in because they've locked the door, an' ye don't knowwhat to do about it?" said O'Hara, at the conclusion of the narrative.

　　Renford and Harvey informed him in chorus that that _was_ thestate of the game up to present date.

　　"An' ye want me to get them out for you?"Neither had dared to hope that he would go so far as this. What theyhad looked for had been at the most a few thoughtful words of advice.

　　That such a master-strategist as O'Hara should take up their cause wasan unexampled piece of good luck.

　　"If you only would," said Harvey.

　　"We should be most awfully obliged," said Renford.

　　"Very well," said O'Hara.

　　They thanked him profusely.

　　O'Hara replied that it would be a privilege.

　　He should be sorry, he said, to have anything happen to the ferrets.

　　Renford and Harvey went on into school feeling more cheerful. If theferrets could be extracted from their present tight corner, O'Hara wasthe man to do it.

　　O'Hara had not made his offer of assistance in any spirit of doubt. Hewas certain that he could do what he had promised. For it had notescaped his memory that this was a Tuesday--in other words, amathematics morning up to the quarter to e............