The first thought that flashed, excitedly, through Lieutenant Adams's mind was that perhaps the real delinquent guilty of the night's escapade had just shot himself.

It was a wild guess, but a pistol shot sometimes starts a wilder guess.
Out into the corridor darted Lieutenant Adams.

He did not immediately return to the room, so Dave Darrin, with rare and desperate presence of mind, closed the door.
"Get back into the meadow grass, Danny boy," Darrin whispered, giving his friend's arm a hard grip.

"If the 'loot'nant' comes back, get up fearfully drowsy when he orders you.

Gape and look too stupid to apologize!" Lieutenant Adams, however, had other matters to occupy his attention.
There was a genuine puzzle for him in the corridor.