Really it was high time this contemptible spirit of annoying those he chose to look upon in the light of enemies was crushed in Nick Lang.

He had carried on with a "high horse" too long already, and, for one, Hugh felt as though combined action should be taken against him by the respectable fellows of Scranton High.
But it was far from Hugh's intention to stand there and see his locker robbed by such an unprincipled fellow as Leon Disney, if, indeed, the skulker proved to be the party they suspected.

Possibly Hugh moved too soon, for it would have been much wiser had he waited until the sneak thief actually had the locker open, and disclosed his full intention.
Urged on to action by his indignation, Hugh started forward.

Thad, realizing that it was his chum's intention to do something radical, skipped off a little to the right.

He fancied that should the skulker take the alarm and try to flee, making for the open window in the rear, he was apt to turn aside and try to pass by; so his move was intended to block this little game.
It turned out to be needless, for so interested as the fellow with the flash-light in his work of inserting a key in the lock, and trying to turn it, that he did not appear to notice anything wrong until Hugh was close at his elbow.