# XVII: The Watchers in the Vault explained — The Gold Bat

> Chapter companion for The Gold Bat by P. G. Wodehouse.

## What happens

O'Hara and Moriarty hide in the vault to spy on a secret meeting, which turns out to be the League smoking in defiance of rules. Their housemaster, Mr. Dexter, discovers them and demands they come out, but they escape through a forgotten trapdoor, using an alibi at the gymnasium to avoid detection.

## Themes in this chapter

### Secrecy and Detection

O'Hara and Moriarty spy on the League's secret meeting, while Dexter attempts to detect and catch rule-breakers.

### Authority and Rebellion

The League's smoking in the vault and O'Hara and Moriarty's evasion of Dexter represent rebellion against school authority.

## Character check-ins

### O'Hara

Leads the spying mission in the vault, recalls a childhood memory of a trapdoor, and orchestrates the escape.

### Moriarty

Accompanies O'Hara in the vault, helps find the trapdoor, and participates in the alibi at the gymnasium.

### Dexter

The housemaster who discovers the boys in the vault and attempts to catch them, but is outwitted.

### Day

Mentioned as the master at the gymnasium who provides an alibi for O'Hara and Moriarty.

## Key lines

> luck had stood by them well all through⁠—there was a bolt on top of the trapdoor, as well as beneath it.

They were fortunate that the trapdoor had a bolt on both sides, allowing them to secure it from above.

_Highlights the luck that aids O'Hara and Moriarty in their escape._

> That profound thinker, Mr. Tony Weller, was never so correct as in his views respecting the value of an alibi. There are few better things in an emergency.

The narrator compares the effectiveness of an alibi to the wisdom of a famous literary character, emphasizing its usefulness in a tight spot.

_Literary allusion to Charles Dickens' character, underscoring the theme of clever evasion._

> It could not have been very pleasant, smoking in almost pitch darkness, but it was breaking rules, which was probably the main consideration that swayed the smokers.

The smokers endured discomfort for the sake of defying school rules, which was their primary motivation.

_Illustrates the rebellious nature of the League members._

## Links

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- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_gold_bat_se
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