CHAPTER IV A DOSE OF SNOW AND ICICLES
As soon as it became apparent that Andy was doing much better than hehad been able to do, Reff Ritter lost interest in the exhibition goingon.
"I reckon I've seen enough," he drawled. "It's cold in here anyway. I'mgoing back to the school," and he shuffled off, followed by Mumps.
"Andy, you are ten times better than he is on the bar and rings," criedPepper.
"Sure, an' that Ritter is a big blow, so he is!" was Hogan's comment. "Iam glad that Andy took him down."
"I don't think he'll like it much," observed Andy.
The acrobatic youth was right. Reff Ritter was very bitter at heart.
"Where are Baxter and Coulter?" he asked of Mumps, as they hurriedoutside.
"Went down to the old boathouse," and Mumps winked.
"For a smoke?"
"Yes," was the whispered answer. For, as my readers may imagine, smokingamong the cadets was strictly prohibited.
"Think I'll have a cigarette myself," said Ritter. "Will you comealong?"
Now, Mumps did not like to smoke, as it made him sick. But he did notwish to offend his new friend, and so he agreed to go along. They soonmade their way to where Baxter and Coulter had taken themselves, and thetoady gave a peculiar whistle.
It was answered a moment later, and Coulter appeared.
"Oh, it's you," he said. "All right, come in."
They entered a section of the old boathouse that was but little used. Itwould have been cold, only the cadets had found a charcoal stove, andthis was burning. Around it were Dan Baxter, Paxton, and Coulter, allsmoking cigarettes.
"Hullo, glad to see you," said Dan Baxter to Reff Ritter. "Sit down withus and enjoy yourself."
Ritter sat down and drew from his pocket a package of importedcigarettes. He offered one to Mumps, and the toady lit it. Then Ritterlit one himself, inhaling the smoke and blowing it forth through hisnose.
"Say, this is something like," he observed. "Quite a cozy bunk youhave."
"It's good enough for a smoking place in the winter time," answered thebully of Putnam Hall. "In the summer time we can go anywhere."
"Captain Putnam must be down on smoking."
"He is."
"I don't see why," said Paxton. "I've smoked ever since I was eightyears old." And his pinched face showed it.
"I love these imported Egyptian cigarettes," went on Reff Ritter. "I getthe genuine, you know."
"I've got a treat for all hands," said Dan Baxter, after a pause. Hebrought forth a big bottle from his overcoat.
"What is that?" asked Mumps.
"Wine--I bought it down at Cedarville."
"Just the stuff!" exclaimed Ritter. "I'm with you on wine. I got used todrinking it when I was over in Europe. You know they serve it regularlyfor dinner at all the hotels."
The bottle of wine was passed around, and all of the boys assembleddrank a portion. Mumps wanted to decline, but did not dare.
"Don't be afraid of it, Mumpsy, old boy," said Baxter to his toady."Drink it, it will make a man of you."
The boys continued to smoke and drink for the best part of half an hour.Then they heard a peculiar noise outside.
"Hi, somebody is coming!" cried Paxton, in alarm. "Put out the light!"
The lantern that hung on a nail was extinguished and the boys listened.They heard somebody moving around in the dark. Then all became silent.
"I--I don't like this," said Mumps, in a trembling voice. "I thinksomebody was spying on us!"
"We had better get back to the school," said Baxter, and this advice wasfollowed without delay. They saw somebody running across the campus, butcould not make out who the person was.
During the time the Baxter crowd had been smoking and drinking they hadtalked over many matters, and particularly their troubles with Pepper,Jack, and Andy Snow. The bully of the Hall wanted to get even withPepper for the trouble on the ice, and Reff Ritter was willing to doalmost anything to "put a spoke in Andy Snow's wheel," as he expressedit.
The upshot of the talk was that the crowd determined to play some trickson our friends, and do it that very night.
"I know something brand-new," said Coulter, and told his cronies of it.
"That's the talk--if we can work it," said Baxter. "And we'll dosomething else, too," he added.
Gus Coulter's idea was to get some snow and stuff it into the pillows ofthe other boys. The heat of the boys' heads would gradually melt thesnow and leave the lads in beds that were soaking wet.
As luck would have it, Dan Baxter and his party found the dormitoryoccupied by Jack and the others empty when they went upstairs. Theyquickly got out the bed pillows, and from the roof of an addition to theacademy procured the necessary snow, which they stuffed into thepillow-cases, next to the feathers. Then they got a number of iciclesand put several at the foot of each bed, under the blankets, and in suchmanner that the boys' feet would come up against them.
"And now for a finishing touch," said Ritter, and placed a big chunk ofsnow on the upper edge of the dormitory door, leaving the door slightlyopen. Then the boys hid away to watch proceedings.
It was not long after this that Jack and his friends came upstairs to goto bed. They did not, however, go straight to their dormitory, butstopped to talk to some other cadets at the end of the hall.
"I wish they would go in their room," whispered Paxton, from a corner."I am getting tired of waiting."
"Say, here comes old Crabtree," put in Mumps.
"Yes, and he's going toward their room!" cried Gus Coulter, in surprise.
He spoke the truth, and an instant later Josiah Crabtree pushed upon thedormitory door. Down came the big chunk of snow on the teacher, sendinghim flat to the floor.
"Hi! hi! What's this?" spluttered Josiah Crabtree. "Who is--er--whocovered me with snow?"
He turned over and got to his feet. His shoulders were full of snow andsome snow had gone down inside his collar, causing him to shiver withcold.
The noise attracted the attention of all the cadets in the vicinity, andsoon they gathered around the teacher.
"What's the matter?"
"Old Crabtree is taking a snow bath for his health."
"Where did all that snow come from?"
"Major Ruddy, can you explain this?" demanded the assistant teacher,turning angrily to Jack.
"No, sir, I cannot," was the answer.
"I was going to enter this dormitory when down came this snow, almostburying me alive!"
"I am sorry, Mr. Crabtree."
"It is outrageous--villainous! Somebody is responsible!"
"I am not. I know nothing about the snow."
"I guess it was put there for our benefit," put in Pepper. "We wereabout to enter the room when you came along."
"Humph! A silly trick."
"How did you happen to catch it, Mr. Crabtree?" asked Andy, curiously.
"I was going into the room to see if the windows were closed. There is agreat draught through this hallway, as you can feel. Then you do notknow who did this?" went on the instructor, gazing sharply at theassembled pupils.
All looked blankly at each other. Dan Baxter and his cronies took goodcare to keep in the background.
"Gather up the snow and throw it out of a window," ordered JosiahCrabtree, and this was done, but not before several snowballs had beenthrown, one catching Mumps in the neck and another landing on ReffRitter's left ear. Then the throwing was stopped, order was restored,and all of the cadets were told to retire.
"Somebody put up a job on us right enough," observed Pepper, when he andhis chums were in the dormitory and the door had been closed. "If oldCrabtree hadn't come along one of us would have gotten that dose."
"I'll wager that I know who is guilty," came from Dale.
"Dan Baxter and his crowd?"
"Exactly. Didn't you see how they hung back and how they grinned at us?"
"I saw it," came from Andy. "That's why I
soaked Mumps with a snowball."
"And I let Ritter have it in the ear," said Pepper. "But I say, fellows,we want to be on our guard."
"Do you think they played more jokes on us?" questioned Hogan. "Sure an'it would be just like 'em to do it, so it would!" he added.
"It certainly won't do any harm to look around," suggested Jack. "Itwon't take but a few minutes to do it."
Pepper held up his hand.
"Wait!" he whispered, and sliding to the door, threw it open suddenly.Outside he found Ritter, Baxter, and Coulter. The trio were amazed atbeing thus suddenly confronted.
"I thought so!" cried Pepper, triumphantly.
"Oh, go to grass!" muttered the bully of the school, and walked away.
"We'll fix you another time," muttered Ritter.
"And do it well too," added Coulter.
Pepper waited until he had seen the others enter their dormitory andthen closed his own door again.
"I've found something!" cried Andy, and dove into his pillow-case."Filled with snow!"
"Snow for Snow!" said Jack.
"That's a cold pun," observed Dale. "Just the same, here is snow in mypillow too. Say, we just got this in time. It would have melted beforelong and then our pillows would have been wringing wet."
"Don't say a word about snow," said Emerald. "Just be after lookin' atthis now!" And he held up three icicles he had dislodged from his bed."Ain't they iligant foot-warmers though!"
Without delay the other boys looked into their beds, and soon all theicicles were disposed of, and the snow was likewise cleaned away. Theythen made another hunt around the dormitory, to make certain thatnothing else was wrong.
"I guess we are safe now," said Jack, at last. "But what a mess thiswould have made if we had not found it out in time!"
"I know what I am going to do," said Pepper, decidedly.
"What, Imp?" came from several of the others.
"I'm going to pay the Baxter crowd back, and with interest."
And the others instantly agreed to help him.