"Be quiet, you—you forward boy! Something was going on in here! If I find out what it was, I shall punish all of you!" And having thus delivered himself, Josiah Crabtree strode out of the dormitory, banging the door after him.
"Isn't he an angel!" murmured Andy.
"The sweetest teacher that ever grew!" returned Pepper.
"I'd like to know how long Captain Putnam will put up with him," was Jack's comment.
"I don't believe it will be very long," answered Fred.
The cadets finished their dressing and hurried below. On account of the storm the morning drill was held in the gymnasium, and then the young soldiers marched to the mess-room. On the way several could not resist the temptation to pick up some snow and throw it at each other.
"Hi, you stop that!" roared Reff Ritter, as a snowball took him in the neck. "Who threw that?" he demanded; but nobody answered him. "I believe it was you, Ditmore!" he went on, turning an ugly look on Pepper.
"That's one for tampering with our bicycles, Ritter," retorted Pepper.
It was a chance shot, taken on the spur of the moment, but it told. Reff Ritter started and turned pale.
"Who—er—told you I—er—tampered with your bicycles?" he stammered.