“Talk about being scared,” returned Pepper. “I was afraid he would have a regular fit!”
There was more fun that night. Poor Hogan was tossed in a blanket, and Dan Baxter had three frogs placed between the blankets of his cot. Our friends did not escape, for in the morning Pepper found a sharp burr in one shoe, and Andy found the sleeves of his coat tied into hard knots. Jack was minus his shoes, which were finally located dangling from the limb of a tree back of his tent.
“Hullo, Major Ruddy has planted a shoe tree!” cried one of the cadets. “Wouldn’t mind having some seed, major. I’d like to grow a pair of slippers.”
“Why not try some lady-slipper seed,” suggested Pepper.
“I’ll slipper the chap that put my shoes up there, if I can find him,” grumbled Jack.
At breakfast there was more fun. Dan Baxter’s crowd was preparing a pot of coffee when Pepper, watching his chance, dropped a piece of soap into the pot.
“Phew! but this is rank coffee!” came from Paxton, spitting out a mouthful.
“Vilest I ever tasted,” came from Coulter. “Say, Dan, did you make that out of stale glue, or old boots?”
“It’s good enough coffee for anybody,” grumbled the bully. “If you don’t like it, make it yourself after this.”
Then he took a deep gulp, just to show them he was not afraid to drink it. A wry face followed.