“What do you think he’ll do if he finds out you took the clapper?” questioned Fred Century.
“I don’t know, I’m sure. Cut off our holidays perhaps,—or reduce me to the ranks.”
“I don’t want my holidays cut,” said Pepper. “And to have Jack’s official position taken from him would be too mean for anything.”
All of the boys who had had a part in taking the clapper and putting it in Josiah Crabtree’s room were very much worried although they tried not to show it. It was one thing to play a joke and quite another to take the consequences.
“How Reff Ritter and his crowd will laugh if we are found out and punished,” said Pepper to his intimate chums.
“If they laugh too loud I’ll punch ’em,” answered Andy.
“I believe what the captain does will depend upon what the church folks do,” put in Joe Nelson. “If they raise a big row he’ll have to investigate pretty thoroughly. It might be a good thing to smooth matters over with the church people.”
“And how would you do that?” asked Pepper.
“Oh, you might explain that it was only a bit of boyish fun, done on a dare—and you might propose to give the church an extra donation if the matter was dropped. I think Deacon Pelham would drop the matter if the extra donation was made—and he’s the head man in the church just now.”
“Deacon Pelham!” cried Fred Century. You mean Isaac Pelham, who lives up the lake shore near Grape Creek?”