“Here you are!” cried Hogan, and threw the bundle at Andy’s head.
“Where were they?” cried Josiah Crabtree.
“Right here, in the corner,” answered the Irish cadet. “Sure it’s a queer happening entirely, so it is,” he added, soberly, but with a twinkle in his merry eyes.
Try his best Josiah Crabtree could not learn who had been guilty of disturbing him, and at last ordered the cadets to retire. Then he straightened out his room and went to bed again, this time making certain to lock the door and placing a chair against it.
From the upper landing Jack and Pepper saw and heard something of what went on and laughed heartily. Then they too retired, and slept soundly until the morning bell awoke them.
“Well, we haven’t got to hurry, that’s one comfort,” observed the Imp, as he proceeded to dress leisurely. “Jack, our time’s our own.”
“Yes, but we must be ready to go to Captain Putnam as soon as he arrives,” was the answer. “We want him to understand that we are willing to submit to what he does, but not to Crabtree’s harshness.”
They heard the cadets march to the mess-hall for breakfast. A little later a carriage came along the road towards the Hall.
“There is the captain now!” cried Jack, who was on the watch.
“Let us go down and present ourselves as soon as possible—before Crabtree can tell his story,” said Pepper.