“Traps? I see no traps,” and Captain Putnam flashed around the rays of his lantern. Then he set the light down and untied the prisoners’ hands, and the cloths over their eyes were also removed.
“Well, I never!” cried Coulter, looking around.
“Not a single trap, or a bayonet!” murmured Sabine. “We have been fooled.”
“Go back to your tent at once!” cried Captain Putnam, sharply. “I want no more nonsense this night.”
The balance of the night passed quietly enough, for the cadets were afraid to prowl around, not knowing who might be on guard. In the morning there were a good many laughs, but Dan Baxter and his crowd did not join in.
Down at the general store at the cross-roads Pepper had purchased some firecrackers and also some seidlitz powders. Watching his chance that morning he took the white-paper powders and dumped them in the milk the Baxter crowd was using. Then he dumped the other powders into their sugar.
“Guess I’ll have some coffee now,” said Baxter, and got himself a cup. Then he put in some of the doctored milk and followed with some of the doctored sugar. Several of the others did the same.
An instant later Baxter’s coffee began to bubble and foam and then went up like a geyser. The bully was so astonished he let the cup fall with a smash.
“Great Scott! What’s up with the coffee!”
“My coffee is going to explode!” shrieked Mumps, and threw his cup in some bushes.