“Well, we’re better off as it is,” answered Randy. “If we had shaved him maybe it might have gotten us into trouble. As it is, I don’t believe he’ll dare say a word about it.”
“We didn’t treat him half as badly as he treated us,” answered Andy, who could not forget the throwing of the bag of soot.
The boys had come up from the campus by way of the fire-escape on the back of the building, and now they lost no time in going below by the same means. They mingled with their fellow cadets, who were doing a war dance around the various bonfires.
“How about it? Did you see Codfish?” questioned Fred, as he caught sight of the twins.
“We did!” was the quick reply. “And we’ve got news,” and thereupon they related as briefly as they could what had happened in Stowell’s room and what the sneak had said.
“He can’t leave Colby Hall any too quick for me,” answered the young captain of Company C. “Halliday, Sands and that bunch are welcome to him.”
The festivities along the Rick Rack continued until after ten o’clock. Then, however, the bonfires gradually died down and one after another the cadets entered the Hall and went up to their various rooms.
In the meantime Codfish, half scared to death, remained in the clothes closet for the best part of half an hour. Then, finding he could get no reply from the person supposed to be outside on guard, he timidly ventured to open the door and peer out. Then he came forth into the bedroom, to find the lights still turned on but the apartment vacant save for the snake, which now rested on the bed.
“Ugh! What am I going to do with that thing?” the sneak murmured in new fright. Then he ran to the doorway and, donning his coat, rushed down the stairs. In the lower corridor he ran into Snopper Duke.
“Oh, Professor! Professor! There is a snake on my bed!” he wailed. “What shall I do about it? I don’t want to be bit!”