“Then let’s get those snowballs inside and distribute ’em.”
In a few minutes the snowballs were gotten inside the building, and then two were rolled and pushed over to the room occupied by Henry Stowell, a cadet commonly called Codfish on account of the broadness of his mouth. Luck was with them, for the door was unlocked, so that they had little trouble in rolling the snowballs inside, where they were placed one on either side of the single bed the cadet occupied.
After this the cadets rolled several of the balls to various other rooms, one being placed in the tub of a bathroom.
“I’ve saved the biggest of the snowballs,” whispered Randy. “That’s the one we must place in Professor Duke’s room.”
The professor’s room was around in another corridor, and to get to this the cadets had to roll the big snowball directly past the top of the broad stairs leading to the hall below. They had the snowball in a position right at the head of the stairs when Spouter, who was leaning over the upper railing on guard, gave a sudden hiss of warning.
“Somebody coming!” he announced in a whisper. “And unless I’m mistaken, it’s Professor Duke!”
“Gosh! I hope he doesn’t catch us,” returned Gif Garrison. “Maybe we had better run for it.”
“Here he comes right for the stairs!” put in Jack, as he saw the familiar form pass a light in the lower hall.
The cadets did not know just what to do, and while they paused to consider, Professor Duke started up the long, straight stairs. He was evidently in deep thought and did not look above him.
“Run, fellows! Run!” whispered Andy excitedly, and then, as the others started away he attempted to follow. But the floor was wet from the melting snow, and down he came flat on his back, both feet hitting the big snowball squarely.