“Well, what about the snowballs that were placed in the rooms of Stowell, Besser, Lunn and in the bathroom?”
“We only meant it for a little fun, Colonel,” pleaded Fred. “Of course, I realize now that maybe we went a little too far.”
“You certainly did go too far, Lieutenant Rover. And I am especially surprised to find you and Captain Rover mixed up in anything of this sort. I expect the officers of the cadets to set a good example.”
“I was thinking you might say that, Colonel Colby,” put in Jack quickly. “And I should have thought of it before I went into the affair. But we were having such fun outside snowballing, and like that, that we got deeper into it before we gave it a second thought.”
“And we really didn’t know that we couldn’t bring any snow into the school,” put in Phil rather lamely.
“Such an explanation won’t go here, Franklin. I expect my students to have more common sense than that. Of course, it may have been nothing but a boyish prank, and if you can give me your word that the snowball which went down the stairs and hit Professor Duke was not aimed at him deliberately, I shall feel inclined to let the matter pass.”
“Oh, Colonel Colby, will you really do that?” questioned Fred eagerly.
“Please remember we’ve been punished already,” put in Spouter. “Locked up like a lot of criminals, and the radiator turned off until we almost froze to death!”
“The radiator turned off?” questioned the owner of the school. “It is hot enough now,” he added, as he placed his hand upon it.
“But it wasn’t before,” answered Gif, and gave the particulars. As he did this Colonel Colby’s face became a study.