"I think I am the best judge of how discipline should be maintained in this institution," responded Colonel Colby, with dignity. "I will take this matter up in the morning and do my best to sift it to the bottom. Now I think we had better retire, as it is growing late," and thereupon he returned to his own rooms.
"I think that was the best joke we ever played," remarked Andy, when he and the other Rovers were dressing on the following morning.
"It sure did count one against old Lemon," chuckled Randy.
"Yes. And to think the way Slugger and Nappy were knocked over by the goats too!" broke in Fred.
"I'll bet they're mad over that," observed Jack. "More than likely, it will make them take a hand in assisting Lemm to find out who was guilty. We'll have to be on our guard against them."
"Did anybody see you making off with the goats?" queried Randy suddenly.
"I don't think so," answered Jack. But in this surmise he was mistaken; one cadet had seen Walt Baxter hurrying from the school with goats' harness under his sweater, and this youth had, from a safe distance, watched Jack and Walt place some of the harness on the goats and drive them off in the direction of Mike O'Toole's farm.
This cadet was Codfish, who was always sneaking around, trying to pick up information that did not rightly belong to him.
"Ha, ha!" said the little sneak to himself, after Walt and Jack had disappeared. "Now I know who was responsible for bringing those goats into the school."
At first the sneak thought he would report the matter to either Asa Lemm or Colonel Colby, but as he was not in particularly good favor with the professor on whom the joke had been played, he thought it might be as well for him to wait and think the matter over.