“A big, round-faced fellow,” reminded Homer. “Roomed in 14 last year, with Dickerman. Played guard on the second for awhile.”
“Oh, yes, I remember. Say, what became of him, anyway? He isn’t here this year, is he?”
“No, he didn’t come back. Went to Andover or somewhere up that way,” answered Arnold. “Well, anyway, Homer and I decided we’d get even with him. Homer’s folks had just sent a box and there was about a half a dozen boxes of soda crackers in it. So we emptied the lot in Garfield’s bed. Sort of spread them around neatly and then tidied everything up again so you wouldn’t ever think it had been touched. But afterwards we thought that maybe he would just pick the crackers out and eat them. So we went over and visited him that evening about nine and sat on his bed. The way—”
“I thought every time we moved he’d hear the silly things go crunch!” laughed Homer. “But he didn’t. We made an awful lot of noise—”
“He wanted us to sit in chairs,” chuckled Arnold, “but we told him we preferred the bed. Said we were dead tired and wanted to lean back. After a bit we got to rough-housing, just to finish the job nicely, and we had it all over the bed, the crackers crunching finely. We had to shout and howl so he wouldn’t hear them. He said we were a couple of silly idiots and if we didn’t cut it out ‘Muscles’ would hear the row and be up. So we let up after we’d rolled all over the bed and said good-night to him and hoped he’d have a nice, restful sleep, and went home.”
“Did he?” laughed Fanning.
“Like anything! After his light went out Homer and I opened the door and listened. We didn’t have to listen long, though. We heard him mutter something and then there was a roar and he landed out in the middle of the room, I guess. We saw the light go on again and—well, we thought we’d better go to bed about then. Which we did, locking the door very, very carefully first. He almost broke it in before Mr. Bendix came bounding upstairs to see what the trouble was!”
“Yes,” added Homer, “and the low-life told ‘Muscles’ about it and showed him the bed! Garfield was one of those chaps who just love a joke—as long as it isn’t on him!”
“What did ‘Muscles’ do?” asked Halliday delightedly.
“Not a thing. Told Garfield to shake his sheets out and go to bed. But he wouldn’t speak to either of us for days and days; Garfield, I mean. Seemed real peeved at us!”