The Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch: or, The Cowboys' Double Round-Up. Stratemeyer Edward

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СКАЧАТЬ this time the two professors had reached the top of the stairs and Grawson was looking at the water marks on the polished floor.

      “Here is where they brought that big snowball in,” he remarked, pointing to the track that led to one of the windows. “They must have brought it up on the fire-escape.”

      “Here are several other tracks. I think we had better follow them,” returned Snopper Duke quickly.

      The track leading to the bathroom was most in evidence, and the two professors quickly discovered the big snowball resting in the bathtub.

      “Evidently they put this here to have some more fun with,” announced Professor Grawson grimly. “Well, it won’t do much harm here. I’ll turn on a little hot water and it will soon melt and run off,” and he turned on the faucet as he spoke.

      From the bathroom the two professors, followed by Codfish and Brassy, followed the water trail into a room occupied by several students who were particularly uppish and whom the Rovers did not like, and here some more of the snowballs were found.

      “Here is another trail,” announced Professor Duke, and in a moment more had thrown open the door leading to Stowell’s bedroom.

      “Here! what does this mean?” stammered Codfish, as, after the light had been turned on, he and the others saw the two big snowballs resting on either side of the bed.

      “Stowell, you must have had something to do with this,” cried Snopper Duke savagely.

      “No, sir. Not at all, sir,” answered the sneak in a trembling voice. “I don’t know a thing about it.”

      “Where did you come from just now?”

      “I – I came up the back stairs. I was just coming through the corridor when I heard the noise and came to see what it meant.”

      “The back stairs, eh?” put in Professor Grawson. “What were you doing on the back stairs this time in the evening?”

      “I – I was down in the kitchen.” And now Codfish grew pale.

      “And what called you to the kitchen?”

      “I – I was hungry, and so I asked one of the servants for something to eat.” And now Codfish was fairly whining.

      “Humph! didn’t you have any supper?”

      “Yes, sir. But I wasn’t feeling extra well just then and I didn’t eat very much, and that made me hungry afterwards. And, oh, say! I guess I can tell you something about those snowballs,” and Codfish’s face lit up suddenly.

      “What do you know?”

      “When I was passing through the little entryway that leads into the kitchen I happened to glance out of the window and I saw four or five fellows down at the foot of the fire-escape.”

      “What were they doing?”

      “When I looked at them they were just talking among themselves. I only looked for a moment because I was in a hurry to get to the kitchen and get back again.”

      “Did you recognize any of the cadets?”

      At this direct question, Codfish hesitated and showed that he felt far from comfortable.

      “I don’t like to tell on anybody,” he whined. “If I do that they’ll be sure to lick me later on – I know they will!”

      “You tell me who they were and I’ll see to it that they do not harm you,” put in Professor Duke quickly.

      “I only saw two of the fellows real plainly,” answered Stowell. “They were standing in the light from one of the windows.”

      “And who were they? Tell me! I want no nonsense now,” and Snopper Duke caught the sneak firmly by the shoulder.

      “Ouch! Please don’t hurt me!” cried Codfish, in added alarm.

      “Then answer me!”

      “The two fellows I recognized were Captain Jack Rover and his cousin, Lieutenant Fred Rover.”

      “You didn’t know the others?” put in Professor Grawson.

      “No, sir. I didn’t see them well enough. They were all in the shadows.”

      “I’ll investigate this,” cried Professor Duke. “Stowell, you come with me.”

      “Oh, please don’t make me come!” cried the sneak. “They’ll almost kill me if they find I gave them away!”

      “They sha’n’t touch you.”

      “Oh, I know what they’ll do,” moaned Codfish. He had not forgotten how the Rover boys had sided with him on more than one perilous occasion, and it scared him half to death to think what they might do when they discovered how meanly he was acting.

      But there was no help for it, and Codfish was marched along between the two professors, with Brassy and a number of other cadets, who had been attracted by the noise and the talk, following.

      Meanwhile the four Rover boys had listened to as much of the conversation as they could catch.

      “They went into Codfish’s room – they are following the trail of the water on the floor,” announced Jack.

      “Some of the other fellows are coming out and coming upstairs,” announced Fred. “Let us go out too and see what happens.”

      “Maybe they’ll accuse Codfish of this,” remarked Randy, with a grin.

      The four Rovers had just come out in the corridor and been joined by Gif, Phil, and Spouter when they found themselves suddenly confronted by Professor Duke, with Professor Grawson and poor Codfish directly behind him.

      “So this is your work, is it?” demanded Snopper Duke, glaring angrily at Jack and Fred in turn.

      “To what do you refer, Professor?” asked Jack, as calmly as he could.

      “You know well enough, Captain Rover. It is useless for you to deny it,” stormed the angry teacher. “You and your cousins here are responsible for bringing those big snowballs into the school.”

      “Who says so?” questioned Fred. At the same time he gave Codfish a look that made the sneak want to hide himself.

      “Never mind who says so. We know it to be a fact,” stormed Snopper Duke. “Will you kindly let me know what you mean by such outrageous conduct?”

      “Is it so very outrageous, Professor, to bring a few snowballs into the school?” questioned Randy innocently.

      “We’ve often brought snow into the school,” put in Andy. “We used to use it for making a sort of home-made ice-cream – with milk and sugar and a little flavoring, you know.”

      “Colonel Colby or Captain Dale never ordered us to leave the snow outdoors,” added Fred, and at this there was a snicker from among a number of the cadets who were gathered.

      “I will not listen to such nonsense,” stormed Snopper Duke. “You four brought those snowballs СКАЧАТЬ