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

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СКАЧАТЬ by accident,” answered Andy, feeling that there was no help for it and that he must make a clean breast of the matter. “We were rolling it down the corridor when all at once I slipped in a puddle of water and both my feet struck the snowball and sent it on its way down the stairs. But we didn’t mean to send it down; I can give you my word on that.”

      “I don’t believe it,” stormed Snopper Duke.

      “I’m telling you the truth, sir.”

      “Perhaps Rover didn’t mean to send the snowball downstairs,” put in Professor Grawson mildly. As a general thing he sided with the cadets and they had little difficulty in getting along with him.

      “Mr. Grawson, I was the one to suffer through this outrageous trick,” fumed Snopper Duke. “And you will kindly permit me to handle the affair. These four cadets are guilty and must be punished.”

      “I agree it is more your affair than mine, Mr. Duke,” returned the other teacher. “But don’t you think it would be wise to let the matter rest until Colonel Colby comes back from the city?”

      “Not at all! Not at all! These young rascals must be taken in hand, and at once. Otherwise our authority in this institution will go to pieces.”

      At this moment there was a movement among the students who had collected in the corridor, and Gif and Spouter stepped forward.

      “Excuse me, Professor Duke,” said Gif. “But I had as much to do with bringing those snowballs upstairs as anybody.”

      “And so did I,” added Spouter.

      “And I was in on the deal, too,” came from Phil Franklin, as he too stepped forward.

      “What? All of you?” demanded Snopper Duke, eyeing them coldly.

      “I can assure you we meant no great harm,” continued Spouter. “We were only going to have a little fun among ourselves and with our fellow-cadets – that is, mostly,” he added somewhat lamely, as he remembered what had been said about placing some of the snowballs in the teacher’s room.

      “Were any others implicated in this despicable piece of business?” demanded Professor Duke, looking around at the assembled cadets. “Answer me at once!”

      There was no reply to this, the cadets simply looking at each other questioningly.

      “We’re all here, sir,” said Jack. “There were no others.” And he and his cousins gave their chums a warm look to show they appreciated their coming forward to take a share of the blame.

      “Seven of you, eh?” was the teacher’s sour comment. “A fine piece of business, truly.” He thought for a moment. “Come with me, all of you, and we’ll see what damage has been done down in the office.”

      The assembled cadets made a passageway, and through this filed the Rovers and their chums with Professor Duke following close on their heels. Professor Grawson remained behind to talk to Stowell.

      “They’ll kill me for this – I know they will!” whined Codfish. And now he was on the verge of tears.

      “I don’t think the Rovers will touch you, Stowell – I don’t think they’re that class of boys,” answered Professor Grawson. “Come. I’ll go to your room with you and help you throw those snowballs out of the window.” He had not forgotten that he had been a schoolboy himself once, and he had small sympathy for such a sneak as Henry Stowell.

      Down in Colonel Colby’s private office it was found that the big snowball had done little damage outside of wetting a couple of the rugs. What was left of the snowball had been gathered up by Pud Hicks, the janitor’s assistant, and now he was mopping up the floor.

      “I’ll take the rugs and dry ’em in the laundry,” said Hicks. “I think they’ll be all right by morning.”

      “You cadets remain here until I return,” said Professor Duke, when Hicks was ready to depart. And then he went outside and in the hallway held a whispered conversation with the janitor’s assistant.

      “I guess we’re in for it,” said Jack to his cousins and his chums.

      “What do you suppose they’ll do with us?” questioned Phil.

      “I’m sure I don’t know.”

      In a few minutes Snopper Duke returned, and there was a grin of satisfaction in his eyes as he faced the cadets.

      “You will all follow me,” he declared, “and I’ll show you what can be done in this school to cadets who act as outrageously as you have acted. Come! March!” and he led the way out of the private office.

      CHAPTER IV

      PRISONERS

      In one of the wings of the school building there was located a room about twelve feet square with one window which was barred, and this, as my old readers know, was known officially as the school guardroom or prison. Jack and Fred had once been prisoners in this guardroom on a charge that was afterwards proved to be false.

      “Gee! I wonder if he’s going to take us to the guardroom?” whispered the youngest of the Rovers.

      “I don’t see how he can crowd seven of us into that small room,” answered Randy. “Why, it’s only got one cot in it!”

      Professor Duke led the way through the corridor and up the broad stairs. In the meanwhile Professor Grawson had ordered the other cadets to their rooms, so there was no one at hand to witness what was taking place.

      Arriving on the second floor, Snopper Duke led the way into another corridor and then up a somewhat narrow stairway leading to the third floor.

      “Hello! I wonder where he’s going to take us now?” questioned Fred in wonder.

      “This is certainly a new wrinkle,” declared Gif.

      The third floor was but dimly lit until the professor turned on more light. Then he turned into a little side corridor at the end of which was located a long, narrow room which, during the previous year, had been used by some of the hired help but which was now unoccupied.

      “You will remain in this room until I have a chance to communicate with Colonel Colby,” said Professor Duke, as he marched the cadets in. “And remember! I want no cutting up here. I want you to remain perfectly quiet.”

      “How long shall we have to stay here?” questioned Jack.

      “That will depend on what Colonel Colby has to say about it,” was the sharp answer.

      “Do you expect us to stay here all night?” demanded Randy.

      “You will have to stay here unless Colonel Colby gets back from the city, and I think that hardly likely to-night,” answered the teacher. “Now remember! No noise and no horseplay or I’ll do something that you won’t forget in a hurry,” and with this admonition he walked out of the room, closing and locking the door after him.

      “Listen!” cried Fred, as all of the others started to talk at once. And going to the door, he listened intently, and so did the others, and they heard Snopper Duke pass through the little corridor and down the stairs.

      “He’s gone, all right enough,” remarked Phil Franklin.

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