Chapter XI: Josiah Crabtree’s Troubles

There was a key in the lock of the door, and the two cadets locked themselves in. Then they proceeded to unpack the basket of good things, and sitting on the edge of the bed, began to satisfy their hunger.

“This certainly beats the cellar,” said Jack, munching some cold roast beef and a biscuit.

“Yes, and we can keep our eyes on the road below,” answered his chum. “If the captain comes I believe in reporting to him at once.”

“So do I.”

As they had nothing else to do, they took their time eating, and then placed what was left to one side, for supper and a possible breakfast. Then Pepper strolled to the window and gazed down on the campus below.

“Well, I never!” he cried.

“What’s up now?”

“There are Crabtree and Snuggers looking all around the place! I’ll wager a bun to a bakery that they think we have run away from the Hall!”

Jack looked out also, and both boys saw the teacher and the general-utility man walk all around the campus and then disappear in the direction of the gymnasium.

“I hope they have a good time looking for us,” observed Pepper, with a broad grin.

“Maybe they’ll come up here next.”

“If they do we’ll have to lay low.”

Nearly an hour passed, and then they heard footsteps in the hall outside. Instantly both became quiet as mice.

“They don’t seem to be around here,” they heard Peleg Snuggers remark.

“Let us look in all the rooms,” answered Josiah Crabtree.

The boys almost held their breath as they heard the door tried.

“This is locked up,” said Snuggers.

“Let me see,” answered the assistant teacher, and they heard his hand upon the knob. “Have you a key, Snuggers?”

“No, sir.”

There was a brief pause.

“Boys, are you in there?” called out Josiah Crabtree. “If you are, answer me.”

A deathlike silence followed. Jack and Pepper scarcely dared to breathe.

“They couldn’t git up here nohow, Mr. Crabtree,” said the general-utility man. “Somebody would be sure to see ’em.”

“I don’t know about that. Boys that will crawl through the flooring of a closet will do almost anything,” grumbled the teacher. “Who has the key to this room?”

“Most likely Mrs. Green.”

Mrs. Green was the matron of the Hall, she having charge of all the female help and also doing a great deal for the small boys in the institution. At the mention of her name the hearts of the cadets sank.

“Mr. Crabtree!” called a voice, from the floor below.

“What is it?” returned the assistant teacher.

“You are wanted in the office, sir—a gentleman to see you.”

“Who is it?”

“Gave the name of Simon—Andrew Simon.”

“Really! My old friend Simon!” murmured the teacher. “Snuggers, I will go below at once. We can continue this search at another time.” And down the stairs went Josiah Crabtree and the general-utility man after him.

“Phew! but that was a narrow escape,” murmured Jack. “If they had gotten in here our cake would have been dough.”

After that the boys found the time hanging heavily on their hands. They talked the situation over in a low tone, but could reach no satisfactory conclusion.

Presently it grew darker and began to rain, the storm keeping up far into the night. This made a noise on the roof, so they could talk with but little danger of being heard.

At supper-time they partook of some more of the eatables in the basket and then prepared to make themselves comfortable for the night. They were resting on the bed when they heard a low whistle at the door.

“Hullo!” came in Andy’s voice.

They unlocked the door, and there stood Andy and Stuffer, each with some supper done up in a napkin. Andy also had a candle and some matches. Dale had told them where to come.

“Had a time getting this here,” said Stuffer, after the candle had been lit.

“Old Crabtree is nearly crazy, thinking you have run away from the Hall,” said Andy. “He and Snuggers have been hunting all over for you. They even sent word to Cedarville.”

“Well, let Crabby worry—he deserves it,” grumbled Pepper. “Say, it’s mighty good of you to bring this,” he continued.

“Here are a couple of new magazines, too,” said Stuffer, handing them over. “I got them from the library. They’ll help you to pass away the time.”

Andy and Stuffer did not dare to remain upstairs long, and soon left, and then the door was locked as before and Jack hung his handkerchief over the keyhole. The curtain to the window was drawn down tightly, so that the candlelight might not be seen by anybody outside.

Several hours went by and the academy became quiet. Both boys had read for awhile and also taken several naps. Then Pepper started up.

“Jack, I’ve an idea!”

“What now, Pep?”

“Let us go downstairs after old Crabby is to bed and play some trick on him.”

“That would be all right—if we didn’t get caught. But if he catches us it will go so much harder with us when it comes to a settlement.”

“I don’t care,” said the Imp, recklessly. “We may as well be hung for sheep as lambs.”

They talked the matter over, and at last concluded to go below. The candle was extinguished and the door opened with care. They crawled cautiously to the top of the stairs and looked down.

“Everybody is in bed by this time,” whispered Pepper.

They waited a little, to make certain. Then they crept down and made their way to the door of the apartment which the assistant teacher occupied.

“He’s asleep and snoring,” said Jack, and told the truth.

They tried the door and found it unlocked. With extreme care they entered the room. A dim light was burning in a corner of the apartment, casting shadows in all directions. Covered up on the bed lay Josiah Crabtree, flat on his back and with a nightcap on his head.

Their first move was to transfer the key of the door from the inside to the outside. This done, Pepper got a washbowl of cold water and placed it on the floor beside the bed. Then they took several of the chairs and placed them on the floor sideways, and put down several piles of books near by.

“Now open the window wide,” whispered Pepper. “But be careful or he may wake up.”

The window was opened top and bottom.

“All ready, Jack?”

“Yes.” And the light was put out.

“Then together—quick!”

The boys stood at the foot of the bed. Each took a firm hold of the numerous coverings and gave them a sharp jerk. Off they came, and in a twinkling the lads made for the door, taking the blankets and spread with them. They locked the door from the outside and scooted for the next floor, throwing the things they carried in a corner out of sight.

Josiah Crabtree awoke with a start and uttered a low cry of alarm.

“Hi—er—what does this mean?” he cried, and sat bolt upright. “Where are the covers? Help! Thieves! Robbers!”

He leaped out of bed and down into the cold water went his left foot. He gave a yell of fright and the next instant stumbled over one of the chairs and went headlong among the piles of books. As he was only half awake he was more alarmed than ever.

“Help! Something is wrong here! Thieves! Robbers!” he bawled. “What does this mean! Oh! oh!”

He tried to get up, and fell over a second chair. Then he bumped into a stand and brought down some more books and some photographs. He yelled louder than ever, and finally reaching the door, tried to open it.

“Open the door! Who locked me in? Wake up, somebody! They must be robbing the house! Thieves! Robbers! Help!”

His cries rang out through the Hall, and, soon George Strong and many others, including cadets, were awakened.

“Mr. Crabtree, what is the matter?” asked George Strong, coming to the door, clad in a dressing-gown and carrying a pistol.

“Let me out! There is a—er—I don’t know what is going on! Let me out!”

“There is no key here.”

“My key is also gone. Somebody has locked me in. They—er—a—oh!” And in moving around Josiah Crabtree stumbled again and sat down on the sharp edge of a chair. “This is—er—outrageous!”

By this time George Strong had brought out a bunch of keys. One fitted the lock, and the door was speedily opened. There stood the confused teacher, trembling in every limb.

“Where are they?” he panted.

“Who?”

“The—er—the robbers who visited my room.”

“I have seen no robbers, Mr. Crabtree. What did they steal?”

“Took my bedclothes, for one thing,” growled the assistant teacher. He was recovering somewhat from his fright. “Wait till I make a light.”

He managed to find a match, but not before he had hit his toe on a pile of books and bumped into one of the chairs again. Then the light was lit and Josiah Crabtree put on his bath-robe.

“Look there, and there, and there!” he snarled, pointing to the coverless bed, the washbowl on the floor, and the overturned chairs and other disarranged things. “Doesn’t that look like burglars,—or—something, Mr. Strong?”

“I am afraid some of the students have been playing a trick on you,” said the second assistant teacher, with a faint smile showing on his face.

“A trick?” gasped Josiah Crabtree.

“Where’s the robber!” cried Andy, coming up and realizing at once what had occurred. “Let me catch him!”

“That’s right, catch him by all means,” put in Dale.

“Maybe he tried to murder poor Mr. Crabtree,” put in Stuffer.

“Sure, Mr. Crabtree, did he hurt yez very much?” asked Emerald, with mock sympathy.

“I wonder if there really was a burglar?” said Dan Baxter, coming to the scene.

“Oh, I hope not!” cried Mumps, and the toady began to shiver from fright.

“There he is, Mumps,” said Andy, coming close. “He’s aiming a pistol at you!” and the acrobatic youth pointed down the semi-dark hallway.

“Don’t shoot!” screamed Mumps. “Please don’t shoot me!” And he caught hold of Dan Baxter for protection.

“Let go,” said the bully. “He’s only fooling you. I don’t think there is any burglar.”

“Oh, dear! I wish we were sure,” whined Mumps.