Pepper was at the window. Slyly he raised the sash and scooped up a big handful of snow from the broad ledge outside. Andy was nearby, bending over, lacing up his shoe.

"Welcome to the snow!" cried The Imp, gaily, and let a portion of the frozen ma.s.s slip down the acrobatic youth's collar.

"Wow!" snorted Andy, straightening up with a jerk. "Hi, you, what do you take me for, an ice-box?" And he commenced to squirm as the cold snow ran down his backbone. Then he made a dive for Pepper and chased The Imp around the dormitory. Over two of the beds they flew, and then brought up in a corner with a crash.

"Have mercy on the furniture!" cried Joe Nelson.

"Don't knock over the table!" added Stuffer.

"Give me that snow!" cried Andy, and managed to get a small portion from Pepper. "How do you like that?" And he plastered the snow in The Imp's left ear.

"Hurrah! Snow from Snow!" cried Jack.

"'Twill warm Pepper's blood, so it will!" was Emerald Hogan's comment.

More snow had been scooped from the window-sill by Fred and Joe, and soon a battle-royal was in progress in the dormitory. But it came to an abrupt end when Dave Kearney appeared.

"Stop it!" cried the young sergeant. "Crabtree is coming!"

"All over!" whispered Jack. "All as orderly as lambs!" And at once every cadet settled down and started in an orderly fashion to finish his morning toilet.

"What was the noise in here?" demanded Josiah Crabtree, as he threw open the door and strode into the dormitory.

He glared around savagely, but n.o.body answered him.

"I demand to know what was going on here!" he continued.

"Mr. Crabtree, did you speak to me?" asked Pepper, meekly.

"I spoke to you all!" thundered the teacher. "What were you doing in here?"

"I am dressing, Mr. Crabtree," answered Andy.

"I am dressing, Mr. Crabtree," came from Jack.

"I am dressing, too," put in Fred.

"And so was I dressing," said Stuffer, with a smile.

"And I was dressing," supplemented Pepper. "Come to think of it, I rather fancy we were all dressing. You see, we always do dress when we get up in the morning, Mr. Crabtree," he added with a simple smile.

"I want none of your impudence, Ditmore."

"Oh, dear, was I impudent?" murmured The Imp. "I didn't know it. I beg ten thousand pardons--yes, a million, if you'd rather, sir."

"Be quiet, you--you forward boy! Something was going on in here! If I find out what it was, I shall punish all of you!" And having thus delivered himself, Josiah Crabtree strode out of the dormitory, banging the door after him.

"Isn't he an angel!" murmured Andy.

"The sweetest teacher that ever grew!" returned Pepper.

"I'd like to know how long Captain Putnam will put up with him," was Jack's comment.

"I don't believe it will be very long," answered Fred.

The cadets finished their dressing and hurried below. On account of the storm the morning drill was held in the gymnasium, and then the young soldiers marched to the mess-room. On the way several could not resist the temptation to pick up some snow and throw it at each other.

"Hi, you stop that!" roared Reff Ritter, as a s...o...b..ll took him in the neck. "Who threw that?" he demanded; but n.o.body answered him. "I believe it was you, Ditmore!" he went on, turning an ugly look on Pepper.

"That's one for tampering with our bicycles, Ritter," retorted Pepper.

It was a chance shot, taken on the spur of the moment, but it told. Reff Ritter started and turned pale.

"Who--er--told you I--er--tampered with your bicycles?" he stammered.

"Never mind who told me, Ritter. We are going to get square with you, and don't you forget it."

"Who said I touched 'em?" grumbled the bully.

"Never mind about that."

"You are trying to corner me, that what's you are up to!" grumbled Ritter. "But you shan't do it! I never touched your wheels, and you can't prove that I did. Now don't you throw any more s...o...b..a.l.l.s at me, or I'll report you." And then Ritter hurried into the mess-room as fast as he could.

Pepper, Jack and Andy looked at each other.

"He is guilty, I know it!" said Pepper firmly.

"I believe you," answered the young major; and Andy nodded his head to show that he agreed with his chums.

CHAPTER XV

THE s...o...b..LL BATTLE

"Now then, fellows, for the greatest s...o...b..ll battle of the age!"

"Here is where Company A smothers Company B!"

"Rats! You mean that Company B will bury Company A out of sight!"

"Hi, Major Ruddy! What side are you going on?" queried Bart Conners, who still commanded Company B.

"He is coming on our side!" answered Henry Lee, the captain of the other company.

"Well, I can't fight on both sides," answered the young major with a laugh.