"Thank you for that, Mr. Strong," said the cadet, warmly. "I know I had no right to play that joke--I have no right to play any of my jokes--but I only did it for fun. I think it is--is horrible for Mr. Crabtree to even think that I--that--that----" Pepper could not go on for his emotion choked him.

"Oh? you can't deceive me!" sneered Josiah Crabtree. "I am sure that----"

"Mr. Crabtree, I insist that you drop this matter until Captain Putnam returns," interrupted George Strong.

"You insist?" roared the irate instructor.

"I do, sir."

"Who is in authority here, you or I?"

"You are the head teacher, but I feel bound to protect Captain Putnam's interests during his absence. You have no right to accuse any cadet of a crime unless you have proof against him. Have you any proof against Ditmore?"

"You heard how he acknowledged taking the teeth."

"And he said it was a joke--and I believe it was that and nothing more.

There is a wide difference between an innocent joke and a premeditated crime. Take my advice and say no more until you have consulted with Captain Putnam."

"Ha! you are against me--just as the cadets are against me!" stormed Josiah Crabtree. "I know I am right. But we can wait, since you insist."

He turned towards Pepper. "I'll corner you yet, you young rascal!" he cried bitterly.

And the two teachers pa.s.sed out of the cell-like room, the door was again locked, and Pepper was left a prisoner as before.

CHAPTER XXII

THE MYSTERY GOES ON

When nightfall came and Pepper still remained a prisoner, both Jack and Andy commenced to worry about their chum.

"It's a shame to keep him in that cold room," said the young major.

"Wonder if we can get him out on the sly?" returned the acrobatic youth.

"I'd be willing to run quite a risk to set him free, so he could sleep in his own bed to-night."

"Let us sneak down after dark and see what we can do," suggested Jack.

Of course the fact that Pepper was a prisoner was known throughout the whole school. Many who had laughed over the teeth affair thought it too bad that The Imp should be locked up in a cold room. But others, including Reff Ritter and Gus Coulter, said it served him right.

"He was too fresh," growled Coulter.

"Let him stay there a week; it will do him good," added Ritter.

"You leave things to old Crabtree," said Dan Baxter. "He knows how to put the screws on a cadet."

"Right you are," came from Ritter.

The one boy who had little to say was Mumps. The sneak was scared almost to death, feeling certain that Pepper would square up with him as soon as liberated. The others did not know how Mumps had acted, or Jack and Andy might have given the sneak a sound thrashing.

The young major and the acrobatic youth talked the affair over, and were joined in the discussion by Bert Field, Dave Kearney, and one or two others. They were on the point of going below, when Fred Century came in.

"Crabtree is certainly going to make sure of keeping Pepper a prisoner,"

said he.

"How do you know that?" asked Jack, quickly.

"He has placed a guard in front of the door, so n.o.body can open it."

"A guard?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Two cadets--Crane and Barlow. They are to remain on guard three hours and then some others are to relieve them."

"Then we can't do a thing!" groaned Andy. "We might bribe Crane, but n.o.body could bribe Barlow. He's a sticker on everything he does."

Jack went below and found that the report about the guard was true. The cadets were on duty, and he was not allowed to even speak to Pepper.

"It's too bad," he said, on returning to the dormitory. "I guess poor Pepper will have to remain where he is."

"We might protest to Mr. Strong?" suggested Bart Conners.

"It wouldn't do any good. Crabtree is in charge during Captain Putnam's absence."

One after another the cadets went to bed. Jack was the last to retire, and it was a long while before he dropped off to sleep. Then he dreamed about Pepper up in the far North, sitting on a cake of ice in a bathing-suit, which showed how much he had the welfare of his chum at heart.

In the morning Josiah Crabtree went below early. He expected Captain Putnam back by noon and wished to be prepared to make a proper report to the head of the school on his arrival.

He had just seated himself at the desk in the office when there came a knock on the door.

"Come in!" he said shortly, thinking it might be a servant. The newcomer was Bart Conners.

"Well, Conners, what is it?" demanded the head teacher.

"I want to report that I was robbed last night," answered the captain of Company B.

"Robbed!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Josiah Crabtree. "Did you say robbed?"

"Yes, sir."

"What of? Where? When?" Josiah Crabtree's manner showed his tremendous excitement.

"Of a diamond stickpin. I left it in one of my scarfs last night and this morning it was gone. I've looked all over, but I can't find it."