"Everybody to the rescue!" yelled Ned Lowe.

These cries, combined with the noise which was coming from Asa Lemm's apartment, caused such a commotion that soon fully a score of other cadets showed themselves in the hallway.

"What's the matter?" questioned Slugger Brown, who had just been on the point of retiring, and who was in his pajamas and slippers.

"Something going on in Professor Lemm's room," answered Nappy Martell, who had been with him, and who was similarly attired.

By this time Professor Lemm had managed to regain his feet a second time, but the broken sheets of ice were now all over the floor of his room, and just as he managed to turn on the lights he slipped once more, this time sending a chair spinning against the closet door.

"It's ice--it's ice, and nothing else!" he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, as he gazed in wonder at the floor. "Now, how did that come here? I don't see any broken water pipe." Then, of a sudden, his face took on a dark look.

"It's those boys--confound them! If I can catch them, I'll make them suffer for this!"

CHAPTER XI

THE JOKE ON ASA LEMM

"Let's go in and see what's the matter with the poor man," suggested Andy.

"That's right--maybe he's got a fit."

"Something has happened to Professor Lemm!" yelled one of the other cadets.

By this time the commotion had attracted the attention of nearly everybody in the school, and teachers and cadets came running from all directions, and even some of the hired help from the kitchen came up the back stairs, wondering what had gone wrong. Then the bunch of boys, led by the Rovers, suddenly threw open the door which led to Asa Lemm's room. It was at this instant that the astonished and bewildered professor was making his way toward the closet door. A strange thumping had reached his ears.

"I knew it--it's some of those boys, and more than likely one of them got locked into the closet by his fellows. I'll soon find out who he is and make him tell me who is responsible for this outrage!"

The door had been locked by Randy, but the key was in it, and readily turned. Then Professor Lemm flung the door open viciously.

"You rascals, I'll teach you to play tricks on me!" he began, as in the somewhat dim light he made out what he thought were the forms of two crouching boys. Then he let out a sudden yell of alarm as one of the crouching figures launched itself forward at him. The figure was that of Patrick, the larger of the goats.

Bewildered by the confinement, and not at all liking the way in which he had been dressed up, the big billy goat hurled himself straight at the teacher. He struck Asa Lemm fairly and squarely in the stomach, bowling him over as if he were a tenpin. Then he made another leap, and landed on the top of the bed, where he gazed around, not knowing which way to turn next.

"Oh my! look at what Professor Lemm has in his room!" piped up Andy.

Asa Lemm had rolled over and was now trying to get up, but just as he raised himself on his hands and knees, he struck some of the sliding sheets of ice, and down he went once more, this time directly in front of the other goat, which promptly proceeded to leap on top of him.

"Hi! get off of me, you rascal!" spluttered the professor, and thrashed around wildly. "Get off of me! Who are you, anyway?" and then, as he got a better sight of the animal, which at that moment leaped up on the bed beside his mate, he turned and sat up in amazement.

"A goat! Two goats! How did they get here?"

"What do you know about this? Professor Lemm is keeping goats in his room!" cried Jack.

These and a score of other cries rent the air, while all the cadets crowded into the doorway of the room to see what was going on. In the bunch of boys were Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell, and it must be confessed that these two unworthies were enjoying the scene quite as much as anybody.

"I'll fix some of you for this!" roared Asa Lemm, as he struggled to his feet, slipping around and clutching the end of his bed as he did so.

"I'll have some of you suspended! Where is Colonel Colby? Send for Colonel Colby at once!"

Evidently Patrick, the larger goat, did not like the looks of the irate teacher, who was now shaking his fists at the grinning cadets. Suddenly the goat made another leap, this time striking Asa Lemm in the shoulder, and once more the professor went down, this time with his feet sliding directly under the bed, so that he became somewhat wedged in from his waist down. Then the goat made another leap and charged toward the door to the hallway.

"Look out!" warned Jack, and was just in time to push Fred out of danger. Then the goat made a rush, and the next minute came full tilt into Slugger Brown, sending the bully crashing into those behind him.

The second goat also leaped from the bed, and made for the doorway, hitting Martell as he pa.s.sed.

"Look out for the battering-ram!"

"This is only a battering goat--but it's just as bad!" yelled Andy. "Go it, goat! Go it!" he added gleefully.

Both goats did "go it." They raced through the hallway, knocking down cadets right and left. One younger boy, named Stowell, but who was always called Codfish by the others because of his unusually broad mouth, was attacked at the head of the stairs and sent hurtling down to the bottom.

"Oh! oh! I'm killed! He has knocked me to pieces!" yelled Codfish.

With the two goats racing around the school, the excitement increased.

But gradually the goats were driven by the Rovers to a lower hallway, and then toward a side door, which Jack and Fred lost no time in opening.

"Get them out of here as quick as you can. We don't want them to be captured," whispered Jack to his cousins. "We don't want old Lemon to know they are Mike O'Toole's animals."

"Stop those goats! I don't want them to get away!" yelled Asa Lemm, from the upper hallway. But the goats were already outside.

"Oh gee! we forgot one thing--I mean several things!" gasped Andy. "The goats are dressed up in old Lemon's clothes!"

"Gracious! why didn't we think of that?" gasped Randy. "We can't let 'em run away with all that stuff!"

"I'll go after them and see if I can stop them," said Jack.

"Want me to go with you?" questioned Walt.

"If you will, Walt. Maybe it will take two of us to manage the goats."

And then Jack and Walt hurried off and the others returned to see what would happen next.

Fortunately for the boys who had gone after them, the goats did not run very far. Jack had a few more vegetables left in his pocket, and with these in his hand he walked cautiously up to the animals, which had run down to a corner of the campus.

"Hurrah! I've got one of them!" cried the Rover boy presently, as he caught Patrick by the horns. "Now, Walt, see if you can hold the other, and we'll take these things off of them."

Now that they were once more in the open air, the goats appeared to be quite docile, and consequently the two cadets had little difficulty in disrobing them.

"Why don't you return the goats to O'Toole while you are at it?"

suggested Walt, after the wearing apparel had been placed in a small bundle.

"I'd do it if I had their harness, Walt."

"Want me to go back for it?"

"If you will."

"All right, I'll do it. And give me that bundle. I'll smuggle it into the school somehow and watch my chance to leave it in old Lemon's room."

Evidently the son of Dan Baxter was as bold as his father had ever been before him.