CHAPTER XX
PEPPER A PRISONER
At the usual hour the next morning Josiah Crabtree arose and dressedhimself. He was in a far from happy frame of mind, for a tailor's billhe had to pay was higher than he thought it ought to be.
Having donned his garments, and washed himself and combed his hair, heturned to the stand to get his new set of teeth.
He took up the glass and peered into it.
"Hum!" he mused. "I thought I put them in there--in fact, I was sure ofit!" he murmured.
He set the glass down and commenced to look around, on the bureau, onhis bookcase, on the shelf, and even on the chairs. But, of course,nothing in the shape of the set of teeth came to light.
"This is queer, mighty queer," said the teacher to himself. "Now, let methink what I did with them. Yes, I put them in the glass, I am positiveof it!"
He examined the glass once more, turning it around and around. Then hecommenced a systematic search of the room. At the conclusion somethinglike a groan escaped his lips.
"They are gone! gone!" he murmured hollowly. "And I left the old set atthe dentist's to be made over! Oh, what shall I do? I cannot go to theclassroom without my teeth, the cadets would roar at me! It must be atrick, a wicked trick! Oh, if only I could find out who did this awfulthing!"
He made another hunt, and then, not knowing what else to do, opened hisdoor and hailed a passing cadet.
"Kindly ask Captain Putnam to step here as soon as he can," he mumbled.
"Yes, sir," answered the cadet, and looked curiously at the teacher."Got a toothache, Mr. Crabtree?"
"No, I have no toothache," mumbled the teacher. "Send Captain Putnam assoon as you can," and then he dove back into his bedroom.
Several minutes passed and George Strong put in an appearance.
"Dalling said you wanted to see Captain Putnam," he said. "The captainhas left for Buffalo on business. Can I do anything for you?"
"Mr. Strong, a wicked trick has been played on me!" burst out JosiahCrabtree.
"A trick?"
"Yes. My teeth are gone, the new set I had made! Some cadet has takenthem!"
"Can it be possible!" murmured George Strong. "Where did you leavethem?"
"In that glass on the stand. Oh, what shall I do? My other set is at thedentist's, getting fixed."
"Maybe I can send for them."
"Hardly, since the dentist is at Ithaca. Oh, what a wretch, to take myteeth! I cannot go to the classroom without my teeth. I would be thelaughing-stock of the entire school! It is a dreadful state of affairs!"
"I don't see how I can help you out, sir," answered George Strong,sympathetically.
"I shall have to stay here until something is done. See if you can'tfind the cadet who took the teeth."
"I will do what I can," answered George Strong, and left the room.
Josiah Crabtree was walking up and down nervously, when there came atimid knock on the door. He opened it to confront Mumps.
"Well, Fenwick, what do you want?" demanded the teacher, harshly. Thesneak of the school generally had some tale of woe to tell, and he wasjust now in no humor to listen to any such recital.
"Please, Mr. Crabtree, did you lose anything?" asked Mumps, nervously.
"Ha! what is that? Come in! What do you know?" cried Josiah Crabtree,and caught Mumps by the arm.
"I didn't do it--really and truly I didn't!" cried the sneak, in suddenterror. "I--I only found it out by accident."
"About my--er--my teeth?"
"Yes, sir."
"What do you know about them, Fenwick? Quick; out with it!"
"Oh, sir, please don't hurt my arm so!"
"Tell me what you know."
"I--I know where your teeth are, sir, I--I saw them put there lastnight."
"Where are they?"
"Hanging on the chandelier in Classroom Eight."
"And who put them there?" roared the teacher, in amazement.
"Pepper Ditmore, sir. But, oh, sir, please don't say I told on him orhe'll hammer the life out of me!" cried Mumps, in alarm.
"How did he get them?"
"I don't know that, sir. I--I went downstairs to--er--to put away a bookfor another cadet and I saw Pepper Ditmore sneak into Room Eight. Iwatched him, and he threw a string with the teeth on 'em up over thechandelier. I thought they might be yours, so I came here to find out."
"Did you get the--er--the teeth?"
"Oh, no, sir. They are too high up. You'll have to get a ladder to getthem down."
"The rascal!" howled Josiah Crabtree. "Oh, wait till I get my hands onhim! But I must get the teeth first." He thought for a moment. "Fenwick,find Snuggers and send him to me at once."
"Yes, sir."
"And don't say a word of this to any one," added the teacher, as thesneak hurried off.
It took Mumps fully five minutes to locate Peleg Snuggers. Wonderingwhat was wanted, the general utility man hurried to the teacher'sapartment.
"I want you to get my set of teeth," said Josiah Crabtree. "I am toldthey are fastened to the chandelier in Room Eight. Get a ladder and getthem down immediately. And do it as quietly as you can."
"Yes, sir," answered Snuggers, and left to do the errand. "Teeth on thechandelier!" he murmured, "Wot an idee! Bet some o' the cadets did thettrick! How funny he did look without his grinders in!"
Pepper had not told any one about his trick, but on a blackboard in thehall he had chalked the words:
_Set of Teeth For Sale! See Chandelier in Room No. 8. Crabtree, A.M., O.I.C._
This scrawl had attracted the attention of fully a score of cadets, andone after another they entered the classroom designated to find out whatit meant. When they saw the teeth dangling in the air they set up aroar.
"Hello, look at the set of teeth!"
"They must belong to old Crabtree!"
"Wonder what he wants for them?"
"I reckon teeth come high, by the look of things!"
The crowd of cadets kept growing larger, until the room was crowded.Then one cadet took a blackboard eraser and threw it at the teeth. Thiswas a signal for a general discharge of all sorts of things at thedangling object.
In the midst of the excitement George Strong came in.
"Boys! boys! Be quiet!" cried the teacher. "What is the meaning of somuch noise?" And then he, too, caught sight of the dangling teeth. "Whoplaced those there?" he asked.
There was no reply, and he was on the point of sending a cadet for astep-ladder when the door opened and in came Peleg Snuggers with thevery thing wanted.
"Mr. Crabtree sent me to git 'em," explained the general utility man.
"Hurrah! Peleg to the rescue!" cried Andy.
"Now, Peleg, do the great balancing act," said Fred Century.
"I will hold the ladder for you, Snuggers," said Mr. Strong. "Boys,stand back," he added, afraid that some of the lads might attempt somejoke while the general utility man was in the air.
The step-ladder was placed in position and Snuggers mounted cautiouslyto the top. He could just reach the chandelier and the teeth, and ittook him some time to cut the teeth loose.
"I'll take 'em right to Mr. Crabtree," he said on coming down. "He's ina mighty big hurry for 'em."
"Very well," returned George Strong.
Pepper was watching matters closely and he at once guessed that somebodyhad told Josiah Crabtree where the teeth were.
"It must have been the fellow who spotted me last night," reasoned TheImp. "Wonder if he told my name? If he did----" Pepper ended thequestion with a big sigh.
With great eagerness Josiah Crabtree received the set of teeth andexamined them to see if they were all right. Then, having placed themwhere they belonged, he strode forth from his room in quest of the cadetwho had played the trick.
Pepper was just sitting down at the breakfast table when there was asudden step behind him and the next moment he found himself jerked outof his place.
"You come with me, young m
an!" stormed Josiah Crabtree. "I have anaccount to settle with you!"
"What do you want, Mr. Crabtree?" asked The Imp, as meekly as he could.
"You know well enough!" cried the teacher. "Come!" And he led Pepper outof the mess-hall. His grip on the youth's arm was so firm that it hurtnot a little.
"Mr. Crabtree, you are hurting my arm."
"I don't care if I am!" snapped the teacher. "You come along!" And hefairly dragged Pepper along the hall.
"Where to?"
"You'll soon see."
"What is wrong?"
"You know well enough, Ditmore. You took my--er--my set of teeth! Youhave made me the laughing-stock of the whole school! You shall sufferfor it!"
"Who says I took the teeth?"
"John Fenwick saw you place them on the chandelier! Oh, you need notdeny it."
"Mumps! Well, he always was a sneak!" answered Pepper.
"He is a nice, manly youth."
With a firm grip still on Pepper's arm, the irate teacher led the way toa room looking out on the rear. It was an apartment less than ten feetsquare, and plainly furnished with two chairs and a couch. In one cornerwas a stand with a washbowl and pitcher of water. The single window wasstoutly barred.
"Going to make a prisoner of me?" asked Pepper, as the door was openedand he was thrust into the room.
"You shall stay here for the present," snapped Josiah Crabtree. "When Ilet you out I think you'll be a sadder and perhaps a wiser boy."
"Am I to have my breakfast?"
"No," answered the teacher.
Then he banged the door shut, locked it, and walked swiftly away.