ad put them in a particularly bad
humor.

"I suppose they expect a great celebration with those tar-barrels,"
muttered Coulter. "Say, I tell you what let's do!" he cried. "Let us
sneak to the woods before they arrive and roll the barrels down to the
lake!"

"I'll do it," answered Reff Ritter. "Anything to put a damper on that
celebration."

"Well, water will dampen the tar-barrels," added Coulter, grimly.

CHAPTER X

PUTTING OUT A LIVELY BLAZE

Pepper was so full of high spirits that at the supper table he could not
resist the temptation to play a joke. He saw Joe Nelson using his
handkerchief and, on the sly, took up the pepper-shaker and dosed the
cloth liberally with pepper.

Poor Joe caught the full benefit of the pepper, and in the midst of the
meal commenced to sneeze loudly.

"Why, Nelson, what is the matter?" asked Mr. Strong, who was at the
table that evening.

"I don't--ker-choo!--know!" stammered Joe. "I believe--ker-choo!
ker-choo!"

"Exactly," whispered Pepper. "Very simple explanation, very."

"I--ker-choo!--I guess I had better--ker-choo!" went on Joe.

"He's 'ker-chooing' all he needs to," was Jack's comment, and this
caused a general titter.

"I guess I'll ask to--ker-choo!--to be excused--ker-choo!" went on Joe,
and jumping up he left the table and the room. He ran out on the campus
and there sneezed himself free of the pepper, much to his relief.

Joe was about to return to the mess-hall when he chanced to see two
figures sneaking along in the semi-darkness, in the direction of the
woods. He was just able to make out that the pair were Reff Ritter and
Gus Coulter when they disappeared behind the trees.

"Now, what are those fellows up to?" mused Joe, as he walked slowly to
the mess-hall. "No good, I'll venture."

He sat down and commenced to eat. Then, of a sudden, he uttered an
exclamation.

"I've got it! That's it!"

"What is it, Nelson?" asked George Strong.

"Oh--er--nothing," stammered the cadet. But when the teacher was not
looking, he leaned over towards Jack.

"What is it, Joe?" whispered the young major.

"Tell Pepper I just saw Ritter and Coulter sneaking into the woods."

"You did!" Jack closed one eye. "And you think----"

"They may have learned about the barrels."

"If that is so, we'll have to watch 'em," murmured Jack, and
immediately passed word to Pepper, Dale and Andy.

The cadets could scarcely wait to finish their meal, and cut themselves