youngest Rover might be fooling, the first assistant
teacher opened the door cautiously and peered into the dormitory. Then
he, too, let out a cry of alarm, for the snake darted forward and made
as if to bite him in the foot. Not to be caught he fell back, leaving
the door open about a foot. Through this opening the snake glided and
disappeared in the semi-dark hallway.

By this time Putnam Hall was in an uproar, and boys were pouring into
the hallways demanding to know if there was a fire or a robbery. Soon
Captain Putnam appeared, wrapped in a dressing robe and wearing
slippers.

"Beware, all of you!" cried George Strong. "It's a snake and it is loose
in this hallway somewhere."

"A snake!" ejaculated the master of Putnam Hall. "Where did it come
from?"

"It was in the dormitory over there. I heard a noise and went to see
what was the matter and the snake came out of the room and made off in
that direction," and George Strong pointed with his hand.

"Humph!" muttered Captain Putnam. "This must be looked into. What kind
of a snake was it?"

"I don't know, sir, but it was fully three feet long, and it hissed
loudly as it went past me."

"Some more of the boys' tricks, I suppose. But this is going too far,
especially if the reptile is poisonous."

Lights were lit and turned up as high as possible, and a search of all
the hallways followed. When the cadets learned that a snake was really
at large in the school many of the timid ones were badly frightened.

"He might poison a fellow and kill him," said one lad.

"Oh, I can't bear snakes," said another. "If he came for me I'd have a
fit sure."

The search for the snake was kept up the best part of an hour, but
without success. Peleg Snuggers was forced to join in the hunt and
nearly collapsed when he saw something under a stand in a far corner.

"The snake! The snake!" he yelled and started to run away. But what he
had seen proved to be nothing but a piece of old window cord, and the
general utility man was laughed at so heartily he was glad to sneak out
of sight.

"He must have gone downstairs," said Dick, and then a hunt was made
below. Here some windows had been left open for ventilation, and Captain
Putnam said it was possible the reptile had made its escape in that
manner. He did not quite believe this, but he thought the snake must be
harmless, and he wanted to say something to quiet those pupils who were
timid.

"How did the snake get in your room?