"I threw that book, Mr. Haskers," said Roger, promptly. "But I didn't
throw it at you."

"Ahem! So it was you, Master Morr! Nice proceedings, I must say. Instead
of going to bed you all cut up like wild Indians. This must be stopped.
Every student in this room will report to me to-morrow after school. I
will take down your names." The teacher drew out a notebook and began to
write rapidly. "Who knocked over that stand?"

"I did," answered Shadow. "It was an--er--an accident."

"Who was making that awful noise dancing?"

"I was dancing," answered Sam. "But I don't think I made much noise."

"It is outrageous, this noise up here, and it must be stopped once and
for all. Now go to bed, all of you, and not another sound, remember!"
And with this warning, Job Haskers withdrew from the room, closing the
door sharply after him.

"Now we are in a mess!" muttered Roger.

"Isn't it--er--dreadful!" lisped Polly Vane, who had taken no part in
the proceedings, but had been looking over Dave's book on polar
explorations.

"He'll give us extra lessons for this," grumbled Roger. "Just wait and
see."

The next day the weather remained fine, and a number of the students
went out coasting on a hill running down to the river. Dave and his
friends wished they could go along, as both Sam and Ben had big bobs
capable of carrying six boys each. But after the school session they
had to report to Job Haskers, and he kept them in until supper-time,
doing examples in arithmetic.

"Say, Dave, we ought to square up for this," said Phil. "See what a lot
of fun coasting we've missed."

"Just what I say," added the senator's son. "We must get even with old
Haskers somehow."

"Remember the time we put the ram in his room?" said Sam, with a grin.

"Yes, and the time we put the bats in," added Phil. "My, but didn't that
cause a racket!"

"Let us put something else in his room this time," said Ben.

"Oh, that's old," answered Dave. "We ought to hit on something new."

"If we could only play some joke on him outside of the academy," said
the senator's son.

"He is going to Oakdale to-night; I heard him mention it to Mr. Dale."

"Did he say when he would be back?"

"Yes--not later than eleven o'clock."

"Maybe we can have some fun with him on his return," said Dave. "I'll
try to think up something."

They watched and saw Job Haskers leave the Hall dressed in his best. He
drove off in a cutter belonging to Doctor Clay. But he had h