t we had to do
something to get square," Andy endeavored to explain.

"He doesn't treat us fairly in the classroom!" cried Spouter.

"If he wasn't here we'd get along without any trouble whatever," piped
up a voice in the rear.

It must be confessed that the sudden entrance of the ten cadets, and
what they had to say concerning the joke that had been played, somewhat
stumped the master of the Hall. As for Asa Lemm, for the moment he was
dumbfounded; but then his natural antipathy to boys asserted itself, and
he glared at them viciously.

"So you were all in it, eh?" he snarled. "I might have known as much.
You are all a pack of rowdies! You are not fit to associate with
respectable people!"

"Professor Lemm, I do not wish you to address our cadets in such a
manner," said Colonel Colby sternly. "These young gentlemen are not
rowdies, even though they have played a joke which was not particularly
nice. I do not uphold them in the least in what they have done, but, at
the same time, I cannot help but remember that they are only boys, and
that boys are sometimes very thoughtless."

"Thoughtless! They think too much! I tell you, sir, they are a pack of
rowdies, and unless you punish them, and punish them severely, I shall
take the matter in my own hands and have them arrested."

"If you do anything of that sort, Professor Lemm, we will have to
dispense with your services in this school," announced Colonel Colby
flatly. He was growing weary of the irate teacher's manner.

A strenuous half hour followed, everybody present forgetting all about
roll call and breakfast. Colonel Colby did what he could in questioning
all of the cadets regarding the occurrences of the night before, but was
continually interrupted by the unreasonable teacher. Finally he could
stand it no longer, and turned to the professor with all the dignity he
could command.

"Professor Lemm, I have stood enough," he said in a cold, hard voice,
which instantly commanded attention. "I want no more such language from
you. You may go to your breakfast, and I will conduct this examination
alone, and will see you about it before we begin the day's session in
the school. And, in the meantime, allow me to impress upon you that it
is all nonsense to talk about having any of these boys arrested. They
have done nothing that warrants arrest, and if you attempt anything of
that sort, you will not only make yourself ridiculous, but you might
place yourself open to