So it was arranged, and a minute later Walt disappeared into the school building. He was gone the best part of five minutes, and then came running across the school campus, carrying the goats" harness under his sweater.
"Gee, but they are having a peach of a time in the school," he announced. "Asa Lemm is quarreling with Colonel Colby, who came over from his rooms. He wants to have half the school arrested on account of the goats and the ice."
"What did you do with the bundle?"
"Oh, say--that was easy! All the crowd were around old Lemon and the colonel discussing the matter, so I slipped behind them and threw the bundle in the corner of Lemon"s room."
The two Rovers lost no time in placing a little of the harness on the goats--just sufficient to drive them.
"Now, you needn"t go with me, Walt, unless you want to. I can get these goats to O"Toole"s alone."
"Oh, I"d just as lief keep you company," answered the other cheerfully.
Urging the two goats before them, the pair made off down the hill in the direction of the O"Toole farm. The animals seemed to know the way home, and kept up a brisk pace.
"Now then, we had better go a bit slow," announced Jack, when they came in sight of the buildings. "Maybe O"Toole has discovered the absence of the goats, and is on the watch for us."
This warning, however, was unnecessary, for the old Irish farmer and his wife had retired for the night, doing this without being aware of what had taken place among their live stock.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE GOAT CAME FULL TILT INTO SLUGGER BROWN.
_Page 111_]
Cautiously the two cadets opened the goat stable and led the animals inside. Then, while Walt lit a couple of matches, Jack managed to place the goats where they had been before, and also put the harness away.
"I don"t think I"ll leave that note, or the money either," he said.
"Maybe it will be as well if O"Toole never knows that the goats were out. I don"t think the experience did them any harm. If it did, we can settle with O"Toole later;" and he pocketed the note he had previously written, and also the money. Then the two cadets lost no time in hurrying back to Colby Hall.
In the meantime, what Walt had said about the commotion going on at the school was true.
"I tell you, sir, it"s a perfect outrage!" bawled Asa Lemm at the top of his lungs. "An outrage, sir, and I demand satisfaction!"
"Please do not become so excited, Professor," responded Colonel Colby.
"We must try to get at the bottom of this matter. You say there is ice on the floor of your room?"
"Yes, sir; a perfect pond of ice!"
"Did somebody flood your floor and then freeze it?" questioned the master of the Hall in wonder.
"I don"t know how it was done. But it was done, and I nearly broke my neck the minute I entered the room. It was disgraceful! I never saw anything to equal it!" and Asa Lemm"s face was fairly purple with rage.
"And what about those goats?"
"They were locked up in my closet and dressed up in some clothing--my clothing, I suppose."
"Then, when they ran out of the building, they must have taken your clothing with them."
"More than likely. Oh, it"s shameful!" and the irate professor shook his fists in his rage.
"Where are the goats now?"
"I don"t know, and I don"t care."
"One of those goats knocked me flat," growled Slugger Brown.
"Yes, and he biffed me one, too," came from Nappy Martell.
"Let us go and make an investigation, Professor Lemm," remarked Colonel Colby. "I will accompany you to your room," for they were now near the stairway which the goats had descended.
The pair proceeded to the apartment, followed by some of the other teachers and nearly all of the cadets. By this time much of the ice on the floor had melted, forming little pools of muddy water.
"We had better have this cleaned up at once," said Colonel Colby, and turned to one of the teachers. "Order some of the hired help up here, please;" and the teacher hurried off to execute the errand.
While Colonel Colby was looking at the ice and the water, Asa Lemm chanced to glance in a corner. Then he strode forward and caught up the bundle Walt Baxter had flung there.
"What is that?" questioned the master of the Hall. And then, as the professor undid the bundle, he continued: "Is that your clothing?"
"I--I think it is," faltered Asa Lemm. "Yes, sir."
"Did they undress the animals before they let them go?" queried the master of the school, and, if the truth must be told, he had all he could do to keep a straight face. He could not help but remember some of the pranks he had played himself while a cadet at Putnam Hall.
"I don"t know anything about this, Colonel Colby. But these are my things," and, catching up the bundle, Asa Lemm flung it into the clothing closet. He continued to storm around, demanding that some of the boys be punished for what had occurred. While this was going on, two of the hired help came up from the kitchen with pails and mops, and presently succeeded in cleaning up the floor. Two rugs which had been lying there were taken away to be dried.
"I think we had better let this matter rest until morning," said Colonel Colby finally. "It is too late to start an investigation now. I wish all of you to retire at once," he commanded, to the amused cadets.
"Some one is going to suffer for this," growled Asa Lemm.
"I shall do what I can for you, Professor," announced the master of the Hall, and then he moved away, scattering the cadets before him.
Most of the boys retired to their rooms smiling broadly to themselves, for nearly all of them had enjoyed the joke greatly.
"But it isn"t over yet," whispered Andy to his immediate friends. "There is more to come. Just watch and see!"
CHAPTER XII
IN COLONEL COLBY"S OFFICE
As soon as Jack and Walt returned to Colby Hall, they hurried up to the rooms occupied by the Rover boys. They found Jack"s cousins present, and also Gif, Spouter and several others.
"We had the best luck ever!" declared Jack, and related how they had managed to get the goats back to Mike O"Toole"s stable without the Irish farmer being aware of what had happened.
"Say, that"s fine!" burst out Andy.
"We want to be on the watch," remarked Randy. "Old Lemon will be going to bed pretty soon, and we want to find out just how comfortable he finds his bed," and he grinned.