“You started in to tell us what you found this morning,” said Punch Swallows, to Browning, lighting a fresh cigarette.

“So I did, and the alarm clock ran me off the trail.  Well, I got up this morning as usual—­when Hartwick kicked me out to stop the clock.  I went out for my walk and crossed the campus.  What do you think I found?”

“A diamond ring.  We’ll all have ale.”

“Oh, no, Tad, it wasn’t a diamond ring.  I noticed something stuck up on one of the trees.  It was a big sheet of paper, and on it was skillfully lettered these words: 

“’Bruce Browning will wear a new set of false teeth to chapel to-morrow morning.’”

Browning stopped and looked around.  He was very proud of his even, regular, white teeth.  They were so perfect that they might be taken for “store teeth” at first glance, but a second look would show they were natural.

The sophs laughed, and Bruce looked indignant.

“That caused me to look still further,” he went on, “and I soon found another sheet upon another tree.  This is what I read: 

“’Conundrum.  Why is King Browning a great electrician?  Because all his clothes are charged.’

“By that time I felt like murdering somebody.  I did take a morning walk, but it was in search of more stuff of the same order.  I found it everywhere in the vicinity of the college, and some of the stuff was simply awful.  It made me shudder.  I knew who was back of it all.  Merriwell put up the job.”

“But you outwitted him by getting around in time to tear down everything he had put up.  You matched him that time.”

“By accident.  But I must more than match him.  He must be suppressed.”

“That’s right! that’s right!” cried the boys in chorus.

“I know he put the advertisement for black and white cats and yellow dogs in the papers.  My name was signed to it, and more than two hundred black and white cats and yellow dogs were brought me by parties anxious to sell them at any price.  One time there were seven women with cats in my room, when two men came up leading dogs.  The first woman had managed to get into the room, and while I was arguing with her, trying to convince her that I did not want her blamed old cat, the others found their way in.  They opened on me altogether.  Hartwick shut himself in the clothespress, and I could hear him laughing and gasping for breath.  I was nearly crazy when the men sauntered in with the dogs in tow.  Oh, say!”

Browning fell over limply in his chair, as if the memory of what followed was too much for him.

“You have had a real warm time of it,” grinned Swallows.

“Warm!  Warm!  My boy, it was warm!  Two of the women were showing me their cats.  The dogs saw the cats; the cats saw the dogs.  One of the cats made a flying leap for a dog.  The other fled, and the other dog pursued.  The seven women shrieked all together, and the two men swore and tried to catch the dogs.  The other cats escaped from the baskets in which they were confined.  Warm!  Say!”