“Silence in here!” came a voice from the doorway, and Josiah Crabtree appeared.  “I will have silence!”

“Oh, dear!” murmured Pepper.  “Anybody got any silence to spare?  Mr. Crabtree wants some.”

“You must all be in bed by midnight, and the light must be out,” went on the teacher.  “This unseemly revel must cease!” And then he walked on, to stop the noise coming from the other dormitories.

“Say, Pepper, how do you like that?” murmured Fred.

“I knew there would be frost,” sighed The Imp.  “Every time old Crabtree appears we get a cold wave.”

“Be thankful he didn’t mark you down for extra lessons,” said Andy.

“If he did that I’d rebel,” returned Pepper.

After that the talk was carried on in whispers, and each cadet lost no time in disrobing.  A few minutes after midnight all were in bed, and one after another lost himself in the land of dreams.

The day had been a particularly strenuous one for Jack and the young major slept soundly until the rising-bell rang loudly.  Then he rubbed his eyes sleepily and stretched himself.

“Wish I didn’t have to get up just yet,” he murmured.  “I could sleep another hour without half trying.”

“Same here,” responded Pepper.

“I never feel awake until after I’ve had a wash,” came from Andy, who had just leaped up.

Soon all of the cadets in the dormitory were dressing, and one by one they washed up and went below.  Andy and Jack were the last to leave.

“What’s the matter?” asked the acrobatic youth, as he saw the young major searching around for something.

“I’m looking for my watch and chain, Andy.”

“Where did you put it?”

“Where I always do—­on the stand at the head of my bed.”

“Maybe it fell on the floor.”

“If it did, it isn’t there now.”  Jack got down on his knees to look around, and then turned over the bedclothes and some other things.

“Maybe Pepper played a joke on you, Jack.”

“That may be so.  I’ll go down and ask him about it.”

The young major looked through his clothing and all over the dormitory, and then hurried below.  As it was Sunday morning, there was no drill, and the cadets were gathering in the mess-hall for breakfast.

“Pepper, did you see my watch?” asked Jack, coming up to his chum.

“Your watch?  No,” was the ready reply.

“You didn’t?” cried the young major, and now he was more concerned than ever.

“Saw it last night, when you put it on the stand as usual.”

“You didn’t hide it?  Come, now, tell the truth.”

“Honor bright; the last I saw of it was when you placed it on the stand when you went to bed.”

“It’s gone; and the chain with it.”

“You don’t mean it, Jack!  Did you look all around?”

“Everywhere.”

“Did you ask the other fellows about it?”