“Kindly ask Captain Putnam to step here as soon as he can,” he mumbled.

“Yes, sir,” answered the cadet, and looked curiously at the teacher.  “Got a toothache, Mr. Crabtree?”

“No, I have no toothache,” mumbled the teacher.  “Send Captain Putnam as soon as you can,” and then he dove back into his bedroom.

Several minutes passed and George Strong put in an appearance.

“Dalling said you wanted to see Captain Putnam,” he said.  “The captain has left for Buffalo on business.  Can I do anything for you?”

“Mr. Strong, a wicked trick has been played on me!” burst out Josiah Crabtree.

“A trick?”

“Yes.  My teeth are gone, the new set I had made!  Some cadet has taken them!”

“Can it be possible!” murmured George Strong.  “Where did you leave them?”

“In that glass on the stand.  Oh, what shall I do?  My other set is at the dentist’s, getting fixed.”

“Maybe I can send for them.”

“Hardly, since the dentist is at Ithaca.  Oh, what a wretch, to take my teeth!  I cannot go to the classroom without my teeth.  I would be the laughing-stock of the entire school!  It is a dreadful state of affairs!”

“I don’t see how I can help you out, sir,” answered George Strong, sympathetically.

“I shall have to stay here until something is done.  See if you can’t find the cadet who took the teeth.”

“I will do what I can,” answered George Strong, and left the room.

Josiah Crabtree was walking up and down nervously, when there came a timid knock on the door.  He opened it to confront Mumps.

“Well, Fenwick, what do you want?” demanded the teacher, harshly.  The sneak of the school generally had some tale of woe to tell, and he was just now in no humor to listen to any such recital.

“Please, Mr. Crabtree, did you lose anything?” asked Mumps, nervously.

“Ha! what is that?  Come in!  What do you know?” cried Josiah Crabtree, and caught Mumps by the arm.

“I didn’t do it—­really and truly I didn’t!” cried the sneak, in sudden terror.  “I—­I only found it out by accident.”

“About my—­er—­my teeth?”

“Yes, sir.”

“What do you know about them, Fenwick?  Quick; out with it!”

“Oh, sir, please don’t hurt my arm so!”

“Tell me what you know.”

“I—­I know where your teeth are, sir, I—­I saw them put there last night.”

“Where are they?”

“Hanging on the chandelier in Classroom Eight.”

“And who put them there?” roared the teacher, in amazement.

“Pepper Ditmore, sir.  But, oh, sir, please don’t say I told on him or he’ll hammer the life out of me!” cried Mumps, in alarm.

“How did he get them?”

“I don’t know that, sir.  I—­I went downstairs to—­er—­to put away a book for another cadet and I saw Pepper Ditmore sneak into Room Eight.  I watched him, and he threw a string with the teeth on ’em up over the chandelier.  I thought they might be yours, so I came here to find out.”