“Did you get the—­er—­the teeth?”

“Oh, no, sir.  They are too high up.  You’ll have to get a ladder to get them down.”

“The rascal!” howled Josiah Crabtree.  “Oh, wait till I get my hands on him!  But I must get the teeth first.”  He thought for a moment.  “Fenwick, find Snuggers and send him to me at once.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And don’t say a word of this to any one,” added the teacher, as the sneak hurried off.

It took Mumps fully five minutes to locate Peleg Snuggers.  Wondering what was wanted, the general utility man hurried to the teacher’s apartment.

“I want you to get my set of teeth,” said Josiah Crabtree.  “I am told they are fastened to the chandelier in Room Eight.  Get a ladder and get them down immediately.  And do it as quietly as you can.”

“Yes, sir,” answered Snuggers, and left to do the errand.  “Teeth on the chandelier!” he murmured, “Wot an idee!  Bet some o’ the cadets did thet trick!  How funny he did look without his grinders in!”

Pepper had not told any one about his trick, but on a blackboard in the hall he had chalked the words: 

Set of Teeth For Sale! 
See Chandelier in Room No. 8. 
Crabtree, A.M., O.I.C.

This scrawl had attracted the attention of fully a score of cadets, and one after another they entered the classroom designated to find out what it meant.  When they saw the teeth dangling in the air they set up a roar.

“Hello, look at the set of teeth!”

“They must belong to old Crabtree!”

“Wonder what he wants for them?”

“I reckon teeth come high, by the look of things!”

The crowd of cadets kept growing larger, until the room was crowded.  Then one cadet took a blackboard eraser and threw it at the teeth.  This was a signal for a general discharge of all sorts of things at the dangling object.

In the midst of the excitement George Strong came in.

“Boys! boys!  Be quiet!” cried the teacher.  “What is the meaning of so much noise?” And then he, too, caught sight of the dangling teeth.  “Who placed those there?” he asked.

There was no reply, and he was on the point of sending a cadet for a step-ladder when the door opened and in came Peleg Snuggers with the very thing wanted.

“Mr. Crabtree sent me to git ’em,” explained the general utility man.

“Hurrah!  Peleg to the rescue!” cried Andy.

“Now, Peleg, do the great balancing act,” said Fred Century.

“I will hold the ladder for you, Snuggers,” said Mr. Strong.  “Boys, stand back,” he added, afraid that some of the lads might attempt some joke while the general utility man was in the air.

The step-ladder was placed in position and Snuggers mounted cautiously to the top.  He could just reach the chandelier and the teeth, and it took him some time to cut the teeth loose.

“I’ll take ’em right to Mr. Crabtree,” he said on coming down.  “He’s in a mighty big hurry for ’em.”