The six boys marched to the hotel in a body, told their story, and showed the telegram to the clerk.

“All right,” said the clerk.  “We’ve had cadets stop here before.  I have a big room on the second floor, with two large beds in it.  Will that do?”

“That suits me,” said Larry.

“Is Mr. Josiah Crabtree stopping here?” questioned Tom.

“Yes.  He has the room next to the one I mentioned —­ his is No. 13, and yours will be No. 14.”

“All right; thanks,” answered Torn dryly, and immediately began to lay plans for playing a joke on the old teacher.

“We don’t want to let Mr. Crabtree know we are stopping here,” he said to the clerk later on.  “He is no longer a teacher at the Hall, and we would rather not meet.”

“Shall I put you in another room?”

“Oh, no; only don’t tell him we are here.”

“I’ll remember that, sir.”

As soon as the boys had been shown to the big room, Tom turned to his fellows.  “I want each of you to chip in ten cents,” he said.

“What for?” came in a chorus.

“For the purpose of getting square with old Crabby.”

“I don’t see the connection,” said Larry.  “Kindly be a little more definite.”

“You’ll see, or hear, the connection a little later on,” answered Tom.  “Quick, shell out and I’ll promise you your money’s worth, or return the amount with legal interest.”

The fifty cents was quickly collected, and, adding ten cents of his own, Tom ran from the hotel.  “No fish market open at this time of night, “he said to himself.

“I’ll have to try a restaurant,” and hurried into the first place which came into sight.

“Have you any crabs?” he asked, of the waiter who came to him.

“Yes, sah; very fine, sah.  Want some softshell, sah?”

“I don’t care whether they are soft-shell or as hard as rocks.  I want live crabs, the most active kind you have in stock.”

The waiter stared in amazement, then called the owner of the restaurant.

“You want live crabs?”

“I do —­ strong, active, go-ahead crabs, and I want them in a box.”

“Is this a joke?”

“It will be —­ when the crabs get to work,” answered Tom with a wink.

“Oh, I understand,” laughed the restaurant keeper.  “How many?”

“What are they worth?”

“Good nippers are worth ten cents apiece.”

“Give me six, and mind you put them in a strong box for me.”

Five minutes later Tom left the restaurant with the live crabs tucked safely away in a shoe box under his overcoat.

CHAPTER XXII

FUN AT THE HOTEL

It was no easy matter for Tom to get into the room Josiah Crabtree was occupying, but after trying a good number of keys, fished up here, there, and everywhere, one was at last found that fitted the lock.