“I will.”  Tom turned to George Strong.  “Excuse me, Mr. Strong, I am, sorry I have caused you so much trouble.”

“How do you feel now?” questioned the assistant anxiously.

“Oh, I’m all right now.”

“Well, then, go to bed; and I trust you steep more soundly for the balance of the night,” said the teacher; and he remained in the room until Tom was tucked in, when he went off, taking the key of the door with him.

“Tom, you’re a brick!” came from Frank, when the teacher was out of hearing.  “What a head you have on your shoulders!”

“Strong took the key of the door,” said Fred.

“I don’t like that.”

“Shove a chair-back up under the knob,” suggested Dick, and this was done, the chair thus making an excellent brace.

“Now to get that stuff in,” said Dick, donning his clothing with all possible speed.  “I shouldn’t wonder if the soda and root beer are frozen as hard as a rock.”

He was soon ready to descend, and the others lowered him by aid of the wash line.  Then the boxes and packages were hoisted up, and Dick came after.

A few minutes later came a slight tapping on the door, repeated three times.  It was a signal, and Sam opened the door, admitting George Granbury and seven other cadets from dormitory No. 2.  The occupants of several other dormitories followed.

“Are we to have Mumps and his crowd in here?” asked one of the newcomers.

“I don’t want Mumps,” answered Dick.  “Not because he ran against me, but because he was Baxter’s toady and is a regular sneak.”

“Little Luke Walton and Mark Gross voted for you, Dick,” said Harry Blossom.  “They ought to be invited.”

“All right, tell them to come in, and anybody else who wishes, outside of Mumps,” answered Dick.

The young captain went off, and soon returned with six boys of Sam’s age or younger.

“Mumps is awfully mad,” he announced.  “My idea is, he is going to cause us trouble if he can.”

“We’ll wax him good if he does!” cried Tom.  “Say, Sam, let us watch him,” and he hurried into the hallway, while the others attacked the several good things Dick had provided for them.

Tom and Sam had been in the dark hallway but two minutes when the door of Mumps’ dormitory opened and the sneak came out, wearing his slippers and his long overcoat.  He glided swiftly toward the side stairs leading to Captain Putnam’s private apartments.

“He’s going to peach!” whispered Tom, “Come on, Sam, let us capture the enemy!” and he hurried after Mumps and caught him by the arm.

“Hi! who is this?” demanded the sneak, turning in fear.  Then, as Tom and Sam confronted him, his face grew white.

“Come with us, Mumps, we want to treat you,” answered Tom readily, into whose head another trick had entered.

“I don’t want any of your treat,” growled the sneak.  “Let me go.”