rapidly as possible, and soon had eight of the snowballs raised
to the platform of the fire-escape.

"How about it? Everything clear?" questioned Randy, as he came into the
corridor where Spouter was on guard.

"All clear so far," was the reply. "A few of the fellows are in their
rooms, but no one that we are going to bother."

"Then let's get those snowballs inside and distribute 'em."

In a few minutes the snowballs were gotten inside the building, and then
two were rolled and pushed over to the room occupied by Henry Stowell, a
cadet commonly called Codfish on account of the broadness of his mouth.
Luck was with them, for the door was unlocked, so that they had little
trouble in rolling the snowballs inside, where they were placed one on
either side of the single bed the cadet occupied.

After this the cadets rolled several of the balls to various other rooms,
one being placed in the tub of a bathroom.

"I've saved the biggest of the snowballs," whispered Randy. "That's the
one we must place in Professor Duke's room."

The professor's room was around in another corridor, and to get to this
the cadets had to roll the big snowball directly past the top of the
broad stairs leading to the hall below. They had the snowball in a
position right at the head of the stairs when Spouter, who was leaning
over the upper railing on guard, gave a sudden hiss of warning.

"Somebody coming!" he announced in a whisper. "And unless I'm mistaken,
it's Professor Duke!"

"Gosh! I hope he doesn't catch us," returned Gif Garrison. "Maybe we had
better run for it."

"Here he comes right for the stairs!" put in Jack, as he saw the familiar
form pass a light in the lower hall.

The cadets did not know just what to do, and while they paused to
consider, Professor Duke started up the long, straight stairs. He was
evidently in deep thought and did not look above him.

"Run, fellows! Run!" whispered Andy excitedly, and then, as the others
started away he attempted to follow. But the floor was wet from the
melting snow, and down he came flat on his back, both feet hitting the
big snowball squarely.

The movement was sufficient to send the snowball directly to the edge of
the top step. Here, as Andy scrambled to his feet, it hovered for a
moment, then began to slide down the stairs, gathering speed from step to
step.

"Hi! Hi! What is this?" those above heard Snopper Duke ejaculate. And the
next instant the teacher set up a yell of