ery much, Colonel Colby," cried Jack, and, starting forward,
he offered his hand, and the master of the school shook it warmly. Then
all of the other cadets came forward to do likewise.

"I hope you won't punish those other fellows for getting some extra food
up to us," said Fred, as he and Andy brought out the hidden things and
placed them on one of the trays. "They only tried to do us a good turn."

"You may rest assured, Rover, that I shall treat them only as they
deserve," answered Colonel Colby, and led the way downstairs. Here the
cadets separated, each to pay a brief visit to his own room before going
down to the classrooms on the lower floor.

"I wonder what Colonel Colby meant when he said Duke had reasons for
being irritable?" remarked Randy.

"I don't know, I'm sure," answered Jack thoughtfully.

"Maybe he's suffering from some sickness," suggested Fred. "Perhaps he
ought to have an operation and hates to have it done."

"Maybe he's worried about money matters," came from Randy.

"It was certainly something worth while or Colonel Colby wouldn't have
been so serious about it," said Fred. "Gee! I'm sorry if I misjudged him,
if there is really something wrong."

"I don't believe Colonel Colby would caution us if it wasn't so," said
Jack. "And after this I'm going to give Duke as much consideration as I
possibly can."

The boys had been told to go to their classrooms, but this was hardly
necessary, for they had just about presented themselves when the
afternoon session of the school came to an end. Then they followed some
of their friends down to the gymnasium, where they were at once
surrounded and asked to give the particulars of what had happened to
them.

"It wasn't a great deal," said Jack. "And first of all I want to know
what was done to Dan and the others."

"Oh, Colonel Colby read us a little lecture, that's all," answered Walt
Baxter, one of the cadets. "He told us we had no right to take any of the
food without asking for it."

"I offered to pay for it," put in Ned Lowe, "and so did Dan. But the
colonel said that wasn't the point. That he wanted the discipline of the
Hall maintained."

"Did he say anything about Professor Duke?" questioned Fred.

"Not a word."

"Well, he told us something," continued the youngest Rover, and then
related what had been said on the subject.

"Say, that squares with something I once heard," cried Walt Baxter. "I
met Professor Duke down at the barn one d