want to compose an ode in its honor?" questioned Tom, dryly.
"Might go like this:

"A hissing, gliding snake
Kept all the school awake;
Each boy in awful fright
Was looking for a bite!"

"You can make fun if you want to, but I think it is no laughing matter,"
observed Fred. "Supposing a fellow goes to sleep and wakes up to find
that snake crawling over him! Phew! talk about nightmares!"

"It certainly would make a fellow feel queer," answered Sam. "But I say,
Dick, if you are sure Sobber did it, why can't we pay him back in his
own coin?"

"I'm willing, but how can it be done?"

"Wait until to-morrow night and I'll show you," answered the youngest
Rover. "That is, unless the snake is caught in the meantime."

"Have you a plan to get square?" asked Larry.

"Yes."

"Den go ahead sure," came from Hans. "Of dot Sobber fellow peen guilty
he ought to be hung up on der pottom of der sea alretty quick!"

"Just wait, and we'll fix Mr. Tad Sobber," answered Dick. "He'll wish he
never saw a snake." He had an inkling of what was in his brother Sam's
mind to do.

CHAPTER XVII

A STIRRING SCENE IN THE SCHOOLROOM

The hunt for the snake was continued all of the next day, but without
success. By that time the excitement had died down and a good many of
the cadets forgot all about the incident. A few said it must be a joke
and they laughed behind George Strong's back.

"It's one of Tom Rover's tricks," said one pupil. "I'll wager he is
laughing in his sleeves at Mr. Strong and Captain Putnam."

"Do you think it was a live snake?" asked another.

"No, it was probably a toy affair on a string."

In the secrecy of their room Tad Sobber and Nick Pell laughed heartily
over the excitement created--that is, Pell laughed and the bully laughed
with him. But Sobber, behind it all, was worried.

The truth of the matter was, he had hoped that the snake would be
killed. The man who had sold him the reptile had said it was from
Central America and poisonous, but had added that the snake was sick and
not liable to do any harm. Sobber would not have cared had Dick or his
brothers been bitten by the snake, but that the reptile was at large was
another story.

"Do you think he'd be poisonous enough to kill anybody?" asked Pell,
suddenly, and he sobered down as he spoke.

"Oh, no, of course not," answered the bully, but he turned his face away
as he spoke. He had given five dollars for the snake and now h