.

The boys took themselves to a safe place in the lower hallway. They saw
Nat Poole come in and march straight for Doctor Clay's office. The
master of the Hall was in, and an animated discussion lasting several
minutes took place. Then the doctor came out to interview Job Haskers,
who in the meantime had caught the horse and was hooking him up once
more.

"Mr. Haskers, what does this mean?" asked the doctor, in rather a cold
tone. "Master Poole says you attacked him and shook him without
provocation."

"Somebody has been playing a trick on me--I thought it was Poole," was
the reply, and the teacher told what had happened. "Just look at that
shirt, and my back is full of snow!"

The doctor looked and was inclined to smile. But he kept a straight
face.

"Certainly nobody had a right to play such a trick," said he. "But you
shouldn't punish Poole for what he didn't do. You are altogether too
hasty at times, Mr. Haskers."

"Am I? Well, perhaps; but some of the boys here need a club, and need it
badly, too!"

"I do not agree with you. They like a little fun, but that is only
natural. Occasionally they go a little too far, but I do not look to a
clubbing as a remedy."

"I wish I could find out who played this trick on me."

"Don't you think you owe Poole an apology?"

"An apology?" gasped Job Haskers. Such a thing had never occurred to
him.

"Yes. You are certainly in the wrong."

"I'll apologize to nobody," snapped the teacher.

"Well, after this you be more careful as to how you attack my students,"
said Doctor Clay, severely. "Otherwise, I shall have to ask you to
resign your position."

Some sharp words followed, and in the end Job Haskers drove off feeling
decidedly humble. He could not afford to throw up his contract with the
doctor, and he was afraid that the latter might demand his resignation.
But he was very angry, and the discovery of the ice and snow in the
cutter, later on, did not tend to make his temper any sweeter.

"I'll find out who did this!" he muttered to himself. "And when I do,
I'll fix him, as sure as my name is Job Haskers." But he never did find
out; and there the incident came to an end. The boys thought they had
had fun enough for one night, and so did not watch for the teacher's
return to Oak Hall.

CHAPTER VIII

A MYSTERIOUS LETTER

In the morning mail Gus Plum received a letter postmarked London which
he read with much interest. Then he called on Dave.

"I've