_ CHAPTER V. TURNING THE TABLES
For several days after this there were review examinations so that all the students at the academy were kept busy, and there was little time for anything but study. At the end of the week Adrian Bagot returned from his period of suspension. He did not seem to have suffered much, and the boys heard him boasting of having ridden nearly a thousand miles in his auto.
One evening Sam and some of his chums paid a visit to Jack Ranger.
"Got anything on to-night?" asked Sam.
"Nothing special, why?"
"Well, I'll not tell you the particulars, and then, if anything happens you can truthfully say you never knew a thing about it. But if you want to see something, put on an old pair of slippers, so you can walk through the corridors softly, and follow us."
"Some fun?" asked Jack.
"Well, we wouldn't go to all this trouble if it was work or study," replied Sam with a grin. "But say nothing, only saw wood and come on."
Jack, nothing loath, did as he was told. He got an old pair of felt slippers, and noticed that the others were also wearing similar foot-gear.
"First to Professor Socrat's room," whispered Sam when the boys, including Will Slade, Fred Kaler and Bony Balmore were out in the corridor.
"He's not going to fight a duel with Professor Garlach, is he?" asked Jack, recalling an occasion when the two teachers nearly did.
"Not this time," replied Sam, "but there may be a fight in it."
With Sam in the lead the boys went to the room of the French professor.
"Now stay back in the shadows," advised the leader. "You can see and listen, but keep quiet."
Sam knocked on the door, and, in his most polite tones said:
"I was asked, my dear professor, to leave this with you with the compliments of the sender."
"Ah, I zank you extremely, sir," said Professor Socrat, bowing low, "I zank ze giver, an' I zank you for ze most polite attention you have bestowed on me."
"You are very welcome, I'm sure," murmured Sam, as he hurried away to join his waiting comrades.
"I don't see anything funny about that," said Jack.
"Wait until he opens it," whispered Sam.
A few seconds later the hidden boys heard the door of the French teacher's room open, and saw him come out.
"It is some meestake," they heard him murmur. "Zis ees for Professor Grimm. I will take it to heem," and he walked along the corridor toward the elderly instructor's apartment.
"Act one," whispered Sam. "Now for the second."
Silently in their slippers the boys followed the French professor to Mr. Grimm's room.
"What is it?" asked the latter when the Frenchman had knocked.
"I come wiz a package, left by mistake wiz me," Mr. Socrat remarked, in his usual polite way. "It is addressed to you inside, but ze outside wrapper was wiz my name inscribed. I ask your pardon."
"Thanks," said Mr. Grimm shortly, as, with a polite bow, Mr. Socrat went back to his room.
Professor Grimm left his door open a little way, and the boys could see him quite plainly. They saw him take off the wrapper, and disclose a small white box. This he opened and, as he took the cover off, there dropped out something that gave a musical clang.
"A bell!" exclaimed Jack in a whisper.
"Hush!" cautioned Sam. "Let's hear what he says."
"Ha!" exclaimed Mr. Grimm. "So this is a joke, eh, Mr. Frenchman? Well, we'll see about this!"
He grasped the bell, which was a small one, by the handle, and started down the corridor, a scowl on his face, as the boys could see by a flickering gaslight, as they were hidden around the corner.
"Now back to Mr. Socrat's room for the third act," said Sam. "Come on."
Without the formality of a knock, Mr. Grimm entered the French teacher's room.
"So this is your idea of a joke, eh?" he cried, shaking the bell under Professor Socrat's nose. "I'll report you to Dr. Mead for this. You frog-eater you!"
"Sir-r-r-r!" fairly shouted Professor Socrat. "You call me a frog- eater-r-r-r-r?"
"Yes, and a donkey also!" exclaimed Mr. Grimm. "You knew how I've felt since that bell joke, and you dare to send me a miniature one!"
"I sent nossing!"
"Didn't I see you just bring this?" demanded Mr. Grimm, holding out the bell.
"It was addressed to you on ze paper!"
"Yes, and you did it!"
"I did not!"
"I say you did!"
"Zen you mean zat I tells a lie?"
"If you want to take it that way!"
"Zen I say you also are one who knows not ze truth!"
"Don't call me that name or I'll--"
What the excited professor meant to say was not disclosed as, at that moment, in shaking his fist at Professor Socrat he let slip the bell, which, with a clang struck the French teacher on the chest.
"A blow! I am insult!" Mr. Socrat exclaimed. "It must be wiped out wiz ze blood of my insulter!"
He caught up a book to throw at Mr. Grimm, and let it fly, just as Adrian Bagot entered the room. The sporty student caught it full in the face.
"Pardon, my dear young friend!" exclaimed the French teacher, seeing his missile had gone wide of one mark, though finding another.
"What does this mean?" demanded Adrian, as he saw the two belligerents.
"Leave the room, sir!" ordered Professor Grimm. "This is none of your affair!"
"I was asked to come here," said Adrian.
"Ha, so this is another part of your plan to play a joke on me," cried Mr. Grimm, glaring at the Frenchman. "You ask this student, who was responsible for the original trouble to come here to see a repetition."
"Your talk, it ees of ze incomprehensible!" exclaimed Mr. Socrat. "I have sent for no one."
"I got a note, signed with your name, asking me to call at your room at eight o'clock," said Bagot.
"Hold me, some one, before I die laughing," whispered Sam to his chums. In fact they were all laughing so that only the excitement on the part of the three in Mr. Socrat's room prevented the boys from being discovered.
"Let me see ze writing," said the French teacher.
Adrian showed it to him.
"I nevair wrote that, nevair, nevair, nevair!" exclaimed the representative of France.
"But you brought me the bell," put in Mr. Grimm.
"I did, because your name, it was on ze covair of ze box. I not write heem."
"Then if you didn't, who did?" asked Mr. Grimm.
"I am no readair of ze mind," replied the Frenchman.
"I'll bet it is one of Jack Ranger's tricks," said Adrian. "It is just like him."
"Are you sure you had no hand in it?" asked Mr. Grimm suspiciously, turning to Bagot.
"You don't think I'd risk another suspension with graduation so near, do you?" asked Bagot.
"I guess you're innocent this time," admitted Mr. Grimm unwillingly. "If I discover who did this I'll settle with him."
"You've got to catch 'em first," murmured Sam.
"Well I guess I'll go," went on Mr. Grimm.
"I have been insult, I demand satisfaction," said Mr. Socrat, drawing himself to his full height and glaring at the other teacher. "Will you name a friend, sir, to whom I can send my representative?"
"You--you don't mean to fight a duel, do you?" asked Professor Grimm, nervously.
"Of a certainly yes! I have been struck! I have been insult! I must have ze satisfaction!"
"If it comes to that so have I," said Adrian, rubbing his face where the book had hit him.
"I have apologized to you. I beg your ten thousand pardons, my young friend," said Mr. Socrat, bowing low. "I know when I am at fault. It was all an accident. Still, if you demand satisfaction I am bound to give it you. I will send ze--"
"Oh, I accept your apology," said Adrian, hastily.
"But I have been called ze eater of ze frogs, an' I have been struck by--by a--person!" exploded the Frenchman. u I must see ze blood flow, or--"
"Oh, I'll apologize, if it comes to that," said Mr. Grimm, rather awkwardly. "I didn't mean to hit you with the bell. As for calling you names, why--why I was all excited. I beg your pardon."
"Zen you have made ze amend honorable, an' I accept it," said the Frenchman, bowing almost to the floor. "We will regard ze incident as closed."
"I'll not, by a long shot," murmured Bagot. "I want satisfaction from whoever got me into this and I'll find out sooner or later."
"Mostly later," murmured Sam.
"Where did you get the package?" asked the sporty student of Mr. Socrat.
"It was brought to me a little while ago, by one of ze students. It was dark in ze hallway and I could not see ze face of heem."
"Luck for me," murmured Sam.
"I see my name on ze wrappair," went on Professor Socrat. "Zen I open it an' I see ze name of Mr. Grimm. I go to heem. Ha! Zings begin to what you call happen--after zat!"
"Vamoose!" whispered Sam. "I guess we've seen all the fun. They'll disperse now. Everyone to his room and undress. Be studying in bed. If there's an investigation we can't be accused."
A little later the boys heard Professor Grimm tramping to his room, muttering dire vengeance on his tormentors. They heard him open his window and throw something out. It fell with a tinkle to the ground.
"The bell," whispered Sam, as he hurried to his room.
"How did you manage it?" asked Jack an hour or so later when Sam had entered his chum's apartment, matters having quieted down.
"It was too easy," explained Sam. "I did up the bell, and left it with Socrat. I purposely addressed it double. I figured out what would happen. Then I sent a fake note to Bagot, telling him Socrat wanted him. It came out better than I expected."
"I hope there's no trouble over it," Jack said.
There was none, for neither of the professors cared to have the facts made public, and Bagot did not want to let it be known that he had been fooled. _