With the return of Captain Putnam and George Strong, the students settled down once more to their studies. The dictatorial Josiah Crabtree was, for the time being, much subdued, yet the cadets knew that sooner or later he would become as harsh as ever. The one point in his favor was that he was a learned man and could teach well when he put his mind to it. It was Andy Snow who had proposed the trip to the belfry of the Cedarville church, located about a mile and a half from the Hall. He had dared Jack and Pepper to make the trip with him, and the talk had been taken up by Stuffer Singleton, Fred Century, Dale Blackmore, and half a dozen others. “They won’t dare to do it,” said Dale. “I’ll bet an apple pie on it.” “And I’ll wager ice-cream for the crowd,” added Stuffer. “With most of the ice-cream for Stuffer himself,” put in Pepper. “I’m willing to try it,” declared Jack. “So am I,” added Pepper. “We owe the sexton of that church one anyway, for chasing us from Mr. Dalter’s orchard when he had no right to do it.” “Let us get the clapper and hide it in old Crabtree’s bed,” said Andy. But just then he was called away by one of the monitors. Then he sent a note back stating Captain Putnam wished him to do an errand, so he could not make the trip. “I suppose that ends it,” said Dale Blackmore. “Nobody dares to go,” said another cadet. “Yes, I’ll go,” said Pepper promptly. “So will I,” came from Jack. “But mum’s the word, remember. We don’t want any of the teachers to learn what is going on.” “We’ll be as silent as oysters in a stew,” said Stuffer. “Sure an’ ’twill be a great sphort to put the clapper in ould Crabtree’s bed,” said Emerald Hogan. “Who is going to do that?” asked another. “I’ll do it—if Pep and Jack get the clapper,” answered the Irish cadet promptly. A little later Jack and Pepper set off on their quest, stealing away from Putnam Hall campus unobserved. They got half way to the church and then passed Reff Ritter and his cronies, who went by without speaking. “This is dead easy,” remarked Jack, as they climbed in the church window. They had a lantern with them, and lighting this, mounted the stairs to the gallery, and then ascended the long ladder leading to the belfry floor. Here they opened the trap door and then closed it again, as already stated. The bell was close at hand and it was a comparatively easy matter to detach the iron clapper. Pepper came down the ladder with it and then made the startling discovery with which our story opens. The trap door had been bolted from the under side and the two cadets were prisoners in the belfry, at a distance of seventy-five feet from the ground. CHAPTER II JACK IN PERIL “We are in for it, Jack.” “So it would seem, Pep. Do you really think Reff Ritter and his crowd came back here and fastened the trap door?”