“Joke’s over now, boys,” said the Captain, when the mice had run around the barn for several minutes. “We’ve had enough of a good thing. Let’s catch them and put them back into the box.”
The girls above sat around the ladder opening and watched the proceedings.
“Wherever did you get so many mice, boys?” asked Mrs. Evans.
“We found them,” said the Captain, “all boxed up, just like this, They were right out in the middle of that field over there. We were on the way over here and saw the box and looked in. When we saw what it was we thought we could play a joke on the girls. So we brought them along. Looks as though someone had fixed them that way for a joke. Probably were going to send them by express. They were in an express box, although it was not nailed shut.”
The girls began to look at one another significantly. The same thought came into all their minds at once. Were not these the mice that were to attend the Junior party?
“The joke is on the Seniors, after all,” said Hinpoha.
“What do you mean?” asked the boys. “The joke is on the Seniors?”
“I don’t see any harm now,” said Gladys. “The scheme has collapsed like a pricked balloon.”
And they told the Sandwiches what they knew about the plot of the Senior boys to interrupt the Junior party.
“Wasn’t such a bad idea to try to play a joke on you girls after all, was it?” said the Captain. “Because if we hadn’t done it we wouldn’t have nipped their little scheme in the bud. We’ll play lots more jokes on them, won’t we, Slim? Don’t you girls think you ought to invite us up to supper to celebrate?”
“Not until the last mouse is back in the box,” said Gladys firmly.
The boys worked hard to catch them again and the girls sat above and cheered their efforts, and in the middle of it in came Katherine and her companion, swathed in green veils. There was such an uproar in the barn that Cora never noticed that Katherine locked the door and put the key in her pocket. Cora gave a great start at the sight of the mice, which was not all from fright, and the girls could not help enjoying the situation. What must be her thoughts by this time? But Cora, obeying the natural impulse of women at the sight of mice, fled up the ladder with Katherine. If she thought it odd that the barn was full of girls and boys when she had gained the impression that it was empty and dark, she made no sign, but stood still with her veil over her face. With all those horrible creatures running around the floor downstairs she made no move to escape.