“Oh, I know what I’m a-doin’ and the constable knows what he’s a-doin’, too,” answered Aaron Fairchild.
George Strong was sent to summon Dick, Tom, and Sam, and soon came up with the three brothers behind him.
“Something is wrong, that is certain,” murmured Dick.
“Those men look mad enough to chew us up,” answered Tom.
“Now, boys, keep cool,” cautioned George Strong. “I think some terrible mistake has been made.”
“What’s it all about, Mr. Strong?” asked Sam.
“I’ll let them explain,” returned the head assistant.
Josiah Cotton had heard Captain Putnam’s words of caution to Aaron Fairchild, and as he had a great regard for persons who were rich, and did not want to get himself into trouble, he resolved to move with caution.
“I’d like to ask you three young gents a few questions,” said he, as the boys came up. “Fust, which one of you is Richard Rover?”
“I am Richard, commonly called Dick,” was the ready reply. “This is my brother Tom, and this is Sam.”
“Very well. Now then, do you remember visitin’ Mr. Fairchild’s jewelry an’ paint store?” went on the constable.
“Visiting a jewelry and paint store?” repeated Dick. “I do not. What a combination!”
“Perhaps he paints his jewels,” put in the fun-loving Tom.
“Don’t you git funny with us!” growled Aaron Fairchild. “Let’s come to the p’int. My store was robbed, an’ I’m thinking you fellers done the deed.”
“Robbed!” echoed Sam.
“And you think we did it,” put in Dick, indignantly. “I like that!”
“We are not thieves,” said Tom. “And you ought to have your head punched for thinking it.”
“Boys, keep cool,” came from Captain Putnam. “Mr. Cotton, hadn’t you better do the talking for Mr. Fairchild?”
“I want ‘em searched,” burst out Aaron Fairchild. “If they robbed my store they must have put the stuff somewheres.”
“What makes you think we robbed you?” asked Dick.
“This,” and he was shown the memorandum book and the envelope.
“Humph! I lost that book some weeks ago, when I had my fight with Lew Flapp, Rockley, and the rest of that crowd that were dismissed from the academy.”
“And what of the envelope, Richard?” asked Captain Putnam.
“I don’t remember anything about that. It probably came on a letter from home and I must have thrown it away.”
“The book and the envelope were found on the floor of the shop that was robbed.”
“Well, I didn’t drop them there.”
“And neither did I,” came from Tom.
“Nor I,” added Sam.
“Are you going to let us search you and your belongings or not?” demanded the constable from White Corners.
“I don’t see why you should search us,” put in Tom, hotly. “It’s an outrage, to my way of thinking.”
“You had better let him make a search,” came from Captain Putnam. “Then he will see that he has made a mistake.”
“All right, search me all you please,” said Sam.
“I am of Tom’s opinion, that it is an outrage,” said Dick. “Nevertheless, he can search me if he wishes.”
“Let us retire to yonder barn, out of the sight of the battalion,” said Captain Putnam.
The constable and Aaron Fairchild were willing, and all walked to the barn in question.
“You can look at that first,” said Dick, and unbuttoning his coat he took it off and handed it to the constable.
Josiah Cotton dove into one pocket after another, bringing out various articles which were Dick’s private property.
“Any o’ these yours?” he asked the jeweler.
“Can’t say as they are, Josiah,” answered Aaron Fairchild. “Go on a-huntin’. Maybe somethin’ is in the linin’.”
“There is!” shouted the constable, running his hand over the padding. He found a small hole and put in his fingers. “Here ye are!” he ejaculated, and brought forth two plain gold rings and one set with a topaz.
“My property!” gasped Aaron Fairchild. “My property and I’ll swear to it! Didn’t I tell ye he was a thief?”
CHAPTER V
FOR AND AGAINST
All in the barn gazed in amazement at the three rings which the constable of White Corners held in his hand.
“I don’t know how those rings got into my coat,” said Dick, who was the first to recover from the shock.
“I am certain Dick didn’t steal them,” put in Tom.
“And so am I,” added Sam. “Dick, this is a plot against you.”
“It ain’t no plot—it’s plain facts,” came from Aaron Fairchild. “Go on an’ continue the search, Josiah.”
“That’s what I’m a-doin’,” returned the constable.
He felt the coat over carefully and presently brought forth another ring and a pair of child’s bracelets.
“It’s as plain as preachin’!” came from the third man, a farmer named Gassam. “He’s the thief, sure.”
“I declare upon my honor I am innocent,” cried Dick, the hot blood rushing to his face. He turned to Captain Putnam. “You don’t think I—I—”
“I believe what you say, Captain Rover,” answered the master of the Hall, promptly. “There is assuredly some mistake here.”
“Give me your coat,” said Josiah Cotton to Tom.
The garment was handed over, and after a thorough search two small gold stick pins were found in the middle of the back.
“More o’ my goods,” cried Aaron Fairchild, triumphantly. “I can prove I had ‘em on sale not four days ago.”
Sam’s coat was then examined, and from one of the sleeves came half a dozen cheap rings and an equally cheap watchchain.
“All mine. The case is as clear as day,” said the jeweler. “Josiah, you must lock ‘em up.”
“0’ course I’ll lock ‘em up,” answered the constable.
“Lock us up!” cried Sam, aghast.
“Not much!” came from Tom. “I’m no thief, and I don’t propose to go to jail.”
“Boys, have you any idea how this jewelry got into your clothes?” asked Captain Putnam.
“No, sir,” came promptly from the three.
The rest of the Rover boys’ clothing was then searched and a few more cheap rings were brought to light.
“Now let us go for their baggage,” said the constable, and this was done, but nothing more was found.
It was soon buzzing around the battalion, which stood at parade rest, that something was wrong, and then somebody whispered that the Rovers were accused of breaking into a shop and stealing some jewelry.
“It can’t be true,” said Fred Garrison. “I shall never believe it.” And a number of others said the same. But a few shrugged their shoulders— those who had belonged to the Lew Flapp and Dan Baxter crowd.
“I never trusted those Rovers altogether,” said one. “They have too much money to spend.”
“Well, they are worth a good bit of money,” replied another cadet.
“This ain’t a quarter of the stuff I lost,” said Aaron Fairchild, after the baggage had undergone a rigid inspection.
“What have you done with the rest?” asked the constable of the Rovers.
“You may think as you please,” said Dick. “I am innocent and I do not understand how that stuff got where you found it. An enemy must have placed it there.”
“Yes, and that enemy must be the one who robbed the shop!” cried Tom.
“It’s easy enough to talk,” came from Gassam, the farmer. “But you can’t go behind the evidence, as they say in court. You might just as well confess, an’ give up the rest o’ the goods. Maybe if ye
do that, they’ll let ye off easy.”
“What do you consider this stuff worth?” asked Dick.
“Nigh on to thirty-five dollars,” answered Aaron Fairchild.
“How much did you lose altogether?
“About a hundred an’ sixty dollars’ worth.”
“Then the real thief kept about a hundred and twenty-five dollars’ worth for himself,” said Tom.
“There can be no doubt but that one of our enemies did this,” said Sam. “The question is, which one?”
“Perhaps Dan Baxter—or Lew Flapp,” suggested Dick.
“Yes, but how did the things get into our clothes, Tom?”
“I give it up.”
“That sort of talk won’t wash,” put in the constable. “You have got to go with me.”
“Where to?”
“To Squire Haggerty’s office.”
“I will go with you,” said Captain Putnam. “This affair must be sifted to the bottom.”
It was learned that Squire Haggerty lived two miles away. But a wagon was handy, belonging to a nearby farmer, and this was hired to take the whole party to the place.
“You must take charge of the cadets,” said Captain Putnam to his head assistant. “I must see this affair through.”
“I do not believe the Rovers are guilty, sir,” whispered George Strong.
“Neither do I. This is a plot against them. The question is, who carried the plot out?”
Not long after this the battalion of cadets marched off on the road to Putnam Hall while the Rovers and the others entered the big wagon.
Inside of half an hour Squire Haggerty’s home was reached. The squire proved to be an Irishman of about fifty, who when he was not acting as a judge did jobs of mason work in the vicinity.
“Sure, an’ it’s the boldest robbery we have had in this neighborhood for years,” said the squire. “The back door av the shop was broken open and many valuables extracted from the premises.”
“Have you any idea when the robbery was committed?” asked Captain Putnam.
“Not exactly Mr. Fairchild was away all day yesterday and did not get home until nearly twelve o’clock at night.”
“Didn’t he leave anybody else to run the shop?”
“He has nobody. When he goes away he has to lock up.”
All were ushered into the squire’s parlor, where he had a flat-top desk and several office chairs. The squire had heard of Captain Putnam, and knew of the fame of the academy, and he respected the Hall owner accordingly.
“I will be after hearing all the particulars of this case,” said he, as he sat down to his desk.
In a long, rambling story Aaron Fairchild told how he had come home from a visit to the city late the night before. He had some goods for his shop with him and on going to the place had found the back door broken in and everything in the shop in confusion. Jewelry and other things to the value of a hundred and sixty dollars had been taken, and on the floor he had found the memorandum book and the envelope. From some boys in the hamlet he has learned that the Rover boys belonged to the Putnam Hall cadets, and farmer Gassam had told him where to find the young soldiers. Then he had called up the constable and set out; with the results already related.
“This certainly looks black for the Rover boys,” said Squire Haggerty. “How do ye account for having the goods on your persons, tell me that now?”
“I can account for it only in one way,” said Dick. “The thief, whoever he was, placed them there, for the double purpose of keeping suspicion from himself and to get us into trouble.”
“Thin, if he wanted to git you into throuble, he was after being a fellow who had a grudge against ye?”
“That must be it,” put in Captain Putnam.
“Do ye know of any such persons?”
“Yes, there are a number of such persons,” answered Dick. And he mentioned Dan Baxter, Flapp, Rockley, and a number of others who in the past had proved to be his enemies.
Following this, Captain Putnam related how Dan Baxter had escaped after trying to harm Dick Rover and how it was that Lew Flapp was considered an enemy and how the fellow had been dismissed from the academy, along with several followers. Squire Haggerty listened attentively.
“Well, if one of thim fellows robbed the shop he must have visited your camp, too,” said Squire Haggerty. “Did ye see any of thim around?”
Captain Putnam looked inquiringly at the Rover boys.
“I must confess I didn’t see any of them,” said Dick.
“But we heard from Lew Flapp,” cried Tom, suddenly. “How strange that I didn’t think of this before.”
“Where did you hear from him, Thomas?”
“At the hotel where we stopped for supper yesterday. A boy who works around the stables told me Flapp had been there and was very angry because he had been sent away from the academy. The boy said Flapp vowed he was going to get square with the Rovers for what they had done.”
“What boy was that?” asked Josiah Cotton, with interest.
The boy was described and, a little later, he was brought over from the hotel. He was very much frightened and insisted upon it that he had had nothing to do with the robbery.
“Tell what you can about Lew Flapp,” said Dick, and the boy did so.
“That young fellow had been drinking, or else he wouldn’t have talked so much,” added the lad. “He certainly said he was going to get square with the Rover brothers.”
“Have you seen him since?”
“Yes, I saw him in the village right after the cadets left.”
“Anywhere near Mr. Fairchild’s shop?”
“On the road that runs back of the shop.”
“Where was he going?”
“I don’t know.”
“And that is the last you saw of him?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You don’t know if he went towards the back of the shop?”
“No, sir.”
More than this the boy could not tell and he was excused. Squire Haggerty shook his head in perplexity.
“I don’t know about this,” he said. “But it looks to me as if I’ll have to hold these Rover brothers until they can clear themselves.”
CHAPTER VI
LINK SMITH’S CONFESSION
For a moment there was a painful pause and the Rover boys looked at each other and at Captain Putnam in perplexity.
“Does this mean that we must go to jail?” demanded Tom.
“I don’t think it will be necessary to hold them,” came from Captain Putnam. “Squire Haggerty, I presume you know who I am.”
“Yes, sir, Captain Putnam of Putnam Hall.”
“Then you will, of course, let me go on a bail bond for these three pupils of mine.”
“If ye care to do it, captain.”
“Certainly. I am convinced that they are innocent. Why, it is preposterous to think that they would break into such a shop and rob it of a hundred and sixty dollars’ worth of goods. They are rich young gentlemen, of a high-standing family, and each has all the spending money he needs.”
“I see, I see.”
“Well, it ain’t nuthin’ to me what they be, so long as I git my goods back,” growled Aaron Fairchild. “I ain’t got nuthin’ against ‘em personally, especially if they are innocent.”
“I think you will find it to your advantage to let this whole matter rest for the present,” went on Captain Putnam. “If you make a charge against the boys it will hurt both them and my school. I feel sure they will not run away, and I will give you my personal word that they shall appear in court whenever wanted.”
“That sounds reasonable,” came from the constable, who was beginning to fear the influence which Captain Putnam and the Rovers might bring to bear on the case. “It ain’t no nice thing to ruin a boy�
��s repertation, if he ain’t guilty,” he added.
“That is a sensible speech which does you credit, sir,” said the captain.
“I’d like to find this feller Flapp,” went on Aaron Fairchild. “How does he look?”
“I have his photograph at the academy. I will let the constable have that, if he wishes it.”
“That suits me,” returned Josiah Cotton. “Hang me if I don’t kinder think he must be guilty. But it puzzles me how them things got in the boys’ uniforms.”
The matter was discussed for fully an hour, and the whole party visited Aaron Fairchild’s shop. But no clews were brought to light. Then a wagon was hired to take the captain and the boys to Putnam Hall. The constable went along, to get the photograph which had been promised.
On the way the three Rovers were unusually silent and but little was said by the master of the school. Arriving at the Hall the picture was turned over to Josiah Cotton, who soon after departed. Then the three Rovers were invited into the captain’s private office. The marching battalion had not yet arrived and was not expected for several hours.
“I’d like to sift this matter out,” said the captain, seating himself at his desk. “Richard, when did you clean your uniform last?”
“Yesterday afternoon, Captain Putnam.”
“Were those holes in there then?”
“I don’t think so.”
“How about your uniform, Thomas?”
“I cleaned up yesterday morning. I don’t remember any holes.”
“And you, Samuel?”
“I had a hole in my left sleeve, but the jewelry was found in the right sleeve.”
“Let me examine the coats.”
This was done, and all concluded that the holes had been cut with the blade of a sharp knife, or with a small pair of scissors.
“I believe the job was done in the dark,” said Dick. “Somebody must have visited our tent last night after we went to sleep.”
“When did you go to sleep, Richard?”
“Well, I don’t think we were real sound asleep until about midnight. There was some sort of a noise in the camp that kept us awake.”
“Somebody said Tubbs was up playing negro minstrel,” added Tom, soberly.
The Rover Boys Megapack Page 125