"Say Jack," spoke Tom gently. "Believe me, if I was sure of what I only suspect now I couldn't really tell who poisoned those horses. There's a mystery about it, and I'm trying to get to the bottom of it. I want my name cleared more than anything else in the world, but I want it done in the right way. I don't want to cast suspicion on the wrong person. Now, George, tell us all you know about Sam being caught. It may help some."
"Well, I don't know an awful lot," went on George, as he accepted a chair that Jack pushed out for him. "I was coming in from a little trip to town when I saw, coming across the campus, two fellows—at least I thought they were two of our fellows, but when they got under one of the lights I saw it was Sam and the old farmer. And, believe me, Appleby had hold of Sam as if he was a thief and him the constable."
"As if Appleby was the thief?" asked Bert.
"No, as if Sam was. What's the matter with you fellows, anyhow, that you can't understand United States talk?" and George looked around half indignantly.
"The trouble is that you mix up your pronouns," said Tom. "Go ahead.
We got as far as that Appleby had hold of Sam as if Sam was a thief."
"Yes, and Sam was demanding to be let go, while the old farmer was saying: 'Now I've got ye! Consarn ye! I'll teach ye t' come sneakin' around my place! I'll have ye up afore th' doctor'!"
The boys all laughed at George's realistic imitation of the farmer's talk, for it was quite correct.
"And then what happened?" asked Jack.
"That's all, except that I came on here in a hurry, and Sam was fairly dragged into the doctor's office by Appleby."
There was silence in the room of the chums for a moment, and then Bert remarked: