Dick smiled quietly, but the smile was followed by a frown.
“Go!” he exclaimed, pointing toward the door. “I want nothing to do with you.”
“I come to tell you something you better hear. Look, you; yesterday this room was entered and some papers were stolen from you. How do I know? I know. I find out. I know who come here. I know Chester Arlington he do that. Why should he come? You have a locket. It have a picture of his sister. He is bound to have that. It is one reason why he pretend to be your friend. He think perhaps he find it here when you were out. He do not find it, but he find papers on your table, and them he take.”
“You seem to know all about it,” said Dick.
“I know. I watch him. Once he tell me all he mean to do. Now he trust me no longer, but I watch him. I know papers he take have all the football signals, all the plays, all the things you do on the field. You mark out all your plays. You put down your signals. Yesterday you look them over. You work out one other new play. Then you have to go quick to classroom, and leave papers on table. When you come again they are gone. Ha!”
Dick was silent. The papers had been stolen, as Bunol described. His room had been entered by some one with a duplicate key, for the door was closed and locked when he returned to discover the papers missing.
“You know what he do with papers?” asked the Spanish lad.
Dick shook his head.
“He send them to captain of Springvale football team. To-day you see. To-day Springvale beat you. Springvale know all your signals—all your plays. Chester Arlington he get even with you ’cause you make him resign from committee.”
There seemed some reason in Bunol’s talk, and Dick wondered if the fellow did not speak the truth.