"No, sir," was the prompt answer. "It's a complete mystery to me. All I know about it is, that I left the watch and chain on the stand at the head of my bed when I went to sleep and this morning they were gone."
"Did any of the other cadets enter your dormitory during the night?"
"Not that I know of."
"They may have been skylarking and may have carried the watch and chain off by—accident, let us say," finished the captain, significantly.
"If anybody came in, nobody who sleeps in our room seems to be aware of it."
Captain Putnam and Jack passed up to the dormitory, followed by Josiah Crabtree. They were soon joined by Pepper and the other occupants of the apartment. Another search was made, but the gold watch and chain were not found, nor were any clues concerning the timepiece unearthed.
"What were the watch and chain worth?" asked Fred.
"I don't know; maybe fifty or sixty dollars," answered Jack.
"Then if they were stolen, the thief made quite a haul."
"Do you think they were stolen, Century?" demanded the owner of the school.