Captain Putnam looked at both cadets sharply.
“Both of you suspect somebody, is that it?” he said, slowly.
“We do,” said Pepper.
“But you are not certain?”
“We are not certain, and therefore it would not be right for us to mention any names,” said Jack.
“Now tell me the truth of your trouble with Mr. Crabtree,” pursued the captain, after a thoughtful pause.
Thereupon, the two boys told how they had been taken from the cold storeroom and placed in the cellar, and how they had escaped through the clothing closet above. At the recital the captain had to turn away his face, to conceal a smile that hovered around his mouth.
“We didn’t think it was fair at all,” went on Jack. “So when we got out we determined to hide until you got back and then come to you. And that is just what we have done.”
The captain was silent and nodded slowly to himself several times. Then he took a deep breath and rubbed his chin reflectively.
“Boys!” he exclaimed, decisively. “I am going to take you at your word. You can return to your studies and forget what has passed. Does that suit you?”