"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."