"I must say this is a fine ending for the term," was Tom's comment, as he began to get his belongings out of the closet. "And after everything looked so bright, too!"
"It's a jolly shame!" cried Sam. "If Lew Flapp did this, or Dan Baxter,
I'd like to—to wring his neck for it!"
"It will certainly put a cloud on our name," said Dick. "In spite of what we can say, some folks will be mean enough to think we are guilty."
"We must catch the thief and make him confess," went on Tom.
The three boys packed their trunks and other belongings and then went below again and down to the gymnasium and then to the boathouse. But they could not interest themselves in anything and their manner showed it.
"What is the matter that you came back so soon?" questioned Mrs. Green, the matron of the academy, who knew them well.
"Oh, we had business with Captain Putnam," answered Tom, and that was all he' would say. He dearly loved to play jokes on the matron, but now he felt too downcast to give such things a thought.
Late in the afternoon the distant rattle of drums was heard, and soon the battalion, dusty and hot, came into view, making a splendid showing as it swung up the broad roadway leading to the Hall.
"Here they come!" cried Sam. But he had not any heart to meet his friends, and kept out of sight until the young cadets came to a halt and were dismissed for the last time by Captain Putnam and Major Colby.
"Well, this is certainly strange," said Larry Colby, as he came up to
Dick. "What was the row in the barn about?"