“I think Fred Garrison will go,” said Sam.  “He said he would let me know as soon as he heard from his parents.”

Captain Putnam had expected to begin the march to the Hall by half-past eight, but there were numerous delays in packing the camping outfit, so the battalion was not ready for the start until over an hour later.

The cadets were just being formed to start the march when several men appeared at the edge of the field.

“There’s them young soldiers now!” cried one.  Come on and find the rascals!”

“What do you want, gentlemen?” demanded George Strong, who happened to be near the crowd.

“Who is in charge of this school?” asked one of the men.

“Captain Victor Putnam is the owner.  I am his head assistant.”

“Well, I’m Josiah Cotton, the constable of White Corners.”

“What can I do for you, Mr. Cotton?”

“I’m after a feller named Dick Rover, and his two brothers.  Are they here?”

“They are.  What do you want of them?”

“I’m goin’ to lock ’em up if they did what I think they did.”

“Lock them up?” cried George Strong, in astonishment.

“That’s what I said.  Show me the young villains.”

“But what do you think they have done?”

“They broke into my shop an’ stole some things,” put in another of the men.

“That’s right, they did,” came from a third man.  “Don’t let ’em give ye the slip, Josiah.”

“I ain’t a-goin’ to let ’em give me the slip,” growled the constable from White Corners.

“When was your shop robbed?” demanded George Strong, of the man who had said he was the sufferer.

“I can’t say exactly, fer I was to the city, a-buying of more goods.”

“Mr. Fairchild is a jeweler and watchmaker, besides dealing in paints, oils, glass, an’ wall paper,” explained the constable.  “He carries a putty considerable stock of goods as are valuable.  Yesterday, or early last night, when he was away, his shop was broken into and robbed.”

“And what makes you think the Rovers are the thieves?” asked George Strong.

“We got proof,” came doggedly from Aaron Fairchild.  “We’re certain on it.”

By this time, seeing that something was wrong, Captain Putnam came to the scene.  In the meantime the battalion was already formed, with Major Colby at the head and Dick in his proper position as captain of Company A.

“I cannot, believe that the Rover Boys are guilty of this robbery,” said the master of Putnam Hall after listening to what the newcomers had to say.  “What proof have you that they did it?”

“This proof, for one thing,” answered Josiah Cotton, and drew from his pocket a memorandum book and the envelope to a letter.  In the front of the memorandum book was the name, Richard Rover, and the envelope was addressed likewise.

“The thief dropped that,” went on the constable.