“I declare upon my honor I am innocent,” cried Dick, the hot blood rushing to his face.  He turned to Captain Putnam.  “You don’t think I—­I—­”

“I believe what you say, Captain Rover,” answered the master of the Hall, promptly.  “There is assuredly some mistake here.”

“Give me your coat,” said Josiah Cotton to Tom.

The garment was handed over, and after a thorough search two small gold stick pins were found in the middle of the back.

“More o’ my goods,” cried Aaron Fairchild, triumphantly.  “I can prove I had ’em on sale not four days ago.”

Sam’s coat was then examined, and from one of the sleeves came half a dozen cheap rings and an equally cheap watchchain.

“All mine.  The case is as clear as day,” said the jeweler.  “Josiah, you must lock ’em up.”

“0’ course I’ll lock ’em up,” answered the constable.

“Lock us up!” cried Sam, aghast.

“Not much!” came from Tom.  “I’m no thief, and I don’t propose to go to jail.”

“Boys, have you any idea how this jewelry got into your clothes?” asked Captain Putnam.

“No, sir,” came promptly from the three.

The rest of the Rover boys’ clothing was then searched and a few more cheap rings were brought to light.

“Now let us go for their baggage,” said the constable, and this was done, but nothing more was found.

It was soon buzzing around the battalion, which stood at parade rest, that something was wrong, and then somebody whispered that the Rovers were accused of breaking into a shop and stealing some jewelry.

“It can’t be true,” said Fred Garrison.  “I shall never believe it.”  And a number of others said the same.  But a few shrugged their shoulders—­ those who had belonged to the Lew Flapp and Dan Baxter crowd.

“I never trusted those Rovers altogether,” said one.  “They have too much money to spend.”

“Well, they are worth a good bit of money,” replied another cadet.

“This ain’t a quarter of the stuff I lost,” said Aaron Fairchild, after the baggage had undergone a rigid inspection.

“What have you done with the rest?” asked the constable of the Rovers.

“You may think as you please,” said Dick.  “I am innocent and I do not understand how that stuff got where you found it.  An enemy must have placed it there.”

“Yes, and that enemy must be the one who robbed the shop!” cried Tom.

“It’s easy enough to talk,” came from Gassam, the farmer.  “But you can’t go behind the evidence, as they say in court.  You might just as well confess, an’ give up the rest o’ the goods.  Maybe if ye do that, they’ll let ye off easy.”

“What do you consider this stuff worth?” asked Dick.

“Nigh on to thirty-five dollars,” answered Aaron Fairchild.

“How much did you lose altogether?

“About a hundred an’ sixty dollars’ worth.”