LITMIR.BIZ

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— a plot against me," stammered the slim youth.

      "You will go back!" cried Dick, and caught Caven by the arm. But with a jerk the seared boy freed himself and ran down the road at the top of his speed.

      Sam and Dick pursued him on their bicycles, while some of the others came after on foot. Seeing this, Jim Caven took to the woods just as Dan Baxter had done, and the boys found it impossible to track him any further.

      "I wonder if he'll come back tonight?" said Dick, as the party returned to where they had left Seth Dickerson and Tom.

      "I don't think he will," answered Sam. "I declare, he must be almost as bad as the Baxters!"

      The farm wagon soon reached the Hall, and Dick ushered Seth Dickerson into Captain Putnam's office. The captain looked surprised at the unexpected visitor, but listened with deep concern to all the farmer and the Rover boys had to say.

      "This certainly looks black for Caven," he said at last. "I did not think I had such a bad boy here. And you say he got away from you?"

      "Yes, sir."

      "It is a question if he will come back — providing he is really guilty. I will have his trunk and bag searched without delay. But if he is guilty how did that ruby stud and the watch come into Alexander Pop's possession?"

      "He was down on Aleck," replied Tom, who had hobbled in after the others. "And, besides, he thought if Aleck was arrested the search for the criminal would go no further."

      "Perhaps you are right, Thomas. It is a sad state of affairs at the best."

      The party ascended to the dormitory which Jim Caven occupied with several smaller boy. His trunk was found locked, but Captain Putnam took upon himself the responsibility of hunting up a key to fit the box. Once open the trunk was found to contain, among other things, a bit of heavy cloth tied with a piece of strong cord.

      "Here we are, sure enough!" cried the captain, as he undid the package and brought to light several of the missing watches and also some of the jewelry. "I guess it is a clear case against Caven, and Pop is innocent."

      "I wish we could tell Pop of it," put in Dick.

      "He must feel awfully bad."

      "I will do what I can for the negro, Rover. I am very sorry indeed, now, that I suspected him," said Captain Putnam, with a slow shake of his head.

      At the bottom of the trunk was a pocketbook containing nearly all of the money which had been stolen. A footing-up revealed the fact that two watches and three gold shirt studs were still missing.

      "And those were pawned in Auburn," said Sam. "Just wait and see if I am not right."

      A party was organized to hunt for Caven, and the captain himself went to Auburn that very evening. The hunt for the missing boy proved unsuccessful, and it may be added here that he never turned up at Putnam Hall again nor at his home in Middletown, having run away to the West.

      When Captain Putnam came back he announced that he had recovered all but one watch. The various goods and the money were distributed among their rightful owners, and it must be confessed that a big sigh of relief went up from the cadets who had suffered. The single missing timepiece was made good to the boy who had lost it, by the captain buying a similar watch for the youth.

      After this several weeks passed without anything of special interest occurring outside of a stirring baseball match with a club from Ithaca, which Putnam Hall won by a score of six to three. In this game Dick made a much-needed home run, thus covering himself with glory.

      "The Rovers are out of sight!" was Larry's comment. "Whatever they do they do well."

      "And they hang together like links of a chain," added Fred. "The friend of one is the friend of all, and the same can be said of an enemy."

      One morning a telegraph messenger from Cedarville was seen approaching the Hall, just as the boys were forming for the roll-call.

      "Here's a telegram for somebody," said Sam.

      "I hope it's not bad news."

      "A message for Richard Rover," announced George Strong, after receiving it, and handed over the yellow envelope.

      Wondering what the message could contain and who had sent it, Dick tore open the envelope and read the brief communication. As his eyes met the words his head seemed to swim around, so bewildered was he by what was written there.

      "What is it, Dick?" came from Tom and Sam.

      "It's from Uncle Randolph. He wants us to come home at once. He says — but read it for yourselves," and the elder Rover handed over the message, which ran as follows:

      "Have just received a strange message from the sea, supposed to be written by your father. Come home at once. RANDOLPH ROVER."

      "My gracious! News from father!" gasped Tom.

      "Is he really alive?" burst out Sam. "Oh, I pray Heaven the news is true!"

      "A strange message from the sea," repeated Dick. "I wonder what he can mean?"

      "Perhaps it's a message that was picked up by some steamer," suggested Sam. "Anyway, uncle wants us to come home at once."

      "He doesn't say all of us. The message is addressed to me."

      "But of course he wanted all of us to come," put in Tom. "Anyway, four horses couldn't hold me back!" he continued determinedly.

      "Nor me," chimed in Sam. He drew a long breath. "If we hurry up we can catch the noon boat at Cedarville for Ithaca."

      "Yes, and the evening train for Oak Run," finished Tom. "Hurry up, Dick!"

      Dick was willing. To tell the truth, that message had fired him as he had never been fired before. He burst into the captain's office pell-mell, with Tom and Sam on his heels, to explain the situation. Ten minutes later — and even this time seemed an age to the brothers — they were hurrying into their ordinary clothing and packing, their satchels, while Peleg Snuggers was hitching up to take them to the landing at Cedarville.

      "Good-by to you, and good luck!" shouted Frank, as they clambered into the wagon, and many other cadets set up a shout. Then the wagon rattled off. The Rover boys had turned their backs on dear old Putnam Hall for a long while to come.

      CHAPTER XI

       THE ROVERS REACH A CONCLUSION

       Table of Contents

      For the three Rover boys the Golden Star could not make the trip from Cedarville to Ithaca fast enough. They fretted over every delay, and continually wondered if there was any likelihood of their missing the train which was to take them to Oak Run, the nearest railroad station to Valley Brook farm, their uncle's home.

      But the train was not missed; instead, they had to wait half an hour for it. During this time they procured dinner, although Dick felt so strange he could scarcely eat a mouthful.

      "Uncle Randolph doesn't say much," he murmured to Tom. "He might have said more."

      "We'll know everything before we go to bed, Dick," answered his brother. "I don't believe Uncle Randolph would telegraph unless the news was good."

      They indulged in all sorts of speculation, as the train sped on its way to Oak Run. When the latter place was reached it was dark, and they found Jack Ness, the hired man, waiting for them with the carriage.

      "There, I knowed it," grinned Jack. "Mr. Rover calculated that only Dick would come, but I said we'd have 'em all."

      "And what is this news of my father?" questioned Dick.

      "It's a message as was picked up off the coast of Africky," replied Ness. "Mr. Rover didn't explain very clearly to me. He's a good deal excited, and so is the missus."

      "And so are we," remarked Sam. "Can it be that father is on his way home?"

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