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."

"Then the real thief kept about a hundred and twenty-five dollars'
worth for himself," said Tom.

"There can be no doubt but that one of our enemies did t