ce?" asked Mr. Blake.

"Yes, I followed her up. The room was turned upside down. The locks
had been ripped right off and the lockers rifled of everything. Who
can have done it?"

"I'll bet anything Jack Curtiss and his gang had something to do with
it, just as I believe they put up some crooked job on the captain!"
burst out Rob, greatly excited and his breakfast entirely forgotten.

"Be careful how you make such a grave accusation," warned his father.

"I know it's a tough thing to say," admitted Rob; "but you don't know
that bunch like we do. They'd--"

He was about to explain more of the characteristics of the bully and
his cronies when a fresh interruption occurred. This time it was Hiram
Nelson. He was almost as abashed as Merritt had been when he found
that his excitement had carried him into what seemed a family
conference.

"It's all right, Hiram. Come right in," said Mr. Blake cheerfully.
"Come on out with your news, for I can see you can hardly keep it to
yourself."

"It's going round the town like wildfire!" responded the panting boy.
The others nodded. "I see you know it already," he went on. "Well, I
think I've got a clue."

"You have! Come on, let's hear it quick," cried Rob.

"Well, I was up late with Paul Perkins last night, talking over the
aeroplane model competition, and didn't start home till about midnight.
As I was approaching the armory I thought I saw a light in one of the
windows. I couldn't be certain, however, and I put it down to a trick
that my eyes had played me."

"Well, that's all right as far as it goes," burst out Rob. "It
probably was a light. I wish you'd investigated."

"Wait a minute, Rob," said his father, noting Hiram's anxious face.
"There's more to come, isn't there, Hiram?"

"You bet! The most exciting part of it--the most important, I mean,"
went on young Hiram, with an important air.

"Oh, well, get down to it," urged the impatient Rob. "What was it?"

"Why, right after I'd seen the light," went on Hiram, "I thought I saw
a dark figure slip around the corner into that dark street."

"A dark figure! Hum! Sounds like one of those old yellow--back
novels," remarked Mr. Blake, with a smile.

"But this was a figure I recognized, sir," exclaimed Hiram. "It was
Bill Bender!"

"Jack Curtiss' chum! They're as thick as two thieves," burst out
Merritt.

"And I believe they are two thieves," solemnly put in Rob.

"Well," went on Hiram, "the nex