he took the suitcase and threw it down in one of the fields,"
ventured Andy.

"You didn't see him come back?" asked Fred.

"Yes, come to think of it, I did--about a quarter of an hour after
that," answered Walt Baxter.

"And did he have the package then?"

"No."

"Then I'll wager it was the suitcase and he left it somewhere down on
the farm!" cried Randy. "Let us go and take a look. We are permitted to
go out in the farm fields, aren't we?" he asked of Walt.

"Oh, yes. You can go anywhere you please during off hours so long as
you don't go out of bounds," was the reply. "If you want to go out of
bounds, you have to report at the office and get permission."

The matter was talked over for a few minutes more, and Walt Baxter said
he would gladly go along with the Rovers to show them just where he had
seen Nappy Martell with the bundle. The five boys were soon in the
neighborhood of the Hall stable, and then they passed beyond this to a
roadway which ran between the fields attached to the school farm.

"It's a pity it's so dark," declared Jack. "I doubt if we'll be able to
locate that suitcase even if we get quite close to it."

"I'll tell you what I'll do," declared Randy. "I'll run back to my room
and get my pocket flashlight. That will be just the thing."

It took him but a few minutes to obtain the article he had mentioned,
and with the flashlight to guide them, the five boys started along the
roadway behind the school. The light was flashed first on one side and
then on the other.

"Looks like a wild goose chase," declared Andy, after they had passed
two farm fields. "I don't think he would come this far with that heavy
suitcase."

"Here is a cornfield full of stacks," said Walt Baxter. "The stacks
would afford a dandy hiding place for almost anything."

They approached the first of the stacks, and Fred kicked some of the
corn stalks aside, but without result. Then they passed on to the next
stack.

"Hello! here is something!" exclaimed Jack, as the rays of the
flashlight fell upon the object. "Fred, I guess we've found it all
right enough."

"So we have!" cried the youngest Rover; and in a moment more he thrust
his hand in between the cornstalks and pulled out the missing suitcase.

CHAPTER XI

DOWN IN THE CORNFIELD

The other boys gathered around in curiosity as Fred brought forth from
the stack of cornstalks his missing suitcase. Beside the bag were
several newspapers crumpled up in