person. Now, George, tell us all you know about Sam being caught. It
may help some."

"Well, I don't know an awful lot," went on George, as he accepted a
chair that Jack pushed out for him. "I was coming in from a little
trip to town when I saw, coming across the campus, two fellows--at
least I thought they were two of our fellows, but when they got under
one of the lights I saw it was Sam and the old farmer. And, believe
me, Appleby had hold of Sam as if he was a thief and him the constable."

"As if Appleby was the thief?" asked Bert.

"No, as if Sam was. What's the matter with you fellows, anyhow, that
you can't understand United States talk?" and George looked around half
indignantly.

"The trouble is that you mix up your pronouns," said Tom. "Go ahead.
We got as far as that Appleby had hold of Sam as if Sam was a thief."

"Yes, and Sam was demanding to be let go, while the old farmer was
saying: 'Now I've got ye! Consarn ye! I'll teach ye t' come sneakin'
around my place! I'll have ye up afore th' doctor'!"

The boys all laughed at George's realistic imitation of the farmer's
talk, for it was quite correct.

"And then what happened?" asked Jack.

"That's all, except that I came on here in a hurry, and Sam was fairly
dragged into the doctor's office by Appleby."

There was silence in the room of the chums for a moment, and then Bert
remarked:

"Well, Tom, what do you make of it?"

"I don't know," was the answer, slowly given. "It looks queer, and yet
Sam may have only trespassed on Appleby's place by chance."

"Don't you believe it!" exclaimed Jack. "He had some object all right."

"And it's up to us to find out what it is," added Bert.

"No, I'll try it," insisted Tom. "This is my game."

"But we're going to help you play it!" exclaimed Jack. "What's the
matter with you, anyhow? Don't you want us to help you clear yourself
of this suspicion that's hanging over you?"

"Of course I do, but------"

"'But me no buts,' old man. Just you let us help you out in this. Now
it wouldn't look well for you to go around sneaking under the doctor's
windows, trying to hear what's going on. But it wouldn't hurt either
of us," and he indicated, by a sweeping gesture, himself and his two
close chums.

"So, Tom, my boy," he went on, "we'll just see what we can learn. The
doctor's sure to hold an audience with Appleby and Sam in the big front
office, and he always has a window open, for Merry i