iness,
and the fellows who did it ought to be strung up."

"Then they are pretty certain that it is the work of some German
sympathizers?" questioned Jack quickly.

"They can't figure it out any other way. The boss of the plant, and
likewise two of his head foremen, have been closely questioned, and
they declare that every possible precaution against accidents was
taken. More than that, they say that there were two separate
explosions occurring almost at the same time--one down on the railroad
tracks and another in a storehouse quite a distance away."

"Yes, we heard that, too, from one of the dockmen of the plant,"
answered Fred. "He said he thought two men who looked like Germans and
who had been hanging around the plant might be guilty."

"Yes, I've heard that story, too. I think it was started by old Jed
Kessler, wasn't it?"

"That's the man," said Randy.

"I think I saw those two fellows here in Haven Point," continued the
storekeeper. "They were heavy-set, round-faced men, and each had heavy
black hair and a heavy black beard, just as Kessler described them.
They were here several times. I think they had business at one of the
machine shops, although I'm not certain about that."

The Rover boys spoke to several other people of the town and gathered
a little additional information regarding the destruction of the
shell-loading plant, and then reentered their automobile and started
once more for the military academy. With them went Bart White and
Frank Newberry, who had come down to the town directly after the ball
game.

"It's too bad this affair had to happen just as it did," declared Bart
White. "It kind of takes the shine off of our victory over Hixley
High."

"So it does," said Jack. "But that can't be helped."

"If you put it up to the shell-loading people they would probably have
been willing to postpone the blowing up indefinitely," remarked Andy
dryly.

"I suppose the newspapers here will be full of nothing but this
affair," said Fred wistfully; "and they won't give our game with
Hixley High more than a brief mention."

"Oh, well, what of it?" cried Randy gaily. "We walloped 'em, and
that's the main thing."

"Right you are!" came in a chorus from several of the others.

At one of the street corners, owing to the excitement, there was a
congestion of traffic, and Jack had to bring the car to a stop. As he
did this there was a sudden yell from behind, and then came a slight
bump followed b