The Rover Boys on the River; Or, The Search for the Missing Houseboat

and the Rover boys looked at each oth

at we must go to j

be necessary to hold

ggerty, I presume

tain Putnam of

et me go on a bail bond for

e to do it

ould break into such a shop and rob it of a hundred and sixty dollars' worth of goods. They are

e, I

my goods back," growled Aaron Fairchild. "I ain't got nuthi

in Putnam. "If you make a charge against the boys it will hurt both them and my school. I feel sure they

influence which Captain Putnam and the Rovers might bring to bear on the case. "I

ch which does you credit

er Flapp," went on Aaron Fa

academy. I will let the consta

f I don't kinder think he must be guilty. But it pu

op. But no clews were brought to light. Then a wagon was hired to take the captain and the b

the Hall the picture was turned over to Josiah Cotton, who soon after departed. Then the three Rovers were invited

e captain, seating himself at his desk. "Ri

fternoon, Ca

holes in t

't thi

your unifor

day morning. I don't

ou, Sa

leeve, but the jewelry was

xamine th

holes had been cut with the blade of a sha

said Dick. "Somebody must have visited o

u go to slee

e were real sound asle

f a noise in the camp

up playing negro minstr

nt to sleep about midnight

st call," a

s were as you

came from

did leave mine," said Tom. "But

between midnight and six o'clock," went on the master of the sc

k. "If the thief sneaked in

from Tom. "As it was the last night out they

ith the captain in his private dining room. Then the

m's comment, as he began to get his belongings out of t

ried Sam. "If Lew Flapp

to wring his

id Dick. "In spite of what we can say, some fol

hief and make him co

elow again and down to the gymnasium and then to the boathouse. But the

so soon?" questioned Mrs. Green, the ma

t was all he' would say. He dearly loved to play jokes on the ma

soon the battalion, dusty and hot, came into view, making a splen

iends, and kept out of sight until the young cadets came to a halt a

y strange," said Larry

s the row in t

was Dick's answer. "There has been trouble and C

been locked up for ro

and we were suspected. B

had been on picket duty between midnight and six o'clock that morning. These cadets were ma

ture had occurred-something which was not a mere school lark and could not be overlooked-confessed that he had allo

ir names, Captain Put

re they gone

fteen or twe

see the

I-er-ate tw

owed nobody

, s

t been reprimanded for neglect of duty. Had the thing occurred in th

er that he was much worried. Captain Putnam knew Smith thoroughly and al

y from twelve o'clock to two

ed Link Smith, wit

eep on your post

is, I don't

by saying you do

y sleepy and could scar

n a rock for a

d s

think

r you allowed an outside

in? I-that is-I mean, who said I let anybody in?" s

want to know is, did you sleep

I-I-re

the truth

s, sir. But it was only for a m

outsider leave camp af

sir-

Smith. If you don't tell the truth y

, I-I didn't mean t

e outsider leav

, I saw h

after he h

minutes,-certainly, not

was the

, I-

s as keen as the blade of a knife. He stood before th

, oh, please, don't le

ds it out!" Link Smith

h. "How did you come to let him in? You kn

nds. I asked him why he didn't wait until morning, but he said he wanted them to do

ion his frie

, s

say when he

pting that he had seen t

did he

as dark and I soon

ame a

ain Putnam, don't tell him I

ll protect you. If you see F

ill,

t was over the remainder of the cadets who had been on gua