le.

"Ditto here," cried Stuffer. "I haven't got much, but what I own I want
to keep."

A little later the cadets filed out of the dormitory, leaving Jack,
Pepper and Andy together.

"Well, I am mighty glad I didn't accuse Ritter and Coulter," said the
young major. "This puts something of a different light on the subject."

"But who is guilty, do you think?" asked Andy.

"I don't know what to think," answered the young major.

"This will drive Captain Putnam wild," came from Pepper. And he was
right; the master of the Hall was worried as he had never been worried
before. He made a rigid investigation, but it brought nothing new to
light. According to the stories told by Ritter, Coulter and Paxton the
articles stolen had been taken from their bureau-drawers, and that was
all those cadets could tell about the mysterious affair.

"We must set a strict watch, Captain Putnam," said George Strong.

"And we must catch that thief," added Josiah. Crabtree, sourly. "I--I
shall be almost afraid to go to sleep after this!" he added nervously.

"If these thefts keep on I don't know what I am going to do," said
Captain Putnam, and his voice had a sound of despair in it.

CHAPTER XVII

THE TUG-OF-WAR

For several days nothing was talked of at Putnam Hall but the mysterious
disappearance of the students' watches and jewelry. The cadets could not
get the matter off their minds, and as a consequence recitations became
very poor.

"I shall offer a substantial reward," said Captain Putnam, and one
afternoon a notice was posted in the school proper and in the gymnasium,
offering one hundred dollars for information leading to the capture of
the thief.

"Say, I shouldn't mind earning that reward!" murmured Dale.

"A fellow could have no end of a good time on a hundred dollars!"
murmured Stuffer. "Think what a spread he could give!" And his eyes
sparkled in anticipation.

"It would be a bad thing for Stuffer to get the reward," came from Andy.

"Why, I'd like to know?" demanded that cadet.

"Because you'd eat yourself into a state of acute indigestion."

"Rats! I don't eat any more than you do," grumbled Stuffer.

"Well, I don't see any chance of your getting the reward," was Jack's
comment. "That thief had hidden his tracks well."

With the deep snow on the ground, drills had to be held in the
gymnasium, and several contests were also arranged. The cadets got up a
tug-of-war between one team headed by Pepper