to see if any new evidence regarding the crime might be
forthcoming.

The constable went home, sworn to secrecy, but he had to tell his wife
and her sister of the affair, and the news got to the ears of a man
who boarded with them. This fellow, who was named Andy Prime, chanced
to know Dave quite well, our hero having once done him a favor. Early
in the morning Prime drove past the school, and seeing Dave on the
campus, hailed him.

"Come over here, I want to tell you something, Porter," said Prime,
mysteriously.

"What do you want?" asked Dave, good-naturedly.

"Ride a bit with me, will you? I don't want nobody to hear us," went
on the man, lowering his voice.

Wondering what was coming, Dave got up on the seat of the man's wagon
and they drove to the far end of the Oak Hall grounds. There Andy
Prime told of all he had learned.

"Please don't say I told ye!" he pleaded. "It might git me in
trouble. But you did me a good turn onct an' I ain't forgot it."

"Thank you, Prime, I won't tell who told me," answered Dave.

"Thet old skinflint o' a Sparr deserved to have his buildin' blown
up."

"Perhaps. But we didn't do it, I can assure you of that. If Mr. Sparr
has us arrested, he'll get in hot water," answered our hero; and then
he got out of the wagon and Andy Prime drove on.

Dave at once carried the news to those immediately concerned. All were
very indignant, and some were scared.

"Say, I won't stand for being arrested!" cried Phil, in horror. "It's
too much of a disgrace!"

"My folks would never get over it," added Ben.

"It would just about kill my mother, if I was locked up," came from
Buster.

"Well, I'll stand it if I have to," said Roger. "But I'll make that
fellow suffer for it later!" he added, bitterly.

All thoughts of going to school that morning were abandoned by the
five boys. They talked the situation over, and determined to go down
the road and await the arrival of the constable, Andy Prime having
said that Hickson would come by ten o'clock.

"This is awful!" gasped Phil, shaking his head dolefully. "Say, Dave,
I can't stand it!"

"Wait until we hear what the constable has to say."

"He won't say anything--he'll just drag us to the Oakdale lockup!" put
in Ben.

"I wonder what my dad will say to that, when he hears of it?" murmured
Roger. "The newspapers are bound to make a spread of it. 'Son of a U.
S. Senator Jailed for Blowing Up a Hotel!' or something like that. Oh,
it makes