aid Chub, "and let's get out of here. Some
one's coming. Let's go somewhere and think it over."

"If we only knew who was away from school yesterday afternoon," said Roy
when they were once more under the trees.

"We know that Ferris and Burlen were," answered Chub suggestively. "They
said so."

"And Ferris saw you borrow that pole from Tom!" said Roy. Chub sat up
suddenly.

"I'll bet that was Tom's pole that old Mercer brought with him!" he
cried.

"But you left it at Deep Hole, and I didn't leave there until long after
four, I guess."

"But you said you didn't see it when you left!"

"That's so; I'm pretty sure it wasn't there," answered Roy, thinking
hard. "But how could anyone have got it?"

"Don't know, but I'll bet someone did. They might have sneaked up while
you were asleep. Horace Burlen could do it."

They looked at each other a moment in silence. Then,

"If he took the sweater I'll bet he's thrown it away," said Roy
sorrowfully. "He wouldn't be likely to bring it back again."

"Why not? He found the trunk unlocked and maybe thought he could put it
back again without anyone knowing anything about it. See? That's just
about what happened, Roy. I'll bet he did the whole thing to get you in
trouble."

"Wasn't Tom in the dormitory when we got there?"

"Yes."

"Then maybe he was there when Horace got back; and Horace couldn't get
at my trunk without being seen."

"What do you suppose he'd do with it?" asked Chub.

Roy shook his head.

"Put it in his own trunk maybe," he answered.

"Come on," said Chub.

Back to the Senior Dormitory they hurried, for each of them had an
examination at two and it was almost that hour now. The dormitory was
empty and Chub stood guard at the head of the stairs while Roy crossed
the room and examined Horace's trunk.

"Locked," he announced softly.

Chub joined him and they stood for a moment looking at the trunk as
though striving to get an X-ray view of its contents.

"Maybe we could find a key to fit it," whispered Chub.

"I wouldn't like to do that," answered Roy, shaking his head.

"No more would I," answered Chub, "but I'd do it if I was just a little
more certain that the thing was in there. I'd like to bust it open with
an axe," he added savagely.

Then the two o'clock bell rang and they hurried downstairs.

"Keep mum about it," said Chub, "and we'll get to the bottom of it yet."

"The trunk?" asked Roy with a weak effort at humor.

"You bet!