boys were glad enough to wash
themselves. They had hardly finished when one of the waiters of the
Hall came in with a large tray filled with an appetizing breakfast.

"This isn't so bad," declared Jack, when they had been left once more
alone. The boys ate heartily, yet they were so much troubled that it is
not likely the food did them any good.

The report soon circulated throughout Colby Hall that Jack and Fred had
been placed under arrest, and many of the cadets wanted to know what it
meant.

"They've been arrested for shooting two of old Lacy's cows!" said
Codfish, who had heard the news and had started to circulate it as
quickly as possible. "They say old Lacy is going to send them to
state's prison for it."

"Spikeless mosquitoes!" cried Fatty. "Do you think they really went
over there and shot the cows?"

"I don't know, I'm sure," answered Walt Baxter, who was present. "I
know they didn't bear old Lacy much good-will. They felt rather raw
over the way the old man held 'em up with his shotgun when they were
having their Hallowe'en fun."

"Yes. And they were down on Lacy because he once took away some
chestnuts they had gathered from one of his trees," put in another
cadet.

"Shooting cows is rather a serious business," was Bart White's comment.

This talk took place on the campus. Down in the gymnasium another group
of cadets had gathered, including Nappy Martell and Slugger Brown.

"Locked up for killing old Lacy's cows, eh?" cried Martell, with a
satisfied grin on his face. "They'll catch it for that, all right
enough!"

"I don't see why Colonel Colby don't fire 'em out of the school for
it," said Slugger Brown.

"Maybe he will dismiss 'em if he finds out the report is true,"
ventured another cadet.

"Of course the report is true!" put in Codfish, who had come up.
"Didn't one of the hired men see 'em do it?"

"Is that so, Codfish?"

"So they say."

"Oh, it would be just like those Rovers to do something like that,"
came from Nappy Martell. "They are that kind of fellows."

"I always thought they were pretty good chaps," was the comment of
another cadet.

"Good chaps!" sneered Slugger Brown. "That shows you don't know 'em as
well as we do. They are sneaks--all of 'em--and wouldn't hesitate a
minute to do anything underhanded. I hope Colonel Colby gets after them
and fires 'em out;" and then, with a knowing look at Martell, Slugger
passed on, and presently his crony followed him.

A good