Of course, some had more
to do with it than others," responded Jack.

"Eight or ten of you!" gasped Asa Lemm. "As many as that?" And his face
showed his surprise. He had imagined that possibly only the Rover boys
and Walt Baxter were guilty.

"Are you quite sure you don't want to mention any names, Rover?" asked
Colonel Colby again.

"No, Colonel. And if you were in my position, I do not think you would
want to mention any of them either," added Jack, looking the master of
the Hall squarely in the eyes.

"We won't discuss that side of the question." Colonel Colby turned to
Walt Baxter. "How about you? Do you care to say who was mixed up in this
affair?"

"No, sir," was the prompt response.

"Make them tell! Make them tell!" exclaimed Asa Lemm. "Punish them
severely! Put them in the guardhouse on bread and water until they are
willing to divulge the names of all the rascals who were mixed up in
these outrageous proceedings."

"I am not going to make them tell if they won't do it on their own
account," was Colonel Colby's answer. As a cadet at Putnam Hall, he had
never had any use for a tale bearer.

"Then I'll take the law in my own hands!" cried Asa Lemm vindictively.
"I'll go down to Haven Point and make a complaint and have them both
arrested!"

CHAPTER XIII

ASA LEMM IS DISMISSED

While the examination of Jack and Walt was taking place in the office,
the other Rovers and their chums held a meeting in Randy's room.

"What do you suppose this means--calling Jack and Walt down to the
colonel's office?" remarked Fred anxiously. He had just been informed by
Dan Soppinger about Walt.

"It was Jack and Walt who took those goats back. Maybe somebody spotted
them," suggested Spouter.

The discussion lasted for some minutes and grew quite warm, and then
Andy leaped up.

"I know what I'm going to do!" he said. "I'm going below and try to find
out just what it means."

"And so am I," added Fred and Randy quickly.

"We'll all stand by him," announced Spouter. "Of course, you fellows
brought the goats here, but I think we had as much to do with the rest
of it as any of you."

Andy hurried off, and lost no time in making his way to the door of
Colonel Colby's private office. The door had been left slightly ajar, so
it was an easy matter for him to take in most of what was said.

"Gracious! this certainly is growing serious," he murmured to himself,
when Asa Lemm made the declaration that he would