"Oh, yes. And they fully expected that you would follow them." And then, seeing a peculiar look on the boys' faces, the military instructor of Colby Hall continued: "Nothing wrong, I hope?"

"Yes, there is--a whole lot wrong!" cried Elias Lacy, before the cadets could answer. "They sneaked up to my farm an' shot two o' my cows."

"Impossible!" exclaimed the military man.

"No, it ain't! It's so!" shrilled the old farmer. "They killed the cows, an' I'm on my way to put 'em in the Haven Point lock-up."

"Oh, Captain Dale, don't let him have us arrested!" pleaded Fred. "We do not know anything about his cows, and we certainly did not shoot them."

"Tell me all about this," demanded Captain Dale. And in a highly excited fashion, Elias Lacy told his story, which was corroborated by his hired man.

"Now I'll hear what you have to say," said the captain, turning to Jack and Fred.

They gave him the particulars of what had happened, just as they had already related them to the old farmer. Then Captain Dale asked them a number of questions. Elias Lacy interrupted continually.

"I ain't a-goin' to stand no nonsense," said the old man doggedly. "I'm a-goin' to put 'em in the lock-up, an' do it right now!"

"Mr. Lacy, allow me to tell you something," said the military instructor coolly. "If these boys are guilty you will be justified in having them placed under arrest. But if they are not guilty--and they claim they are innocent--you'll make yourself liable for a big suit for damages."

"I don't care! I know they shot them cows!"

"No, you don't know it. You admit that the farm hand who saw the two cadets did not recognize them. In fact, he wasn't altogether sure that they were cadets. Now, these boys claim they were nowhere near your pasture lot when the cows were shot. I think the best thing you can do is to let them return to the Hall with me. Colonel Colby is away to-day, but I will take the matter up with him just as soon as he returns."

"Mebbe if I let 'em go to the Hall, they'll run away," answered Elias Lacy. The mention of a possible lawsuit for damages had taken some of the aggressiveness out of him.

"I will see to it that they do not run away," answered Captain Dale.

"We have a guardroom at the Hall--a sort of lock-up; and if it is necessary I will have them placed there until Colonel Colby can investigate, and until you can make up your mind what you want to do."

The old farmer argued the matter for several minutes, but in the end agreed to let the military instructor take charge of Jack and Fred.

"But remember," he said in parting, "you've got to keep 'em under lock an' key till I see Colonel Colby. I'm a-goin' to make an investigation, an' I'm purty sure I'll be able to prove that they killed them cows."

CHAPTER XXVIII

IN THE GUARDROOM

"What in the world do you suppose has become of them, Randy?"

"I give it up! I hope they only lost their way and didn't have some kind of an accident."

"Oh, don't speak of an accident!" cried Andy in horror. "It makes me shiver to think of it."

"I can't understand why they didn't rejoin us as they promised to do,"

said Frank Newberry, who was present. "We looked all over for them, and fired one or two shots to attract their attention, but it was all useless."

The twins had pa.s.sed a restless night following the continued absence from the school of their cousins. Early in the morning they had gone out in company with Gif and Spouter, and covered many miles in a vain search for the absent ones. They could not settle down to their cla.s.s work, and so were excused by Professor Brice.

"Well, I've got to be getting back to the cla.s.sroom," remarked Frank Newberry, presently, and he and several others who were present hurried away, leaving the twins to themselves.

The boys walked down the roadway which had been followed by the hunters the day before. They had covered only a short distance when they saw a farm wagon approaching, with Captain Dale beside it on his horse.

"There they are!" cried Andy, and an instant later added in amazement: "Old Lacy and one of his men are with them!"

"Yes. And I bet that spells trouble for Jack and Fred," announced his brother.

The old farmer would not stop for the boys on the roadside, but drove directly to the Colby Hall entrance.

"Why! what's the matter?" exclaimed Randy to the military instructor.

"A little trouble, boys," was Captain Dale's answer. "You'll hear about it later." And then he went after the wagon, and the boys took to their heels and followed.

"Now then, you do what you promised!" snapped Elias Lacy, after Jack and Fred had jumped from the wagon. "Don't let 'em run away, nohow!"

"You can rest a.s.sured that I will take care of them, Mr. Lacy,"

answered the captain coldly.

"When do you expect Colonel Colby back?"

"Some time this afternoon."

"Then I guess I'll be back by that time to see him. An' I guess I'll be able to prove them boys is guilty, too."

"Why, Jack! what is it all about?" demanded Randy, while his twin looked on questioningly. The boys' shotguns and game had been taken from the farm wagon, and now the pair from the Lacy farm drove away.

"You've got to search me!" declared Jack. "Old Lacy accuses Fred and me of shooting two of his cows."

"You didn't do it, though, did you?" queried Andy.

"Certainly not!" burst out Fred. "All we know about it is what he has told us. We weren't even near the pasture where the cows were kept."

As well as they were able, Jack and Fred explained the situation to their cousins and also answered a number of questions put to them by Captain Dale. The military instructor was much puzzled over the situation, and hardly knew what to do.

"You heard what I promised Mr. Lacy," he said finally. "I'll have to place you in the guardroom until Colonel Colby gets back. But I imagine you would rather be kept there than let Mr. Lacy take you down to the town lock-up."

"It isn't fair to lock us up at all," grumbled Fred. "We have done no wrong. Of course we stayed away from the Hall over night, but that couldn't be helped. It was no fun staying outdoors on such a cold night without shelter."

"Can't you parole us, Captain?" queried Jack.

"No. I gave Mr. Lacy my word that I would lock you up, and I'll have to do it. I'll see to it, however, that you suffer no discomforts while you are in the guardroom."

After this there seemed no help for it, and, turning their guns and game over to the twins, Jack and Fred followed Captain Dale through one of the lower corridors and then into a wing of the building. Here there was a room about twelve feet square, the one window of which was barred, and this was known officially as the school guardroom, or prison.

"You may wash up if you care to do so, and I will send you some breakfast," announced Captain Dale, and then left them in the room, locking the door behind him.