"Hurrah! I wager we have found 'em out!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Randy, excitedly.

"Come on! let's get one of the teachers at once!"

The boys were fortunate enough to fall in with Professor Brice a minute later, and in a rather excited fashion they told the teacher of what they had learned and what they proposed to do.

"Why, certainly, I'll go with you," said Paul Brice, quickly. "I want just as much as anybody to get at the bottom of this affair."

Accompanied by the professor, the three cadets hurried to the second floor of the Hall and then to the rooms occupied by Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell. The door to each was locked, but one of them was opened for the crowd by an a.s.sistant janitor. A hasty search revealed nothing in the shape of a firearm in either room, and the Rover boys were much disappointed. But then Randy thought of the bed, and quickly raised the mattress. On the springs rested a shotgun.

"And I'll bet the other shotgun is in the other bed!" cried Andy, and he and the professor made an investigation. The fun-loving Rover's surmise was correct.

"These are guns belonging to the Hall, too!" cried Ned, pointing out the mark of the school on the stocks. "They must belong down in the gun rack, just as Slugger and Martell said."

"Bring those guns along, boys, and we'll go directly to Colonel Colby's office," said Professor Brice; and the cadets lost no time in doing as he directed.

They found the master of the school seated at his desk, looking over a ma.s.s of papers. He gazed in wonder at the three lads and Professor Brice.

"We found the shotguns that were used on those cows!" cried Randy, his eyes sparkling.

"And do you know where we found 'em? In the beds that Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell use!" broke in Andy.

"What's this?" And now the colonel was really startled.

"You had better let the boys tell the beginning of the story, and I will tell the end," said Professor Brice.

Thereupon, the two Rovers repeated the talk that had taken place in the guardroom, and then told how they had gotten Ned to spy on Brown and Martell. Then Ned told of what he had heard, and of how the three had called on Professor Brice for a.s.sistance. After that the teacher took up the narrative, ending with the finding of the shotguns in the beds.

"It looks like a pretty clear case against Brown and Martell," remarked the colonel slowly. "However, I shall have to make a further investigation. I will send for Brown and Martell at once."

The colonel was as good as his word, and inside of five minutes Slugger and Nappy came into the office together. They looked much disturbed, and this look increased when they saw Andy and Randy.

"Brown and Martell, I have sent for you to answer a few questions,"

began Colonel Colby, sternly, as the two cadets faced him. "I want you to answer me directly and truthfully. What was your object in taking two of our shotguns from the gun rack and going over to Mr. Lacy's farm and shooting down two of his cows?"

"Wh--wh--why, wh--wh--what do you mean?" faltered Brown.

"We didn't--er--shoot--er--any cows," stammered Martell.

Both boys were thrown into utter confusion, and showed it plainly. Then Slugger Brown suddenly turned to glare at the Rovers.

"Is this some of your work?" he demanded. "If it is, let me tell you I'll pay you back for it!"

"Stop that talk, Brown!" commanded Colonel Colby. "I want you and Martell to answer my question. Why did you go over there and shoot those cows?"

"Who says we shot the cows?" questioned Nappy, faintly.

"Never mind who says so. You did it, and it is useless for you to deny it. Here are the two guns you took from the gun rack and afterwards hid in your beds. And here is the despicable note you, Brown, wrote and mailed to Mr. Lacy," and the colonel held out the communication.

"Oh, Colonel Colby, I di--di--didn't do it!" faltered Slugger Brown.

His face had suddenly gone white, and he could scarcely speak.

"Do you deny that this is your handwriting?"

"I--I----Oh, is----I--I--didn't----That is----" and here Slugger Brown broke down absolutely, not knowing what to say.

"Did you mail that letter or did Brown do it?" questioned the colonel, quickly turning to Martell.

"He did it! I didn't have anything to do with it!" burst out Nappy, breaking down completely.

"It ain't so!" cried Slugger. "He was with me, and he dropped the letter in the post-office!"

"And so you killed the cows to get the Rovers into trouble?" said Colonel Colby; and now his eyes glittered like steel. "A fine thing to do, truly! I did not think any of our cadets would stoop to such a base action."

"It was a--er--a joke," gasped Nappy.

"A joke! To kill two valuable cows? Martell, if you talk that way, I'll be inclined to think you are losing your senses. But evidently there is something radically wrong with both you and Brown," went on the master of the Hall. "This case of the cows and the plot against the Rovers is bad enough, but I have another matter against you which may prove even worse."

"What is that?" questioned Slugger, very faintly.

"It is a case that Captain Larkins of the steam tug, _Mary D._, has lodged against you. He says he has absolute proof that both of you went out in a motor boat one day and tampered with the towing line and the chains of a large lumber raft, so that when a sudden squall came up on the lake, the towing line parted and the lumber raft went to pieces."

"Oh, say! that must have been the squall we were out in!" exclaimed Randy. "And we got caught among that floating lumber, too!"

"Yes, that was the time," answered Colonel Colby.

"Oh, Colonel! can't we go to our cousins and tell them that they can have their freedom?" questioned Andy, with a sudden thought of those left in the guardroom.

"Yes, Rover. Both of you and also Lowe can go," was the colonel's reply. "I will settle this affair with Brown and Martell."

"And will you settle it with Mr. Lacy, too?" queried Randy, quickly.

"Yes. I will fix the whole matter up. You may tell Jack and Fred that they need not worry any further on this score." And thereupon Andy, Randy and Ned hurried away to bear the glad tidings to the prisoners.

Of course Jack and Fred were greatly pleased to be released. They listened eagerly to all the twins and Ned had to relate.

"So Nappy and Slugger are guilty!" cried Jack. "What a mean way to act!"

"And to think they are also guilty of sending that lumber adrift," said Fred. "They'll suffer for that."

"They ought to suffer," answered his cousin.

CHAPTER x.x.x

A FOOTBALL VICTORY--CONCLUSION

"Whoop her up for Colby Hall!"