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"What's up, Tom; do you feel worse?" asked Dick, as he wheeled as closely to the seat of the wagon as possible. "No, I feel better. But I've made a big discovery at least, I feel pretty certain that I have?" "What discovery?" questioned Sam. "I've discovered who stole that money and other stuff." "And who was it?" came quickly from both brothers. "Jim Caven."
All unconscious of being watched so closely, Maurice Vane and Joe rode to the depot and boarded the train when it came along. Joe had been looking for Caven and Malone, but without success. "I cannot see those men anywhere," he said. "They are probably in hiding," said his employer.
"Must have been Caven and Malone in disguise," finished our hero. "Who are Caven and Malone?" asked the conductor of the train, while a number of passengers gathered around, to hear what Maurice Vane and our hero might have to say. "They are two rascals who are trying to do me out of my share of a mine," explained Maurice Vane. "I had my mining shares in that satchel."
The cracking of a tree limb had reached their ears, followed by a cry of alarm. A limb upon which Pat Malone was standing had broken, causing the fellow to slip to another branch below. "Hush! don't make so much noise!" said Caven, in alarm. "Gosh! I thought I was going to tumble, out of the tree to the ground," gasped Malone, when he could catch his breath.
As the majority of the scholars had been to the Hall before, it did not take long for matters to become settled, and in a few days all of the boys felt thoroughly at home, that is, all but Jim Caven, who went around with that same sneaking look on his face that Tom had first noticed. He made but few friends, and those only among the smaller boys who had plenty of pocket money to spend.
"It's going to rain," said Joe, and he was right. "See here, I don't want to get wet to the skin," growled Caven. "I'll catch my death of cold." "There is a barn just ahead," said Bill Badger. "Let us get inside." Joe was willing, and soon all were in the barn. It was now raining at a heavy rate and they were glad to be under shelter. "With a barn there ought to be a house," remarked our hero.
"You bad better come back to the Hall with us and have a talk with Captain Putnam." "I won't go with you. This is is a a plot against me," stammered the slim youth. "You will go back!" cried Dick, and caught Caven by the arm. But with a jerk the seared boy freed himself and ran down the road at the top of his speed.
Others took up the cry, but before anything could be done Caven and Malone were out of the car and on to the tracks. Both stared around in perplexity for a second. "Come on, we can't afford to waste time here!" cried Caven, and ran for the bank of the cut, up which he scrambled hastily, with his confederate at his side. Joe saw them make the move and was not slow to follow.
"I declare, he must be almost as bad as the Baxters!" The farm wagon soon reached the Hall, and Dick ushered Seth Dickerson into Captain Putnam's office. The captain looked surprised at the unexpected visitor, but listened with deep concern to all the farmer and the Rover boys had to say. "This certainly looks black for Caven," he said at last. "I did not think I had such a bad boy here.
"Caven and Malone, as sure as fate!" he murmured to himself. "What had I best do next?" While Joe was trying to make up his mind, Caven chanced to glance up and his eyes fell upon our hero. He gave a cry of dismay and thrust the mining share out of sight. "What's the matter?" asked Malone in a low tone. "Look there, Pat! That boy!" "No!" "But it is!" "How did he get on this train?" "I don't know.
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