was a football game that afternoon, in which the four chums took part, playing hard and well, their team winning the contest by a narrow margin. They took a short walk, Sunday, discussing the game, and talking rather vaguely of the possibility of going to a winter camp that year.
“I think it would be just the cheese, fellows,” observed Bart.
“It would, and the crackers, too,” conceded Ned. “But I don’t see how we can manage it.”
“Maybe we can,” declared Frank indefinitely.
When the four chums went to school the following Monday morning they were made aware that something unusual had taken place. It was not so much in what was said, as in an indefinable air of expectancy on the part of several members of the faculty. After the usual opening morning services, Principal McCloud advanced to the edge of the platform in the assembly hall, and remarked:
“Young gentlemen, I have something to say to you. After I have finished, Mr. Long, the science teacher, has a few words to add.”
At once Bart cast apprehensive looks at his chums. Had the “borrowing” of the specimens been discovered? It looked so.
“Some time between Friday night and this morning,” went on the principal, “this school was entered, and some objects were taken from the science cabinets.”
There was no doubt about it. The blow had fallen. Bart, Ned and Frank prepared to “take their medicine.”
“It has been discovered,” continued Mr. McCloud, “that several specimens of snakes, lizards, toads and alligators were surreptitiously removed from Professor Long’s cabinet. This would not have been so serious, for, whoever took them, brought them all back again – that is all save one. I regret to report that one of the finest and largest specimens of mud turtles is missing. Now Professor Long has a word to say.”
Mr. Long, who was a small man, with a bustling, nervous manner, came briskly to the edge of the platform.
“I can only confirm what Professor McCloud has said,” he began. “While I regret exceedingly that any persons, least of all pupils of this school, whom I may say we suspect, could so far forget themselves as to run the risk of damaging my collection of reptiles, that is not the worst I have to speak about. The loss of the mud turtle is serious, for it was a rare kind, but there is something else missing. It is a valuable diamond bracelet, belonging to my wife. She gave it to me, as she was going away on a little trip, to take to the jewelers to have the setting of some of the stones tightened, and I placed it in the cabinet with the reptiles for safe keeping, until school should be closed, Friday. I forgot all about it until this morning, and when I went to look for it, I discovered that my collection had been disturbed.
“It was easy to see,” went on Mr. Long, “that some one had taken the reptiles out, and placed them back, for they were not in their proper cages. It was also easy to see that my wife’s diamond bracelet was missing. It is valued at over a thousand dollars, and I presume was taken by accident, or, perhaps, for a joke. In either case I shall be glad to have it back.
“I might add that I have certain clews as to who were the midnight visitors to the school, for one of them dropped his knife, and it has his name on it.”
Bart frantically felt in his pocket, and then, conscious that many eyes were on him, sat still, but a guilty flush suffused his face.
“If the bracelet is returned to me,” went on Mr. Long, “all will be well. If not, I must take – ” he hesitated a moment – “strenuous measures,” he added. “I will await in the principal’s office, any one who may wish to see me,” he concluded significantly, after a pause.
“You are dismissed to your classes,” said Principal McCloud. “Any one who wishes to see Professor Long has permission to do so.”
The boys arose, and filed from the assembly hall; the girls were on the floor below. Bart looked at Frank and Ned. Then Fenn whispered:
“Maybe the missing turtle is in with mine.”
“Maybe,” Bart whispered back. “But what of the diamond bracelet? We never took it!”
“The man – the stranger – who was in the school just before us?” replied Ned. “Fellows, I guess we’d better make a clean breast of it to Mr. Long!”
CHAPTER III
A FRUITLESS SEARCH
There was much buzzing and whispering among the pupils as they marched to their classrooms – whispering which the teachers and principal thought best to ignore under the circumstances, for the morning announcement had been an unusual one.
Bart, Fenn, Ned and Frank were in the same grade, and their first morning period was taken up with a Latin recitation. All four were doing some hard thinking as they got out their books in Mr. Kenton’s room. Bart Keene was the first of the four chums to make up his mind. He felt a certain responsibility, since he had proposed the joke.
“Mr. Kenton,” he asked, “may I be excused for a moment?”
“What for, Keene?” inquired the Latin instructor.
“I wish to – to speak to Professor Long.”
There was an audible gasp of astonishment from Bart’s classmates at this. Ned and Frank started to their feet, to utter a protest. They saw Bart’s motive, but they were not going to let him bear the brunt of the punishment alone. There was a curious look on the face of Fenn.
“You may go, Keene,” went on the instructor.
“May I also?” exclaimed Frank, and again there was a buzz of excited whispers. The other lads knew what Bart’s request meant.
“Silence!” called Mr. Kenton, sharply. “One at a time is enough,” he added grimly. “We will proceed with the lesson. Ned Wilding, you may begin to translate.”
Discipline held sway once more, and the boys settled back into their seats. Bart, conscious that the eyes of every lad in the room were on him, walked out. He found Professor Long in the chemical laboratory, preparing for some class work.
“Ah, Keene,” remarked the science instructor, as he mixed some unpleasant-smelling liquids in a test tube. “Did you wish to see me?”
“Yes – yes, sir,” stammered Bart. “You said – that is – I – er – I was the one who took the collection of reptiles,” blurted out the uneasy lad. “But I didn’t take the diamond bracelet! We didn’t see anything of it! I hope you’ll believe me! You don’t know how unpleasant it is to be accused. At one time I – that is my chums and I – were accused of blowing up the school tower with dynamite, and – ”
“Yes, I remember that happening,” went on Mr. Long, gravely. “You were innocent on that occasion.”
“And we are innocent now!” burst out Bart. “We – that is I – took the turtles and the alligators, but we – that is I – never saw the bracelet. Are you sure it was in the cabinet, Mr. Long?”
“Very sure, Bart. But you might save yourself some embarrassment by telling me all the details. I’m glad to see you willing to bear all the blame, but, if you were alone in the escapade, how is it that I found Ned Wilding’s knife, and this handkerchief with Frank Roscoe’s name on it,” and the instructor, with a smile, held up the articles he mentioned.
“I
