Dave Porter's Return to School. Winning the Medal of Honor. Stratemeyer Edward
can," answered Dave. "It's our duty to help capture those burglars, if it can be done."
The whole party walked down the lane leading to the river, which, at this point, overflowed a portion of the Lapham meadow. The farmer had brought along his barn lantern.
"I see something!" cried Dave, as a bright object caught his eye. But it was only a battered tin can, which caused everybody to utter a short laugh.
It did not take long to reach the water's edge. Here they saw where a rowboat had been hauled up on the bank. In the mud and grass they made out the footsteps of two men, but that was all.
"Have you had a boat up here in the last few days?" asked Dave of the farmer.
"Ain't had a boat here in a month."
"Then this must have been the burglars' boat."
"I think so." John Lapham gave something of a sigh. "They got a good start."
"Yes, and we don't know which way they went," added one of his sons.
"Have you any idea what the stuff that was stolen was worth?" asked the senator's son.
"Fifty or sixty dollars, maybe more."
"I shouldn't think any professional burglars would bother to take such a small amount," was Shadow's comment. "Maybe they are worthless characters from around here."
"Like as not," answered the farmer. "Maybe the same rascals that robbed Jerry Logan's house at Oakdale. They got about fifty dollars' worth there too."
They looked out upon the river as best they could, but not a craft of any kind was in sight, nor could they hear any sound of rowing. The farmer drew a long sigh.
"I'm stumped," he declared.
"You'd better notify the authorities," suggested Roger.
"Won't do a bit o' good. The constable ain't worth his salt, and the justice ain't no good either. If I want to find those burglars I've got to do it myself."
"Have you a boat?"
"No, but I can get one in the morning, and I'll get some of the neighbors to help me."
There seemed nothing more to do just then, and the whole party returned to the farmhouse. Then Dave explained what he had come for to Bob Lapham.
"All right, you can have the bats," said the farm boy. "They are in the barn. But what do you want of them?"
"Oh, we were going to use them for something – but perhaps we won't now," said Dave, and handed over the amount to be paid. Soon the bats were brought forth, in a battered mocking-bird cage. They were a round dozen in number.
"See here, Bob, don't say anything to anybody about our coming here," whispered Roger, slipping an extra quarter into the farm boy's hand. "We are not supposed to be away from the Hall, you know."
"All right, I won't say anything."
"And keep your brother and your father quiet too, – if you can."
"I'll do my best. I don't know your names anyway."
"None of them?"
"No."
"Good enough. Now we are off. Good-night."
The boys were about to turn from the farmhouse when John Lapham called them back.
"What do you want?" asked Dave, and a sudden strange sensation took possession of him.
"I've been thinking that things look rather queer," went on the farmer, pointedly.
"In what way?" demanded Shadow.
"How was it that you didn't knock on the front door when you first came here?"
"We heard a noise and we listened to find out what it meant," answered the senator's son.
"It seems mighty queer to me," said the farmer, doggedly.
"What do you mean, Mr. Lapham?" demanded Dave, his face beginning to burn.
"It's queer you should come here this time of night just to get some bats that ain't any good to nobody."
"Well, that is what we came for and nothing else."
"You're sure you don't know anything about that robbery?"
"Mr. Lapham, do you take us for thieves?" cried the senator's son, hotly.
"I didn't say that; I said it was queer."
"You know we haven't the stolen stuff."
"And you are sure you don't know anything about those other chaps?" mused the farmer.
"Not a thing," answered Dave. "All we saw was the light just before it went out, and heard the noise."
"It is preposterous to think we would come here to take your silverware," went on Roger, warmly.
"Oh, pop, they are all right," said Bob Lapham. "All the students at Oak Hall are honest fellows."
"I don't know about that," was the grim answer. "They don't seem to be honest when it comes to getting in our orchards."
"I have never been in your orchard," said Dave.
"Nor I," added Shadow.
"Nor I," affirmed the senator's son.
"Last season I had about half of my fruit stolen."
"Well, some of it was taken by the boys from the military academy, you must remember," said Bob Lapham, who evidently wanted to help the Oak Hall students all he could.
"Yes, I know that."
"We are totally innocent," asserted Shadow. "I don't see how you can suspect us."
"What is your name?" demanded the farmer.
Shadow hesitated and then straightened up.
"I am not ashamed to tell you. It is Maurice Hamilton."
"And what is yours, young man?" went on John Lapham, turning to Dave.
"David Porter."
"And yours?"
"Roger Morr."
"Morr, eh? Do you belong around here?"
"No, sir, I come from near Hemson."
"Oh! Then you ain't related to Mr. Samuel Morr, of Bainridge?"
"I am. He is my uncle."
"Are you Senator Morr's son?"
"Yes, sir."
"Oh!" The farmer's face changed slightly. "Well, that makes a difference. I know Mr. Samuel Morr quite well," he continued, but did not add that Roger's uncle held his note for two hundred dollars, and he wished the same renewed for three months. "Of course, if you are Senator Morr's son it is all right, and I am sure you didn't have anything to do with the robbery."
CHAPTER VI
JOB HASKERS'S BAD NIGHT
After that the farmer questioned the boys further concerning their visit to his home and at last drew from the students their whole story. When they acknowledged that they wanted to play a joke on Job Haskers he smiled broadly.
"I know that man," he said. "He wanted to buy some apples and potatoes here once, to ship to some of his folks, and he was so close and mean about it, I wouldn't sell him anything. Go ahead and play your joke on him, and I won't say anything about it."
"And you won't say anything about our visit here?" questioned Roger, eagerly.
"Not a thing – unless, of course, it becomes absolutely necessary to do so."
"You're a brick, Mr. Lapham," cried Dave, much relieved. "We'll do all we can to help you catch those burglars."
"That we will," added Shadow.
"I am afraid we'll never catch them, boys. The constable here is no good, and I don't know where to look for them," responded the farmer.
A few minutes later found the students on the return to Oak Hall, Dave carrying the cage full of bats.
"That was a narrow escape," was Shadow's