"You can take the strings off his arms if you like," said Mr. Bushby. "I have heard enough to satisfy me that five of them had nothing to do with the robbery, and I shall not arrest them." "This will be a big lesson to me," said Ripples, as Dory removed the line from his arms. The next thing was to search the vessel. Sang and Wick had weakened, and were willing to tell all they knew about the ill-starred cruise of the La Motte. With their assistance, a considerable sum of money was found concealed under Angy's berth, together with other articles which showed that the party had been engaged in the robberies at Plattsburg. Before noon the four guilty ones were shut up with Mr. Spickles in the lock-up. CHAPTER XXVII. THE GUESTS OF THE INSTITUTION. Ripples and his four companions were glad to find they were not involved in the disaster which had overtaken the other half of the Nautifelers Club. When the crowd on the wharf dispersed, they remained; for their plans for the immediate future had been sadly deranged. But they were at liberty to go where they pleased. After they had discussed their situation for a while, they went into the boat-house, hoping to find Captain Gildrock there. But no one was there. It was so near dinner-time that the boats did not go out again that forenoon. The La Motte, deserted by everybody, lay at the wharf; and they went on board of her. But the principal soon appeared, and invited them to dine with the students, which they thought was very kind of him. After dinner he went to the wharf with them again. They had put their bags and valises on board of her; and so far, they had been unable to make up their minds what to do. The principal went into the cabin of the schooner with them. On the table was mounted a cask of beer, which the party had opened when they were prevented from coming on deck. "When a lot of young men fasten themselves to a beer-keg, it is not at all difficult to tell what will become of them," said the principal, as he seated himself on the locker in front of the berths. "It is to them just what whiskey is to older men, and the whiskey, in this country, is pretty sure to follow the beer." "I never thought there was any great harm in beer," replied Ripples. "I should say that it helped your friend Spickles into the lock-up. Of course, he had some bad tendencies; but they were stimulated by his beer. I may be wrong, but I do not believe he would have made so short a career of evil without the help of beer." "Let's throw it overboard, fellows," suggested Ripples to his companions. "All right!" shouted several of them, impressed by the lesson which the principal drew from the fate of Spickles. A couple of them hastened on deck with the half empty beer-keg, and threw its contents into the lake. The others searched for more of the article; and they found two kegs of it in the hold, which followed the first lot.