"Someone got away with them," asserted Bob cheerfully. "Must be a mighty small someone who'd stoop to lift a bunch of letters to the home folks. Stealing anything from another fellow is a serious offense in the Army." "Why should anybody want to do a thing like that?" demanded Roger. "We don't know the fellows in our barrack well enough yet for any of them to do it for a joke." "It's no joke," was Jimmy's savage opinion. "It was done for pure meanness. How'd my shoe get away down under Iggy's bed? Some fellow in the squad-room has it in for me. If you don't know who he is, well--I do. I'll bet you my hat Bixton did it to spite me for jumping him yesterday. Just wait till I see him! I'll----" "No, you won't," interposed Bob. "You'd only get in wrong unless you had proof. You can't accuse a fellow offhand of anything like that and get away with it. Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut. The only way to land a criminal is to get evidence that he is one. The same thing applies to a mischief-maker. Whoever he is, I'm not saying it's Bixton, he'll think he's put one over on you, and so pretty soon he'll try it again. It's up to you to pussy-foot around and catch him at it. Now mind your Uncle Bob, not a word about these letters to anyone. You can write some more to your folks. Just act as if nothing had happened and do a little watchful waiting. There's a time to speak, but it isn't now. So bottle your wrath, Blazes, and do the Sherlock Holmes act. With the four Brothers on the job, all keeping a starboard eye out, believe me, whoever cribbed those letters will wish sooner or later that he'd let 'em alone." CHAPTER IX THE CROWNING INSULT Realizing the soundness of Bob Dalton's counsel, his three friends agreed to abide by it. Nevertheless, Jimmy was already firmly convinced that he had Bixton to thank for the strange disappearance of his letters. He did not hesitate to reiterate the statement to his chums. Iggy solemnly supported the theory out of pure devotion to Jimmy. Bob and Roger refused to commit themselves, thought privately they were of the same opinion that suspicion pointed strongly in Bixton's direction. Both knew only too well that it needed but a word from them to set hot-headed Jimmy Blazes on the trail of the disagreeable rookie with a vengeance, a proceeding which, as Bob had sagely pointed out, would be not only futile but disastrous to Jimmy as well.