"I do not believe the Rovers are guilty, sir," whispered George Strong. "Neither do I. This is a plot against them. The question is, who carried the plot out?" Not long after this the battalion of cadets marched off on the road to Putnam Hall while the Rovers and the others entered the big wagon. Inside of half an hour Squire Haggerty's home was reached. The squire proved to be an Irishman of about fifty, who when he was not acting as a judge did jobs of mason work in the vicinity. "Sure, an' it's the boldest robbery we have had in this neighborhood for years," said the squire. "The back door av the shop was broken open and many valuables extracted from the premises." "Have you any idea when the robbery was committed?" asked Captain Putnam. "Not exactly Mr. Fairchild was away all day yesterday and did not get home until nearly twelve o'clock at night." "Didn't he leave anybody else to run the shop?" "He has nobody. When he goes away he has to lock up." All were ushered into the squire's parlor, where he had a flat-top desk and several office chairs. The squire had heard of Captain Putnam, and knew of the fame of the academy, and he respected the Hall owner accordingly. "I will be after hearing all the particulars of this case," said he, as he sat down to his desk. In a long, rambling story Aaron Fairchild told how he had come home from a visit to the city late the night before. He had some goods for his shop with him and on going to the place had found the back door broken in and everything in the shop in confusion. Jewelry and other things to the value of a hundred and sixty dollars had been taken, and on the floor he had found the memorandum book and the envelope. From some boys in the hamlet he has learned that the Rover boys belonged to the Putnam Hall cadets, and farmer Gassam had told him where to find the young soldiers. Then he had called up the constable and set out; with the results already related. "This certainly looks black for the Rover boys," said Squire Haggerty. "How do ye account for having the goods on your persons, tell me that now?" "I can account for it only in one way," said Dick. "The thief, whoever he was, placed them there, for the double purpose of keeping suspicion from himself and to get us into trouble." "Thin, if he wanted to git you into throuble, he was after being a fellow who had a grudge against ye?" "That must be it," put in Captain Putnam. "Do ye know of any such persons?" "Yes, there are a number of such persons," answered Dick. And he mentioned Dan Baxter, Flapp, Rockley, and a number of others who in the past had proved to be his enemies. Following this, Captain Putnam related how Dan Baxter had escaped after trying to harm Dick Rover and how it was that Lew Flapp was considered an enemy and how the fellow had been dismissed from the academy, along with several followers. Squire Haggerty listened attentively.