"Well, if one of thim fellows robbed the shop he must have visited your camp, too," said Squire Haggerty. "Did ye see any of thim around?" Captain Putnam looked inquiringly at the Rover boys. "I must confess I didn't see any of them," said Dick. "But we heard from Lew Flapp," cried Tom, suddenly. "How strange that I didn't think of this before." "Where did you hear from him, Thomas?" "At the hotel where we stopped for supper yesterday. A boy who works around the stables told me Flapp had been there and was very angry because he had been sent away from the academy. The boy said Flapp vowed he was going to get square with the Rovers for what they had done." "What boy was that?" asked Josiah Cotton, with interest. The boy was described and, a little later, he was brought over from the hotel. He was very much frightened and insisted upon it that he had had nothing to do with the robbery. "Tell what you can about Lew Flapp," said Dick, and the boy did so. "That young fellow had been drinking, or else he wouldn't have talked so much," added the lad. "He certainly said he was going to get square with the Rover brothers." "Have you seen him since?" "Yes, I saw him in the village right after the cadets left." "Anywhere near Mr. Fairchild's shop?" "On the road that runs back of the shop." "Where was he going?" "I don't know." "And that is the last you saw of him?" "Yes, sir." "You don't know if he went towards the back of the shop?" "No, sir." More than this the boy could not tell and he was excused. Squire Haggerty shook his head in perplexity. "I don't know about this," he said. "But it looks to me as if I'll have to hold these Rover brothers until they can clear themselves." CHAPTER VI LINK SMITH'S CONFESSION For a moment there was a painful pause and the Rover boys looked at each other and at Captain Putnam in perplexity. "Does this mean that we must go to jail?" demanded Tom. "I don't think it will be necessary to hold them," came from Captain Putnam. "Squire Haggerty, I presume you know who I am." "Yes, sir, Captain Putnam of Putnam Hall." "Then you will, of course, let me go on a bail bond for these three pupils of mine." "If ye care to do it, captain." "Certainly. I am convinced that they are innocent. Why, it is preposterous to think that they would break into such a shop and rob it of a hundred and sixty dollars' worth of goods. They are rich young gentlemen, of a high-standing family, and each has all the spending money he needs." "I see, I see." "Well, it ain't nuthin' to me what they be, so long as I git my goods back," growled Aaron Fairchild. "I ain't got nuthin' against 'em personally, especially if they are innocent."