The Rover Boys out West | Page 8

coin of coppery metal, engraved
with several circles and a rude head.
"No, I didn't drop it," replied Tom, his face growing serious. "Did you,
Sam?"
Sam gave a look, placed his hand in his pocket and brought out a
similar piece. "No, there is mine," he said. "Where in the world did that
come from?"
Then Tom and Sam looked at each other. The same idea crossed the
mind of each. The coin was similar to those they had handled while on
their way through Africa. They had brought home several as
pocket-pieces.
"I'll wager Dan Baxter dropped that!" cried Tom. "He, or --"
"Josiah Crabtree!" finished Sam. "Yes, I am sure of it, for Dick brought
none to Putnam Hall; I heard him tell the Captain so, when they were

talking about coins one day."
"Then in that case, either Baxter or Crabtree is responsible for this
smash-up!" came from one of the other cadets.
"Right you are. The question is, which one?"
"Perhaps both vos guilty," suggested the German student.
"That may be true, Hans," came from Tom. "I wonder if one or the
other of the rascals is in hiding around here?"
"We'll begin a search," said Sam. "Hans, go and call the others," and at
once the German cadet started off on his errand.
CHAPTER IV
A TRAIL IS FOUND AND LOST
By this time several carriages had come up, also a number of folks on
bicycles and on foot, and to all of these the situation had to be
explained. Among the last to put in an appearance was Captain Putnam,
and he was at once all attention, and desired to know how seriously
Dick and Frank were injured.
"It was an outrageous piece of work," he said.
"Still, to be fair, we must admit that the broken brake is largely
responsible for what happened, after the start down hill was made."
"But I couldn't help the brake breaking," pleaded the general utility
man. "I did my best, and was thrown out --"
"I am not finding fault with you, Snugger," cut in the captain, shortly.
"Let it pass, and leave the stage to be taken care of by the Cedarville
blacksmith. But I wish we might lay hands on the rascal who is
responsible for the start of the mishap."
"They have found a coin such as we used when as we were in Africa,"

said Dick. "I think that furnishes a clew."
"In what way, Rover?"
"Those coins were also used by Dan Baxter and Josiah Crabtree."
"And you think one or the other, or both, are in this neighborhood
again?"
"It looks plausible, doesn't it?"
"Yes, but -- it would be very strange. I should think they would give
this locality a wide berth."
"Hardly. Josiah Crabtree isn't done with the Stanhopes, to my mind,
and Baxter will get square with us if he can."
While this talk was going on Sam and Tom were following some
footprints leading from the clearing where the signal board had been
found down a small path toward the lake. The footprints were clearly
defined.
"The prints are not very large," observed Tom, as he and his brother
measured them. "It looks to me as if Dan Baxter's feet might have made
them."
"Certainly they weren't made by old Crabtree," said Sam. "He had a
very long foot and always wore square-toed boots."
They followed the prints down to the lake shore, and then along the rim
of the lake for nearly half a mile.
Here there was a little cove, and under some bushes they discovered
some marks in the wet dirt of the bank, as if a rowboat had been
moored there. In this dirt the footprints came to an end.
"That's the wind-up of this trail," sighed Tom. "Water leaves no trail."
"That's so. But supposing we skirt the lake some more."

They went on, and did not give up until the declining sun told them the
day was done.
When they reached the Hall they found that all of the others had come
in, and that preparations were already going forward for the feast in the
evening. For once Captain Putnam and George Strong, his main
assistant, were going to allow the cadets to have their own way.
Secretly the captain was tremendously pleased over the showing his
pupils had made on the football field, for this happened to be a year
when college athletics were in the ascendancy in all of the States.
But the regular evening drill must not be neglected, and soon the sound
of the drum was heard, calling the members of companies A and B to
the parade ground. A rush was made for uniforms, swords, and guns,
and soon the boys come pouring forth, Dick as a captain,