Bart Keene's Hunting Days Part 3

"You are dismissed to your cla.s.ses," said Princ.i.p.al McCloud. "Any one who wishes to see Professor Long has permission to do so."

The boys arose, and filed from the a.s.sembly hall; the girls were on the floor below. Bart looked at Frank and Ned. Then Fenn whispered:

"Maybe the missing turtle is in with mine."

"Maybe," Bart whispered back. "But what of the diamond bracelet? We never took it!"

"The man--the stranger--who was in the school just before us?" replied Ned. "Fellows, I guess we'd better make a clean breast of it to Mr.

Long!"

CHAPTER III

A FRUITLESS SEARCH

There was much buzzing and whispering among the pupils as they marched to their cla.s.srooms--whispering which the teachers and princ.i.p.al thought best to ignore under the circ.u.mstances, for the morning announcement had been an unusual one.

Bart, Fenn, Ned and Frank were in the same grade, and their first morning period was taken up with a Latin recitation. All four were doing some hard thinking as they got out their books in Mr. Kenton's room.

Bart Keene was the first of the four chums to make up his mind. He felt a certain responsibility, since he had proposed the joke.

"Mr. Kenton," he asked, "may I be excused for a moment?"

"What for, Keene?" inquired the Latin instructor.

"I wish to--to speak to Professor Long."

There was an audible gasp of astonishment from Bart's cla.s.smates at this. Ned and Frank started to their feet, to utter a protest. They saw Bart's motive, but they were not going to let him bear the brunt of the punishment alone. There was a curious look on the face of Fenn.

"You may go, Keene," went on the instructor.

"May I also?" exclaimed Frank, and again there was a buzz of excited whispers. The other lads knew what Bart's request meant.

"Silence!" called Mr. Kenton, sharply. "One at a time is enough," he added grimly. "We will proceed with the lesson. Ned Wilding, you may begin to translate."

Discipline held sway once more, and the boys settled back into their seats. Bart, conscious that the eyes of every lad in the room were on him, walked out. He found Professor Long in the chemical laboratory, preparing for some cla.s.s work.

"Ah, Keene," remarked the science instructor, as he mixed some unpleasant-smelling liquids in a test tube. "Did you wish to see me?"

"Yes--yes, sir," stammered Bart. "You said--that is--I--er--I was the one who took the collection of reptiles," blurted out the uneasy lad.

"But I didn't take the diamond bracelet! We didn't see anything of it! I hope you'll believe me! You don't know how unpleasant it is to be accused. At one time I--that is my chums and I--were accused of blowing up the school tower with dynamite, and----"

"Yes, I remember that happening," went on Mr. Long, gravely. "You were innocent on that occasion."

"And we are innocent now!" burst out Bart. "We--that is I--took the turtles and the alligators, but we--that is I--never saw the bracelet.

Are you sure it was in the cabinet, Mr. Long?"

"Very sure, Bart. But you might save yourself some embarra.s.sment by telling me all the details. I'm glad to see you willing to bear all the blame, but, if you were alone in the escapade, how is it that I found Ned Wilding's knife, and this handkerchief with Frank Roscoe's name on it," and the instructor, with a smile, held up the articles he mentioned.

"I--I dropped Ned's knife," replied Bart. "I had borrowed it."

"And Frank's handkerchief?"

"I--I didn't have that," and Bart looked confused.

"I think I can guess how it was," said Mr. Long at length. "You were all four after my collection, and----"

"Not all four!" interrupted Bart. "Fenn wasn't there. You see we were playing a joke on him," the lad went on, in a burst of confidence, realizing that it was useless to try to shoulder all the blame. "Ned, Frank and I came in here Friday night and got the things. I knew I had lost Ned's knife, but I didn't think I'd dropped it here. But Fenn wasn't along. We took the things to his house, and put them in the pen with his reptiles. He is making a collection."

"So I understand," remarked Mr. Long. "Therefor I have a proposal to make. It is barely possible that in gathering up the toads, alligators and turtles from my cabinet that you boys picked up the bracelet with them. You may have dropped it in the place where Fenn keeps his collection. Perhaps if you go there and look you will find it, and also the missing turtle, which I value highly. But, of course, the bracelet is more valuable, and as it was a birthday present to Mrs. Long she will feel the loss very much. Will you kindly go and look? I am sure Mr.

McCloud will excuse you."

"I'll be glad to make a search!" exclaimed Bart, eagerly. "Perhaps if Ned and Frank----"

"Just what I was about to propose," interrupted the instructor. "I'll request the princ.i.p.al to let you four boys leave your cla.s.ses this morning, to make a hunt for the missing bracelet--and the turtle. Don't forget that."

"I'm--I'm very sorry--sorry we disturbed your collection, Professor Long," stammered Bart, "but I know we never touched, or saw, the diamond bracelet."

"I know you didn't mean to take the bracelet," went on Mr. Long, a bit stiffly. "Of course it was a foolish, and, at the same time, a risky trick to play, and, while I believe you had no intention of keeping the bracelet, I cannot but believe that in some way you removed it from the cabinet, either in catching up one of the reptiles hurriedly, or otherwise. I shall be glad to talk with Ned and Frank. But now I suggest that you go to Fenn's house and make a search."

"We never took or saw the bracelet, Professor!" declared Bart, with great earnestness. He felt, somehow, just as he did the time the unjust accusation of blowing up the school tower was made against him and his chums, as related in a former volume of this series.

"Well," remarked the teacher, "I can only say that you boys were the only ones in the school after the closing hours Friday. Some time between then and this morning, the reptiles were taken and returned--that is all but one large turtle--and the diamond bracelet belonging to my wife. There can be but one conclusion, and I----"

"We were not the only ones in the school between Friday night and this morning!" exclaimed Bart, and instantly his thoughts reverted to the stranger who had acted so mysteriously.

"What do you mean?" asked the instructor, quickly.

"I mean--the janitor," replied Bart, with a sudden change in his tone.

He had started to mention the man, but concluded not to. He had several reasons for this, as will develop presently.

"There is where you are mistaken," declared Professor Long. "The janitor, and two a.s.sistants whom he hired, cleaned out the school late Friday afternoon. I know, for I remained here to go over some of my cla.s.s records. It was late when I left, and the janitor had finished before I was ready to go. I know this because Riggs asked me to be sure and close the front door and put the spring lock on when I came out. I was the last person to leave the school Friday night, and I locked the door. Riggs had gone. The reason why he did his cleaning work Friday night, and not Sat.u.r.day, as is usual, was because he wanted to go away over Sunday. He did go, I understand, so you see you boys were the only ones in the school."

"And did you lock the front door after you?" asked Bart with a sudden suspicion in his mind, as he thought of the mysterious man.

"I did, certainly. Why do you ask?"

"Oh--nothing--only I thought--I--" Again Bart was about to speak of the midnight visitor to the school, and again he refrained.

"By the way, how did you boys get in the school?" asked Professor Long, suddenly.

"I--er--we--that is----"

"Never mind," hastily interrupted the instructor, "I should not have asked that. I have no wish to pry further into this matter than is necessary. Believe me, I appreciate your motive in making a clean breast of it. I do not care to know all the details. Boys will be boys, I suppose. Only get me back the diamond bracelet and the turtle. I will see Mr. McCloud at once, and I'm sure he will let you make a search at Fenn's house."

Bart's opportunity had pa.s.sed. If he only had mentioned the fact that he and his chums found the front door open, and had seen a mysterious man enter the school, things might have turned out differently, and much trouble have been averted. But now it was too late. Mr. Long hurried to the office of the princ.i.p.al, and returned shortly with permission for the four chums to go and make a search.