"That trail through the woods used to lead to the village of Hopdale," he said. "Perhaps I'll learn something about him over there."
"I sincerely hope that you do," returned Dick.
The boys, and especially Tom, were worn out with traveling and readily consented to borrow a horse from Munro Staton, on which to ride back to camp. The steed was returned early in the morning.
"It's rather a wild-goose chase," said Dick, in talking matters over with his brothers. "But I don't know of anything else to do. Mi, Staton may catch Baxter quicker than a metropolitan detective could do the job."
Three days passed, and during that time the boys received two telegrams from home, stating they should do as they thought best in the Baxter affair, and that a detective was on the way. Then the detective appeared at the camp and followed Munro Staton on the hunt for the missing criminal. But the search by both men proved useless, and nothing more was seen of Arnold Baxter for the time being.
The cadets had arranged for a series of athletic contests, to come off at the beginning of the following week. There was to be broad aad high jumping, and running, as well as throwing the
