There the matter rested for the time being, but the cadets continued to wonder and speculate. The student council of the rival school met and presented a resolution that they believed the students of Dimsdale to be not guilty in the matter of the theft of the brass eagles. Professor Strong talked with the colonel by telephone and informed him that he could not find a 1938 rule book in the institution nor could he find a single student who had a book as old as that. Further check, which was fairly accurate, revealed the fact that every Dimsdale boy had been in his room on the night of the mysterious affair, though there was nothing to show that some few students might not have sneaked from the building after lights were out. All these facts made some impression on the more thoughtful cadets, but it was not enough to make them feel altogether sure that the rivals had no hand in the affair.
"Too bad about it all," sighed Don. "Just when the relations between the schools were being mended so nicely! But we've simply got to find those eagles."
"Yes," Terry agreed. "No one has found out a thing, as yet. Apparently no one saw any suspicious characters around on that night and nothing has been learned down in the town. I'm afraid we'll have to look further afield for them."
On the following day Jim showed a dispatch from the weekly town paper to some of the cadets. Under an editorial heading, entitled "The Revival of Ancient Rowdyism," there followed a long article about the notoriously poor sportsmanship of Dimsdale.
"See who the author is?" Jim asked as they pored over the dispatch.
"No," Jim denied. "Look at this passage." He read it to them all. "'A prominent citizen of this town, one of the newest and most influential of our local citizens, tells us that he is not in the least bit surprised at the turn things have taken. This citizen, formerly a trustee at Woodcrest, has stood out for years past as unalterably opposed to the resumption of relations between the two schools, having had occasion years ago to witness more than once the regrettable lack of honor and sportsmanship on the part of Dimsdale students. It is altogether too bad that young men, growing up in institutions of this kind, where they are fitting themselves to take an active part in the affairs of life, should have so little respect for the principles of decency and honor.'"