CHAPTER VII 

A STRANGE LETTER BOX 

"It won't be long now before we'll have to get back to Putnam Hall," observed Sam, as they drove along. "Dear old school! How I love it!" 

"It's too bad that we are getting too old to go there," said Tom. "But we can't be boys always." 

"I shall be glad to see the other fellows again," came from Dick. 

"Do you know what I think?" declared Tom. "I think the Putnam Hall cadets are the finest lot of boys in the world!" 

"Throwing bouquets at yourself, Tom?" said Sam, with a laugh. 

"Well, don't you agree with me?" 

"I certainly do, Sam, and Captain Putnam is the best teacher in the world. My, but won't we have fun when we get back!" 

"We'll have to have a feast in honor of our return," said Dick, and smiled that quiet smile of his which meant so much. 

The distance to the cave was soon covered, and the boys tied their team to a tree in that vicinity. They went inside and found that everything, even to the empty boxes, had been taken away. The place had been explored by a number of curiosity seekers. 

"It is queer that this cave wasn't discovered before," was Dick's comment, after they had spent half an hour in walking around. 

"Perhaps the opening to the road wasn't so large formerly," suggested Tom. "Dangler may have enlarged it, so he could drive in." 

"That is true. Well, it will be a regular picnic place after this. Its fame will spread for miles around." And Dick was right, and the cave is a well-known spot in that portion of New York state to this day. 
Was something missing?
hey went inside and found that everything, even to the empty boxes, had been taken away. T