Part 26 (2/2)
”You don't think that these boys had anything to do with it, do you?” interrupted the colonel
”Of course not,” the judge assured hio on--and it has been said that these boys were out very early on thats”
”But we earned that nantly
”Don't get hot, Pepper,” counseled Donald
”I don't doubt it,” replied the judge; ”and then it is reported that Randolph and Pepper claimed to have found money on the road”
”I don't know as you could call itthe coin that he had found ”I found this and Pepper found another”
”Ah!” re the coin, ”that looks like one of those stolen from me Where did you find it?”
”On the Mountain Road,” answered Rand ”We did not know that they were yours, or we should have returned thee, ”although they are similar You had better keep them for the present So that is the way they went,” he mused; ”they probably escaped in a boat
I' them That is all, boys I just wanted to have a talk with you to straighten things out”
”Where did all these stories come from?” asked the colonel
”Oh, I think it is e ”I think Tompkins said he heard it from his boy”
”Sa to throw suspicion on us, but I guess he knows a lot more about it than we do”
”I think you have hit it, Jack,” agreed the judge ”I believe that is a clue worth following up”
”But what about the tools?” asked the officer
”Oh, yes,” continued the judge, ”I had forgotten about the about these tools, dick?”
”Yes, sir; they caht,” said the officer to hi to end here”
”They were taken from there,” went on dick ”We missed them several days before the robbery, but I don't knoho took them”
”Then they must have been taken by soe ”It seeets Jack, I think that you had better set your wits to work and see if you can't clear it up”
”Very well, Judge,” answered Jack, who had been going over theto follow up and see what coe ”While I do not believe for an instant that any of you young gentle to do with the robbery, I would like to see it brought home to those who did it”
”And I, too,” added the colonel
”Good night, boys,” continued the judge ”You have had rather an exciting day, and I think you had better be getting ho e,” responded the boys, Jack adding as they went out, ”I won't leave hiht until I have him safe in the house”