No good," replied the man. "Them boys wasn't as smart as they thunk. We
sent up to get the car fust thing after yore chief sent the word to us
last night, but all they was left of it was tracks."

So the car was gone. Glen could easily understand how they discovered
it. They had only to run back to where the peculiar tires ended their
journey and then search to find where they had left the track. So the
ford would have been discovered and then the car.

"If I'd been driving I'd have run it right up to the sheriff's office
and claimed the reward," boasted Matt.

"Mebbe you would--mebbe you wouldn't. Mebbe you'd got a few slugs o'
lead under your vest. Them fellers must ha' been pretty clos't around to
get that car away so quick. I think them boys was clever. Anyway they
wasn't no reward then. They is now--five hundred dollars. The Bankers'
Association offered it soon as they heard the story."

"When are you going to hunt them out?" asked Matt.

"Huntin' right now, son. Huntin' while we set gassin' with you. We hunts
in our sleep."

"No joking, now. When are you going to get up a posse? I want to go
along."

"We'll send for ye when we feel that we need ye, son. Come along, Ike. I
hear Number Three whistlin' fer the crossin'. Watch the blind baggage."

CHAPTER XVI

DETECTIVE MATTY

Glen managed to get back to the camp without coming under Matt's notice.
His animosity had all disappeared. This one act of loyalty on Matt's
part wiped out a great load of snubs and grudges. He knew that his
connection with the reform school was quite generally known at the camp,
for Mr. Newton himself--subsequent to the disclosures of J. Jervice--had
seen fit to explain to the scouts that Glen might be considered as
staying under his parole, and had further expressed his conviction that
the authorities would certainly make the parole permanent in view of all
the facts. An explanation made to friendly boys, however, was a vastly
different thing from making one to officers who had a chance to earn a
reward. He felt, therefore, that Matt had saved him from a real danger.

Chick-chick and Apple were anxiously awaiting his coming that they might
complete the map which they were preparing from his recollection of the
chart shown by Jervice. Mr. Newton had decided that the information
Glen had gained from the robbers' chart was his exclusive property,
since it had been obtained by him while in peril of life and limb. But
Glen was