, and that's a cinch. Because he had on his running
shoes, and they were new this season. I know, for he showed me where he
meant to have a little extra sewing done on each shoe to-day, for fear
something might happen in the races, and he has only the one pair. I
handled both, and the soles didn't have a sign of a patch, Fred."

"Then that settles one thing," remarked the other; "we've got a clue to
the first of his enemies, whoever he proves to be. And wherever we go
we'll keep a sharp lookout for that shoe with the patch on the sole. Get
down here, fellows, and take the measure of it right now."

While they were doing this Fred was looking around; and no sooner had
his four chums regained their feet than he was ready with a new
proposition.

"There's a house over yonder," he said; "now, it's possible we might
learn something if we asked questions. No harm trying it, anyway, so
come along, boys."

A woman stood in the doorway. She seemed to be a farmer's wife, and she
had been watching the actions of the five boys, puzzled to account for
their queer behavior.

Thinking that the quickest way to enlist her sympathy would be to relate
what a peculiar thing had happened on the preceding night, Fred politely
accosted her, and as quickly as he could find words to do so, told the
story of Colon's vanishing.

"Now, you see, ma'am," he went on, after he had aroused her interest in
this way, "we've reason to believe that they jumped on our chum right
over where you noticed us examining the ground. And seeing you standing
here, with your house so near the place, I thought that perhaps you
might have heard something last night."

"Well, that's just what I did," the farmer's wife replied, thrilling the
boys who had clustered around the doorway where she stood.

"Do you happen to know about what time it might have been?" asked Fred.

"Along about half after ten, I should say," she answered.

Fred looked at his chums, inquiringly.

"Just to the dot," declared Bristles, "Mebbe you remember that I said it
was some time after ten when Colon broke away. Then we stood talkin' at
the gate a little bit; and when he got this far on his mile dash up to
the graveyard, it must have been close to the half hour. That tallies
fine, Fred."

"What was it you heard, ma'am?" Fred continued, after the talkative
Bristles had had his say, and subsided again.

"Why, I'd gone to bed long before. My man is as deaf as a post, and
never hears