more, but suddenly he was too tired to do anything.

* * * * *

It came to him in the middle of the night, like a dark, wild dream that
could be only the utmost fantasy. He remembered the silent, shapeless
figures against the black wall of the old skating rink, and then he knew
it wasn't a dream because he could remember clearly the words of Jed
Tucker and his father. He could also remember Mr. Allen saying, "We
can't let him go. Whoever he is, we've got to get him out of the way."

He remembered the instant of crashing pain. Mr. Allen had struck with
the intent to kill him. Again, he wondered for a moment if it were not
just a nightmare. Mr. Allen, the town's leading attorney, and Mr.
Tucker, the banker--what would they be doing, plotting robbery and
killing?

In the morning he told his father about it. Professor Maddox could not
believe it, either. "You must be mistaken, Ken," he protested. "These
men are two of our leading citizens. They're both on the Mayor's food
committee. You suffered a pretty terrible shock, and you'll have to
realize the effects of it may be with you, and may upset your thinking,
for quite a while."

"Not about this! I know who it was. I recognized their voices in the
dark. Jed Tucker admitted his identity when I called his name. If
there's anything gone from the warehouse, Sheriff Johnson will find it
in their possession."

The Sheriff had to wait for permission from Dr. Adams, but he came
around that afternoon, and was equally unbelieving. He advanced the same
arguments Professor Maddox had used about the character of those Ken
accused.

"These men will do something far worse, if you don't stop them," said
Ken.

"He's right, there," said Professor Maddox. "Those who did this, menace
the whole community. They've got to be found."

"We'll make fools of ourselves," said the Sheriff, "if we go to Tucker's
and Allen's, and demand to search the premises. We've got to have more
than your word, Ken; some evidence of their positive connection with the
crime."

"I just know I saw and heard them. That's all."

"Listen," the Sheriff said suddenly, "there's one man in this town
that's really out to get you: Frank Meggs. Don't you think it could be
Meggs and some of his friends?"

"No. It wasn't Frank Meggs."

* * * * *

Art Matthews came around later that same day. "You look worse than one
of these engines that's got itself