e that the young man went as far as to admit
theft," the farmer replied. "What I heard was that these young
men took your tires. As yet I haven't heard their reason for
removing the tires of your car."

"The reason for doing so was," Dick went on coolly, "that we had
some questions to ask of this fellow Dodge. We knew that if he
had to come here to look up his tires, we'd have a chance to ask
the questions. Dodge, you thought you were having fun with us
when you decorated the entrance to that covered bridge with your
notice about a rabid mastiff at large in that part of the country,
didn't you? You thought that a mad-dog scare would send us
helter-skelter home. If it gives you any satisfaction, I'll admit
that the notice did startle us for a brief time. But we soon got
at the truth of the matter, and learned that posting the notice was
your act."

"Can you prove it?" sneered Dodge.

Ignoring the question, Dick went on:

"Perhaps, had your trick affected only ourselves, then the trick
would have been only a piece of meanness without any very serious
results. But are you sure, Bert Dodge, that no one but ourselves
was alarmed by that notice? Do you know whether any woman traveling
over the road may have seen that notice, and then, noticing any
strange dog trotting in her direction was frightened, into convulsions,
or actually frightened to death? Do you know whether some man,
traveling along the road on really important business, read the
notice and was afraid to continue on his errand, thereby losing
a good deal of money through your foolish trickery? Do you know,
for certain, that twenty serious consequences to other people
have not followed on the heels of your stupid, senseless joke?
Have you any way of being certain that the sheriffs officers
are not already searching industriously for the two foolish young
fellows who took so many desperate chances in attempting such
a 'joke' as that of which you two fellows were guilty?"

"Who's going to prove that Bayliss or I put up that notice?" sneered
young Dodge.

"There's at least one witness," Dick answered, "who would testify,
at any time, that he passed by you on the road when you were both
laughing loudly over a joke you had played. Then there's the
notice itself. A handwriting expert could swear that it was done
with a pen held by your hand."

"Where's the notice?" asked Bayliss suddenly.

"It's where we can produce it at any time that it's want