an explosion, sir?" said the constable in a smooth unctuous
voice.

"Yes," said the squire abruptly, and he walked on with the engineer.

"Ah, I was going on to see!" said the constable; "but as you're all
going back, I'll go back too."

No one spoke, but all walked on in silence, for the man's coming seemed
to have damped the conversation; but the opportunity for making himself
heard and showing his importance was not to be ignored.

"They're very clever," he said in a high voice, so that the squire and
Mr Marston, who were in front, could hear; "but I've got my hye upon
them."

"Why didn't you ketch 'em, then, 'fore they did this here?" said Dave
with a little laugh.

"Ay, why didst thou not stop this?" growled Hickathrift.

"Because the thing was not quite ripe. I shall tak' 'em yet red-handed,
and then--"

He paused and rubbed his hands.

"What then?" asked Dave.

"Transportation or hanging--one of them," said the constable with a
chuckle.

"Ay, but you heven't found 'em yet," said Dave, shaking his head.

"Nay, bud I can put my hand on 'em pretty well when I like."

"Wheer are they, then?" said Hickathrift excitedly.

"Ay, wheer are they?" said the constable. "Going about stealthily of a
night, creeping behind hedges, and carrying messages one to the other.
I know! They think no one suspects them, and that they're going to be
passed over, but I'm set here to find them out, and I've nearly got
things ready."

"Look here, my man," said the engineer, stopping short; "can you say for
certain who's at the bottom of this mischief?"

"Mebbe I can, sir."

"Then who was it?"

"Nay," said the constable with a little laugh; "if theer's going to be
any credit for takkin of 'em, I mean to hev it, and not give it over to
someone else."

"Pish!" ejaculated the squire angrily; "come along! The man knows
nothing."

"Mebbe not," said the constable with a sneer. "Mebbe if people treated
people proper, and asked them to their house, and gave 'em a lodging and
a bit of food, things might hev been found out sooner; but some people
thinks they know best."

The squire understood the hint, but he scorned to notice it, and went on
talking sternly to the engineer; but Thorpeley was not to be put down
like that, for he continued:

"Mebbe theer's people in it--old people and young people--as wouldn't
like to be exposed, but who hev got to be exposed, and--"

"Look here," said Dick boldly, "if my father won'