r air. How good it seemed!

Abner had long since preceded him, and the farmer made his appearance a
moment later, still grasping Randy's blackened gun. The boys had been
waiting on Ned in terrible suspense, afraid to venture back into the
mill, and when he appeared with his burden their joy knew no bounds.

They were ignorant of the disaster that had befallen Bug and Moxley, and
when Ned told them, the whole party started off on a run.

They searched the wasteway just as Jeffries and Hocker landed from the
boat, pushing Moxley before them, and followed by Bug. The ruffian's
hands were already manacled. With the exception of dripping clothes
neither of the men seemed the worse for their struggle and subsequent
fall.

"They were still locked together when we pulled them from the water,"
said Jeffries. "That little fellow is a plucky one. He deserves great
credit for raising the siege. We've got our man at last, and bitterly
he'll rue this night's work."

"It's a bad job fur me, too," observed the farmer. "The old mill will
soon be a heap of ashes. It's insured fur about what the lumber's worth,
but that ain't much consolation. I hate to see it go after standin' here
fur nigh onto seventy years."

"It's hard," muttered Hocker, "that's a fact."

Then all were silent, watching the flames as they rose higher and
higher, and licked every corner of the doomed building. It was a grand
sight while it lasted, but in twenty minutes nothing was left save a few
blackened beams and smoldering heaps of ashes.

"That ends the fireworks," said Jeffries. "We may as well be moving
along. It's past two o'clock in the morning."

He drew a second pair of handcuffs from his pocket, and to Ned's wrath
and indignation, clapped them suddenly on Bug's wrists.

CHAPTER XXVIII

A GOOD DEED

Ned was the only one who showed any surprise at the constable's action,
and quite naturally, since he alone was acquainted with all the facts in
the case. Hocker had already taken Moxley to the boat and seated him;
the ruffian had lost his defiant manner, and was cowed and sullen.
Jeffries now started to follow with Bug, but was stopped by a detaining
touch on the arm.

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Jeffries," said Ned, trying hard to control his
feelings, "but you surely don't intend to carry off Bug to jail after
all he has done to-night? We owe everything to him."

Jeffries looked at the lad half sternly.

"Law is law," he replied in a pom