and just beyond was another road.
At the forks stood an old stone house, wherein lived an old basketmaker
named Rater. The girls of Hope often bought baskets from the man just
to help him along.

Sam and Songbird found Rater sitting on a side porch of his home, with
his basket-making materials scattered around him. He was a tall, thin
man, somewhat deaf, but with a pair of sharp eyes.

"Come to buy a basket?" he asked, briskly.

"No, I came for a little information, if you can give it, Mr. Rater,"
replied Sam.

"What do you want to know?"

"Were you here yesterday?"

"I sure was--all day long."

"Did you see anything of my brother?" went on Sam. "He is a little
larger than I am, and here is his picture," and the youngest Rover
produced a photograph he had brought along.

The old basketmaker looked at the photograph carefully.

"Why, yes, I see that feller," he said slowly. "He stopped at my gate
fer a minute or two. He acted sort o' strange."

"In what way?"

"He didn't speak to me, he spoke to hisself. Said something about a
basketful o' nuggets. I asked him if he wanted to buy a basket, but he
only shook his head an' said somethin' about wantin' to git the nuggets
o' gold first. Then, all of a sudden like, he ran away."

"And which way did he go?" asked Sam, with interest.

"Up the Hoopville road," and the old basketmaker pointed to the side
road which ran past his home.

"Did he have any baggage with him?" questioned Songbird.

"Nary a thing."

"Thank you for the information," said Sam, and passed over a quarter,
which Rater pocketed with a broad smile. Ready money was scarce with
him.

"We'll drive to Hoopville," said Sam, a minute later, as he and
Songbird got in the buggy. "And we'll ask about Tom on the way."

A quarter of a mile was passed and they came to a lonely spot on the
highway. Here, the only building in sight was a half tumbled down
cottage belonging to a man named Hiram Duff. Duff pretended to be
poor, but common report had it that he was a miser and fairly well to
do.

"Going to stop here?" questioned Songbird, as they drove near.

"We might as well," returned Sam. "Old Duff is a tough customer, but
in this case----"

He did not finish for at that instant a muffled cry came from the old
cottage, startling both boys.

CHAPTER XII

AT HIRAM DUFF'S COTTAGE

"What can that be?"

"Must be somebody in trouble!"

"Maybe it is old Duff!"

"Let us go a