lt with abated breath, and his eyes turned in another
direction.

"Well?" said Jack, hoarsely, when he saw that the other had dropped all
of the coins back, one by one.

"You said there were fourteen left this morning, didn't you, Jack?"

"Yes, and now?"

"I find just eight here, that's all!" came the answer that caused the
wretched brother of young Karl Stormways to shiver and sigh dismally.

CHAPTER III

THE DISAPPEARING COINS

"Just thirteen gone now," said Jack, as he bent over to look for himself.

"Of course you know what they were, those that are missing?" suggested
Paul.

"I have a list of the bunch somewhere; made it out one day just for fun.
Yes, I think I could tell them again; but I never would have the heart to
accuse old Doc. Thomes of buying stolen coins; and the thief--never!"

"I didn't mean that, Jack; you mistook me. Suppose I had that list, and
rooting over all the little boxes he keeps his coins in for sale, found
every one of the missing ones there?"

"Yes, and then what?" asked the other, greatly affected, though watching
his chum's face eagerly, as though something seemed to tell him Paul
would find a way out of the difficulty, such was his faith in the other.

"Why, perhaps you might buy the whole lot back, for almost a song, and
never say a word."

A hand crept out and squeezed Paul's warmly; and there were tears in the
eyes of Jack Stormways as he made answer.

"Just like you, old fellow, to cheer me up like that. Here, let me hunt
up the list for you. But promise that you won't whisper one little hint
to a living soul. Oh! Karl, how could you?"

"Hold on, don't judge him before you know. Believe him innocent until you
find proof otherwise. I guess you'll learn that one of the first things a
scout has to do is to believe in his brothers and friends through thick
and thin, until the proof has become positive, or the guilty one
confesses. And another thing, Jack, in case the worst comes true, it's up
to us to make sure that such a miserable thing never happens again. We
must save the one in error, save him through kindness and sympathy. How
old is Karl?"

"A little over ten."

"Too young to join the troop then, for all boys have to be twelve or
over, according to the rules, I was told. But they have younger fellows
in the bunch over at Aldine, I'm sure. One I saw strutting around in a
uniform looked like a kid of eight or nine. Never mind; I believe it'll
all come o