ken."

"Eddy is willing to swear to it."

"Yes, I saw him," said Eddy Harmes, a teamster.

"Eddy was driving over to the Eastport market for garden truck."

"Randolph Newell saw him, too," put in another in the crowd. "Saw him not
over five minutes after the explosion."

And so the talk ran on, while Ralph was taken inside of the building, there
to be examined by Postmaster Hooker and Squire Paget.

The squire grew pale when he heard what Jack Rodman had to say.

"Didn't you find any--any registered letters?" he asked of the constable.

"Only found the valise, sir."

"But that's enough," put in Uriah Dicks. "That and the knife clew."

"Seems to me you are mighty anxious to have the boy found guilty," cried
Bart Haycock, angrily. "What makes you so down on the boy?"

"He is down on me because we have stopped trading with him, and because I
won't work for him for starvation wages," retorted Ralph. "He is a mean
skinflint, and half the village knows it."

"Wha--what!" spluttered Uriah. "This--to me?"

"Yes, to you," cried Ralph, boldly. "Now, don't say any more or it may be
the worse for you. I don't see why folks shouldn't believe you were one of
the men who robbed the post office."

"Well, I never!" gasped Uriah. "Ain't he thoroughly bad, though? Next thing
he'll be settin' my barn on fire."

"Unless you do it yourself for the insurance," put in a voice in the rear
of the crowd, and then there was a laugh that made Uriah furious.

But he knew that many could tell things to his disadvantage should they
choose to speak, so he sneaked out of sight without making any reply to his
tormentors.

No time was lost by the postmaster and Squire Paget in listening to what
Jack Rodman had to say. Then Mr. Hooker turned to Ralph.

"Nelson, what have you to say in answer to this?"

"Simply that I am innocent, Mr. Hooker. I believe that there was a boy
mixed up in this affair, but that boy was not myself."

Then Ralph was called on to tell his story, which he did in a
straightforward manner. After this he was severely cross-questioned.

"I can't understand about that valise and knife," mused Benjamin Hooker.
"If you left the knife in the outer office, how did it get inside?"

"That I cannot answer, sir. Perhaps somebody saw it outside and carried it
in."

"There was nobody in the office yesterday except Henry Bott and myself."

"Well, I cannot explain it. But, as I said before, I am innocent."

CHAPTER