see a small tin box
anywhere. Of course I must have dropped it when I fell in that faint,"
Mr. Clausin was saying; but Paul fancied it was more to bolster up his
own courage, than because he really believed what he observed.

The boys immediately set to work examining the floor of the office
thoroughly. But none of them met with any success.

"How large a tin box was it, father?" continued Joe, presently.

"Some eight inches long, by half as many wide. Could I have misplaced it
in any way?" and Mr. Clausin began to feel in his pockets. Once more he
looked into the yawning safe.

"We don't seem to see it anywhere, sir," said Paul, who suspected what
was coming.

The feed merchant stood up before them, with a very grave face. He was
clasping both hands together in a nervous fashion.

"Then there is only one thing that can have happened, boys! I have been
robbed while I lay here unconscious!" he said, solemnly, at which
Bobolink gasped.

"Do you miss any money from your safe, sir?" questioned Paul, who seemed
to be able to keep his head in this crisis.

"Fortunately I took my wife's advice this time," returned the owner of
the feed store, "and deposited all I had in the bank this afternoon.
Still, possibly the thief believed I would keep it here. Seeing that tin
box, and suspecting that it might hold valuables, he has carried it
off."

"Do you remember blowing out the lamp at all, sir?" asked Paul.

"I certainly did not," came the answer; "I can recollect seeing it as I
arose. Then all grew dark!"

"That settles it. There must have been a thief here, then!" remarked
Jack, with more or less awe, as he looked around the big storeroom
beyond the glass enclosed office.

CHAPTER II

THE MYSTERY OF THE TIN BOX

"Give the assembly call, Number Three!"

Presently, in answer to Paul's order, the clear, sweet notes of a bugle
sounded through the big gymnasium under the church. More than a score of
lads of all sizes began to pass in from the outside, where they had been
chattering like so many magpies; for it was now Summer, with vacation at
hand.

After telling the bugler to sound the call for the meeting, Paul, who
often had charge in place of the regular scoutmaster, Mr. Gordon,
watched the coming of the boys through the open basement door.

"Everybody on hand to-night, I guess, Paul," observed his chum Jack, as
he laid his hand on the shoulder of the leader of the Red Fox patrol.

Thus far there w