er knew so many
burglaries up this way. Must be a whole gang at work."

"Certainly looks like it," the Governor assented. "Well, if you see a
tall chap and a short thick-set fellow anywhere nail 'em for us. Old
criminals with long records. They've been enjoying themselves up our
way. The tall one doesn't say much, but the little chap is a smooth
talker--can talk himself right out of jail if you give him a chance."

"We'll shoot first and get an explanation afterward if we see 'em,"
declared the Portsmouth officer, as his companion buttoned up his coat
preparatory to getting back into the car.

"Glad to see you, boys!" exclaimed the Governor, backing the stolen
machine and then calling a cheery "Good luck!" as he passed their car.

Archie had been sitting pigeon-toed expecting that at any minute the two
officers would discover points in the stolen car to arouse their
suspicions; but the Governor's jaunty tone had evidently thrown them
entirely off guard. He had hoped that the Governor would press for
further details as to the killing of the burglar at the Harbor, but as
matters stood he had learned nothing except that a burglar had been shot
in one of the Harbor cottages and he was again torn with anxiety as to
the identity of the man he had fired at in the Congdon house.

The Governor began to chortle after a quick glance at the vanishing red
light of the Portsmouth car.

"Not the first time I've used warrants in that way! And they're good
warrants too. I plucked a bunch of such literature from a deputy sheriff
who got too inquisitive last summer and I had to grab and tie him to a
tree up near Moosehead where I'd gone for a conference with some of the
boys who were coming out of Canada. But I guess it's a sure thing those
Portsmouth chaps were looking for me! I'd been strolling round quite
freely with poor Hoky up the shore. If that chap had stuck his finger
into the paint this machine would have gone no further. We'll do well
to leave the main road for a while, then step briskly into a train
somewhere."

"Your nerve in describing us--you and me, sitting right there before
them--to those officers gave me a chill," confessed Archie. "If you'd
talked to them much more we'd have been pinched for sure."

"You flatter the intelligence of the police. There are not a half a
dozen detectives worthy of the name in the whole country. Possibly we
may have a contest of wits with some of them before we close the
season."