here is Jim!" shouted that young moonlighter. "So now that you know
we are here, where Brother Newcombe has been watching for the last dozen
hours, suppose the whole posse of you drive back to Bradford, where you
belong."

For a moment there was a profound silence outside, as if this last
astute detective was too much surprised to be able to speak, and then
Mr. Newcombe burst into an uncontrollable fit of triumphant laughter. He
knew that it was impossible for any number of boys to fool him, and very
likely he almost pitied his brother-detective for being so simple.

From the sounds, the boys judged that the men were moving away from the
hut, and Bob once more had access to the peep-hole as a point of
observation.

"They are harnessing their horses now," he said, after he had looked out
a few moments, "and I guess Newcombe has convinced his friend that we
must have been innocent of the shooting of Hoxie's well."

"The question among them now will be as to who the other moonlighters
are," laughed Dick.

And all of them found no little cause for merriment in the idea of
Newcombe and his friends pursuing these imaginary moonlighters.

"They have started for the stable again," continued Bob. "I suppose they
want to make sure that there is no chance for us to get the horses out
by any way other than the front door. What muffs they are not to think
how easy it would be for us to do just as we did! They have walked
entirely around the stable, and are now coming back again."

It was evident that Mr. Newcombe's friend needed some further proof to
assure himself that it was not the boys whom he had disturbed, for
Newcombe said, as he came near the hut:

"Bob, I don't suppose you have any especial love for any of us, but you
know that what we are doing is all fair in the way of business, and
nothing as especially against you. Now, just as a favor to me, I want
you to tell us what we have done since we came here."

It was apparent to Bob, as it was to all in the hut, that the question
was asked simply to convince the newcomers that the boys could not have
left the hut during the night, and Bob, after having descended from his
perch, in order that his voice might not betray the fact that he had
been on the lookout, answered, readily:

"I didn't know that you had been doing much of anything. You paid Pete
for some information which could hardly have been worth the money, and
passed it up to him on the hay-fork, for he woul