t they're in some place out of town, right now, depending on
their uncle to fetch home the bacon. They'd have to go hungry a long
time if Corny were locked up in the cooler. I'd hate to think of that
same happening, from what you and Bristles told me about the poor kids."

"That leaves us up in the air, you see," pursued Fred. "We don't know
what our duty is---to tell the Chief, or wait to see what happens."

"Now, by that I reckon you mean wait and see if anything is pulled off
again in town, or around here?" suggested Colon; "that is, in the way of
a robbery like old Mr. Periwinkle's loss of his money and papers. Whew!
I must say it's getting interesting all of a sudden."

"I was wondering," Fred ventured, "if Corny, provided he did rob the old
miser, and has spent the small sum of money that was taken, could have
heard that Mr. Periwinkle has said he'd pay a certain sum, and no
questions asked, for the safe return of his papers!"

At that Colon puckered up his thin lips, and emitted a soft whistle, as
if to thus display his surprise.

"Queer I never thought of that idea, Fred," he said, nodding his head in
a way to indicate that on the whole he was inclined to agree with what
his companion had advanced.

"It's always possible, you know," he was told. "If only the papers could
be returned without Corny showing his face! Now, he may have some sort
of a plan like that to play, which would account for his coming to town
again. I wonder if it'd be the right thing for me to see Mr. Periwinkle,
and kind of put him on his guard?"

"Could you do it without telling him all about Corny?" demanded Colon.

"That's the question," admitted Fred. "That's where the hitch seems to
come in the scheme. The old miser is apt to jump at conclusions, if he
sees a chance to get his papers back, and bag the thief at the same time.
Once he suspects that I know who was in that cave where the empty tin
cracker box was found, he'll insist on sending for Chief Sutton, and
laying some sort of clever trap."

"Well, if Corny is really guilty, he ought to suffer for it; and I
wouldn't care a single pin only for that boy and girl. If we knew where
they were kept right now, so we could bring 'em into town, and get folks
interested in putting both in good families, I'd say go ahead and have
Corny caught."

"I wonder what Bristles would say about it," mused Fred.

"Huh! I c'n tell you that," grunted the tall boy, immediately.

"The