opposite side of the fence for once."

"How do you mean?" asked Ten-Ichi.

"Why, we are always chasing down criminals, aren't we? Now we will have
some fun in letting others chase us while we play the criminal. Say,
chief?"

"Well?"

"We will have a chance to learn a little about that other side of the
fence. We will discover how it feels to be chased, instead of doing the
chasing."

"Yes," said the detective; and Patsy turned then to Ten-Ichi.

"I'll make you a bet," he said. "I'll bet you anything you like, on the
basis of two to one, that I don't get nabbed while we are on this lay."

"That's a go," smiled Ten-Ichi, "for I think you will be the very first
one to go under."

"How much do you want to bet?"

"Never mind the betting part of it, lads," Nick interrupted them. "The
point is, that each of you is to do his utmost to carry out his part to
the end, no matter what happens. Now, if you please, all step this way.
I have a map here that I wish to show you."

He spread the map upon the table, and upon it he showed them the five
hundred miles of railway along which they were to work; and presently he
put his finger upon the name of a town along the line, and he said:

"Here is a place called Calamont. It is, roughly speaking, two hundred
and fifty miles from New York. Some time ago Calamont suffered greatly
by the descent of the hoboes upon it. It has not quite recovered from
the effects of that time yet, although several months have elapsed since
the occurrence. Do you see it, all of you?"

They admitted that they did.

"Right here," he continued, drawing his pencil with which he was
pointing a little to the eastward, "is a patch of woods through which
the railway runs. There are about twenty acres of woodland there, and
the road passes through the centre of it."

They nodded, and he went on:

"To the south of the railroad, through the woods, is a swamp. It is
almost an impassable swamp, I am told. I will have more to say about
that part of it presently. Understand, do you?"

They did understand.

"To the north of the tracks, through the woodland and beyond it, the
country is hilly and almost mountainous. There is a limestone formation
there. There are deep ravines and gulches, high cliffs and precipices,
and, although I stated in the first place that there is only about
twenty acres in the woodland, I meant to say in that particular patch of
woods to which I first drew your attention."

"Yes