They have been talking some time, I
guess," said Bill; and added: "That's a good way to pick up and wrestle
with the code; it's dandy practice and we want--"

"Wait, pal, wait!" gasped Gus, bending forward again.

Words came now, instead of the code. It was evident that the person
giving them out had sought authority for so doing from headquarters.

Gus heard:

"This is to whom it may concern: Five hundred dollars' reward is to be
paid for information leading to the arrest of a party who last night
broke into the home of Nathan R. Hallowell. After deliberately and,
without apparent cause, shooting and badly wounding Mrs. Hallowell and
striking down an old servant woman, he stole several hundred dollars'
worth of jewels and silverware. Both the servant, who kept her wits
about her, and Mrs. Hallowell, who is now out of danger, have described
the assailant. He is about eighteen, of medium height, slender, dark
complexioned, one eye noticeably smaller than the other, nose long and
pointed, has a nervous habit of twitching his shoulder. He wore a light
brown suit and a gray cap. Send all information, or broadcast same to
Police Headquarters, Willstown. Immediate detention of any reasonable
suspect is recommended."

Gus wheeled about.

"Bill, it's Thad! Description hits him exactly and there's five hundred
reward. He's done a house-breaking stunt and tried to kill two people
and I don't believe they've got him yet. Mr. Hooper wouldn't want us to
keep quiet on this; would he?"

"It might be a good idea to talk to Mrs. Hooper and Grace about it
before you inform on Thad," Bill said.

"I'll do that," Gus agreed and was off. In half an hour he was back
again.

"I saw them, late as it was. Grace and Skeets were playing crokinole and
Mrs. Hooper came down. And, what do you think? Mr. Hooper wrote that
Thad had forged his name on a check for several hundred dollars and got
away with it and, even if he did still want to shield Thad, the law
wouldn't let him. Grace says Thad ought to be caught and punished and
that her father will want it done."

"But Gus, even if you got Willstown on the long distance 'phone, how
would that help to----"

"We'll get them later; after we have located Thad."

"Oh, Gus, do you think Ben Shultz was dreaming?"

"When he said he saw Thad out there in the barren ground woods by the
old cabin? Not a bit of it! It's the last place they'd ever think of
looking for him--right on his uncle's pla