at shall we do about this?" Mr. Newton asked of Will Spencer, who had
been studying with him.

"Get 'em," replied Will, his eyes sparkling. "I wish I were more of a
man, so I could help."

"Hold on, Will," said Mr. Newton, kindly. "You have just as good other
work, you know. And wishing won't make you agile and active any more
than it will make these boys into grown men. What's the wise thing to
do?"

"You good, old scoutmaster!" exclaimed Will. "Of course you're right.
You being the only real man here the thing to do is to see if that
sheriff is still at Buffalo Center."

"But you ain't going to shut us out?" cried Glen and Chick-chick in
unison.

Mr. Newton and Spencer laughed at their eagerness.

"You are big fellows, both of you," said Mr. Newton. "I've no desire to
rob you of your glory or reward. You must come with me to see the
sheriff, or perhaps you'd better go alone on Henry's motorcycle to save
time. He will have to come this way to go after the men, and I've no
doubt he will want you to show the way. Perhaps he'll let me go, too.
Only no foolishness, remember--no attempt at single-handed captures--no
stepping in the way of a piece of heavy artillery just to show that you
bear a charmed life. After you've shown the way your job will be to stay
in the background."

The sheriff was still staying at Buffalo Center's little hotel.
Chick-chick was disappointed to find that he did not at all come up to
his ideas of a sheriff. Glen whose dealings with sheriffs had not been
so limited was not so surprised. The sheriff was so much like the other
farmers lounging around the hotel office that they had to inquire for
him. There was this much to say for him--he was not big, but he looked
as if he might be quick and keen.

"Better come in here," said the sheriff, leading the way into the little
parlor. "Now, tell me all about it."

Glen acted as spokesman, for Chick-chick was still quite excited.

"So you're the boys that got the car away from the peddler, are ye?"
asked the sheriff. "I reckon ye ought to know the car an' the man too.
You was expectin' to see this man Jervice, wasn't ye?"

"We were after we saw the car," Glen agreed.

"Now, don't ye reckon that mebbe, seein' the man at a distance like an'
being as you was expectin' to see Jervice an' the big man, you might
just imagined they was what you saw?"

"No, sir. It wasn't possible to be mistaken. We were near enough so we
could both see the man ve