"The trial is to come off to-morrow," he cried, mentioning first that
subject which was nearest his heart.

"And you couldn't find Skip," Joe added, mournfully; but his face
lighted up wonderfully on being told of what had occurred during his
absence.

"We'll come out of the scrape all right, if one of the young scoundrels
can be produced, so you an' Sam may as well look cheerful."

"Is there anything new at Farley's?" Fred asked.

"Wright is goin' around like a bear with a sore head; but I didn't hear
anything about his servin' the warrant on you. I reckon neither him nor
that blessed cashier fancy havin' the trial come off so soon."

"How is Bill?"

"Chipper as a chicken. Your mother has sent some clean clothes, an' we'd
better mosey over to the hotel to make ourselves comfortable like."

Before any objection could be offered to this plan Mr. Hunter entered;
but he did not delay the partners very long. After asking a few
questions and jotting down the answers, he dismissed them with the
caution to be at the office by eleven o'clock next morning.

During the evening Joe tried very hard to appear jolly and perfectly at
ease; but the boys could not simulate cheerfulness, and the hours passed
wearily despite their companion's efforts.

At an early hour Fred and Sam were on the road down which Skip had
driven, waiting for his return; but when the appointed time for them to
go to Mr. Hunter's office arrived, they had watched in vain.

Now the suspense was positively painful. The lawyer exhibited the utmost
impatience, because the constable did not come, while his clients were
on the verge of despair.

At half-past eleven when the train from Farley's arrived, the boys saw
Mr. Wright and the cashier pass on their way to the court-room, and a
few moments later Mr. Hunter said:

"We can't wait any longer. Very likely Tim had left his hiding-place
when the officer got there, and the latter is so foolish as to try to
find him. I should have warned them that Skip must return at all
hazards, for by sending him away we lose a most important witness."

The boys arose to their feet in silence, and Joe was positively
despondent in the face of what seemed very like defeat.

On arriving at the court the partners were given seats within the
enclosure reserved for attorneys, and very near the superintendent; but
he paid no attention to them.

The cashier glared fiercely at Sam for an instant, and then turned to
look s