o the station and I'll 'phone Wiggin to come around."

The return trip was made in quick time and almost before they knew it
the boys were back in the Chief's office at the station house. The Chief
wouldn't consent to their leaving until Mr. Wiggin had arrived, although
they both declared that the jeweller didn't owe them anything and that
they mustn't on any account lose their train.

"You won't," replied the Chief. "You can walk to the station in three
minutes and you've still got forty. Sit down there while I check this
stuff up."

They obeyed and looked on while he dumped the things from the box to the
top of the desk and pulled his memorandum toward him. One by one he
pushed the articles aside and checked the list with a pencil. Finally he
chuckled. "Wiggin didn't know much more'n half the stuff he lost," he
said. "There's nine watches here instead of seven and a lot more other
things than he's got down here on his list. Here he is now, I guess."

Mr. Wiggin was a bewhiskered, nervous-mannered little man and he hurried
into the Chief's office as though he had run all the way from his
house or store.

"Well, well, Chief!" he exclaimed breathlessly. "So you've found it, eh?
I want to know! I want to know! Got the thieves too, eh?" He scowled
darkly at Clint and Amy, and Amy was heard to assert under his breath
that he hoped Mr. Wiggin would choke. The Chief laughed.

"No, we haven't got the thieves, Mr. Wiggin. These boys gave us the clue
that led to the stuff. Shake hands, boys, with Mr. Wiggin. That's Byrd
and that's Thayer. They're Brimfield Academy fellows, Mr. Wiggin, and
they happened to see the thieves burying the things about five miles out
of town toward Thacher." Whereupon the Chief told the story to the
jeweller and the latter, recovering from his embarrassment, insisted on
shaking hands again.

"I want to know!" he ejaculated, beaming at them like a pleased sparrow.
"I want to know! Smart lads, eh, Chief? Now--now--" He hesitated, his
eyes darting from Clint to Amy and from Amy to the Chief. Then he
cleared his throat nervously, slapped his hands together gently and
continued. "There--hem--there was no reward offered, boys, but--"

"That's all right," replied Amy briskly. "We don't want anything, Mr.
Wiggin."

"No, no, of course not, of course not! Only--hem--I was thinking
that--possibly, say, fifty dollars between you, or--"

"No, thanks," interrupted Clint. "We're glad we were able to help y