aning to go to Hen's house?" called out Landy, looking
worried because he was to be left behind, and would have to straddle
his wheezy old wheel once more.

"Yes, if you care to toss your machine in those bushes, Landy, and can
get aboard, come along!" called out Elmer, relenting when he caught
that piteous expression on the other's rosy face.

In another moment they were off, Landy having been hauled aboard. The
runabout had never been made to carry such a full cargo of passengers;
but then boys can hang on like monkeys, and are ever ready to accept
chances.

They were quickly at the Condit house. Like the home of Landy, it
stood on the border of the town, with a back gate opening on a side
road. Altogether, there may have been two acres in the place.

By now fully two dozen curious people were in and around the house upon
which such a sudden catastrophe had fallen. They talked among
themselves, asked questions, examined the queer note signed by Hen, and
shook their heads pityingly as they observed the white face of the
boy's suffering aunt.

Mr. Condit was a rather severe man. He looked very angry, and kept
calling the boy hard names as he told how Hen must have known the
combination of the safe; and doubtless doubled at least the amount
taken in hard cash, as it is human nature to make even troubles seem
many times as large as they are.

Elmer and the others managed to see the convicting note. They were all
of the same opinion as Landy; and agreed that no one but Hen could ever
have written those fateful words.

"I never would have believed he could ever be such a silly gump!" was
what Lil Artha remarked, after surveying the crooked writing, which, of
course, he knew only too well.

After they had hung around for some time, and Elmer had asked all the
questions he could think of, the boys went outside to talk it over.

"Right now some of those people are looking at us in a sneering way,
suh," observed the touchy Southern boy, indignantly; "and I give you my
word fo' it they're beginning to say among themselves that Hen Condit
belonged to the wonderful Wolf Patrol. Elmer, we've suttinly got to do
something to clear the good name of our patrol."

"We will," replied the other, simply, and yet with that earnestness
which carries conviction in its train. "Already I've got a suspicion.
There may be nothing to it but it's given me an idea where we ought to
look first of all."

"Please tell us about it,