got into the house,
I don't see how we're going to prove that we're innocent."

There was a short silence; then Diggory spoke.

"Look here, Jack: I was the one who proposed going inside the place;
shall I tell your guv'nor?"

"Well, I was thinking of doing that myself, only I don't see what good
it can do. If we tell him, he'll be bound to tell the police, to
explain about those footmarks; and when it comes out that we got into
the house, I should think we are pretty certain to be charged with
having stolen the coins. I think the best thing will be to keep it
dark: we didn't crib the things, and the thieves are sure to be caught
in time."

Even after Jack had retired to his own room, Diggory and Mugford lay
awake for hours discussing the situation; and when at length they did
fall asleep, it was only to dream of being chased by "The Hermit"
and a swarm of long-legged policemen, who forced their way into the
Third Form classroom at Ronleigh, and handcuffed the unfortunate trio in
the very bosom of "The Happy Family."

The following morning was spent in visiting such parts of the town of
Todderton as were worth seeing.

"Upon my word," said Jack, "I feel funky to show my nose outside our
gate, just as if I really had prigged those wretched coins. I shan't be
at all sorry this evening to get back to Ronleigh. It's all in the
paper this morning; it mentions the footmarks and the knife-blade, and
says that as yet the police have not been able to discover any further
traces of the robbers."

The conditions on which the half-term holiday was granted required every
boy to return to school on the Monday evening, and accordingly, about
seven o'clock, the Triple Alliance found themselves once more on their
way to the railway station. They took their seats, and had hardly done
so when young Noaks entered the compartment.

"Hullo, you fellows!" he exclaimed; "didn't you hear me whistle?
I was standing over there by the book-stall."

Regarding this as an overture of friendship after their recent
encounter, Jack Vance replied in an equally amicable manner, and after a
few common-place remarks the party relapsed into silence. At Chatton,
the station before Ronleigh, a man who had so far travelled with them
got out, and the four boys were left alone. Hardly had the train
started again when Noaks put down his paper, and turning to his
companions said,--

"That's a rum business about that old chap's house being robbed