er a bend of the stairs
had been drilled and the door blown asunder. On the floor of the library
lay the shattered door and likewise several bundles of papers and
legal-looking documents. They also saw a case that had contained
silverware.

"Wonder how much he took?" said Pepper.

"He took something, that is sure," answered Jack.

"We must have come in right after he blew the safe open," said Andy.

"Boys, I think we ought to notify the authorities at once, and also
notify the Fords," cried Jack. "This is a serious piece of business."

"Let us go to the nearest farmhouse and tell the folks," suggested Andy.

He hardly uttered the words when a loud ring at the front door of the
mansion made every cadet jump.

"There is somebody now!" cried Fred.

"I'll see who it is," said Pepper, and went off, followed by Jack.

When they opened the door they found themselves confronted by a farmer
named Fasick, who lived in that vicinity.

"Hello!" cried the farmer, on noticing the uniforms the boys wore. "What
are you cadets doing here?"

"Who are you?" questioned Jack.

"I'm Isaac Fasick, and I own the farm down the road a spell. I saw the
lights here, and as Mr. Ford asked me to keep an eye on his property I
made up my mind I'd come over and see what it meant. Is he here on a
visit?"

"Not that we know of, Mr. Fasick," answered Jack. "Come in out of the
cold, and we'll tell you something."

The burly farmer entered, and the cadets quickly related what had
occurred. When Mr. Fasick saw the shattered safe he was all but stunned.

"The pesky rascal!" he ejaculated. "Did he run away with much?"

"That we don't know, for we have no idea what was in the safe," replied
Jack.

"He must have taken some of the silver spoons, and knives and forks,"
put in Pepper. "Here is the empty silverware case, and I found a loose
silver fork on the floor of the dining-room."

"The Fords will be the only ones to tell just what was taken," said
Andy. "And the sooner we notify them the better."

"I don't know if they are in the city or not," said Isaac Fasick "I
know they meant to travel some this winter."

"They are at their city home just now; I got a letter day before
yesterday," answered the former major of the school battalion. He did
not deem it necessary to say the letter was from Laura Ford.

"Let us telegraph to them," said Pepper. "But what about the thief? We
ought to get right after him."

"We can tell Jed Plodders," s