aid the farmer. "He's the Cedarville
constable and pretty smart, too."

"Jed will never catch that fellow," answered Jack. "He'll be miles and
miles away before the constable gets his badge pinned on to go after
him."

"Oh, Jed is smart," cried the farmer. "He's my wife's second cousin, and
the whole family is mighty cute."

"All right, let him catch the thief," answered Pepper.

Matters were talked over for several minutes, and the boys decided to
separate, Andy and Pepper to remain on guard at the Lodge and Fred and
Jack to run the iceboat to Cedarville and take Isaac Fasick along.

"Now, don't you run into no air-holes!" cried the farmer, as he took a
seat on the _Skimmer_. "I don't want to drown just yet, not me!"

"We'll be on our guard," answered the owner of the craft.

"The wind is just right," said Jack, as the mainsail was hoisted. This
was true, and the run to the village took but a few minutes. While the
boys went off to send their message to the Fords, Isaac Fasick hunted up
the constable and related what had occurred.

"Ha! a robbery, eh?" cried the constable, looking highly important.

"That's it, Jed."

"And you caught the boys in the house all alone?" went on the constable,
trying to look very wise.

"Why, yes; I did."

"Maybe they did the robbery, Isaac."

"By gum! I didn't think of that, Jed!" exclaimed the farmer.

"It would be an easy way of tryin' to look innercent," went on the
constable. "They fixed it all up--blow open the safe, hide the silver
an' other valerables, an' then, when you surprise 'em, they try to put
the crime off on sumbuddy else."

"Say, Jed, do you think that's so?" asked the farmer, his suspicions
aroused.

"Don't it look reasonable, Isaac?"

"It sure does, Jed. But to think them boys would do sech a terruble
deed!"

"Some o' them boys at boardin'-school spend a fierce sight o' money.
Some of 'em drink an' gamble. They ain't above gittin' money by hook or
crook, ef they need it. Yes, they may be guilty," and the constable
swelled out with his own importance.

"Perhaps you better question 'em," suggested the farmer, timidly.

"Question 'em?" snorted the constable. "Yes, I will; an' I'll do
more--I'll hold 'em until this mysterious case is cleared up!"

CHAPTER XXVII

LOOKING FOR CLUES

Having sent their message to the Fords, the two cadets turned in the
direction where the farmer had said the constable lived.

"I don't think old Plodders w