l days," went on the old man.

"Then he had better pay you," said Tom.

Dangler wanted to demur, but in the end he paid for his board, and then
the whole party left, the old man gazing after them curiously. That he
had been entirely innocent in the affair there could not be the
slightest doubt.

"Now, Dangler, it won't do you any good to try to get away," said Dick,
as they tramped along through the snow. "We are four to one and armed."

"I won't try to run away," was the dogged answer.

"If you give the authorities all the help you can, perhaps, when it
comes to a trial, they will be a little easy on you," put in Tom.

"I hope so. I was coaxed into this. I used to be an honest man,"
responded the freight thief.

"Well, before you die, you'll learn that 'honesty is the best policy,'"
observed Sam.

"I've learned that already. I've lost all my old friends, and I can't
show myself anywhere any more."

The crowd had to tramp a good mile and a half before they reached a
farmhouse where they could procure a team and a sleigh big enough to
take all of them to Oak Run. Then they set off at a fast pace and at
about supper time reached the Rover farm.

Those at the farm were much astonished at the "game brought in," as
Anderson Rover declared. The boys waited long enough to get a meal, and
gave the prisoner something to eat, and then they set off for Oak Run
with their father and Dangler. Here the freight thief was placed in the
custody of the local constable, who locked the man up in the garret of
his own home.

That night and the next day the telegraph and telephone were kept busy,
and some officers of the law from Ithaca visited the old Sobber
homestead. They found the place deserted and no trace of Merrick, Pike
or Tad Sobber was to be found.

"It is too bad," declared Dick, when the news came in. "I thought sure
we'd round up the rascals."

From the authorities the boys learned one thing--that the Sobber
homestead was on the same road that ran past the Stanhope cottage.

"That may account for Merrick coming and looking in the window that
night," said Dick. "Maybe he was traveling past and wanted to see what
was going on."

"More than likely he was looking for a chance to rob the place," was
Tom's grim comment.

On Christmas day the boys received a number of valuable presents and
gave everybody presents in return. There was a grand family dinner, such
as only their aunt Martha could prepare, and it is ne