"We'll soon learn," said his big brother, and opened up the still wet
leather. Inside were several bank bills and a fat envelope.

"Uncle Randolph's missing traction company bonds!" cried Dick, bringing
them forth. "This is the best ever!"

"Are they all there?" asked Tom.

Dick counted them over rapidly.

"Yes--ten for one thousand dollars each."

"Hurrah!" shouted Sam. "Won't Uncle Randolph be glad when he hears of
this!"

The boys were highly elated over the find, and now they had the bonds
they concluded that a further search for Sid Merrick could wait. They
did not care whether Tad Sobber was captured or not, as they did not
think the bully was much of a criminal.

When they got back to the sloop they found that the others had bound
John Pike's hands behind him. The robber was very meek, and he declared
that Sid Merrick was to blame for everything.

"He wanted to sell the bonds many times," said Pike. "But he knew that
Mr. Rover had advertised the numbers in the newspapers and he was afraid
to do it. He said he would wait until the affair blew over. Then he was
going to sell out, divide up, and go to Europe."

Pike added that the boat had belonged to himself. She was an old craft
and was allowed to remain on the rocks. It came out later that Pike had
formerly lived on the lake shore and had thus become acquainted with
Merrick and the Sobbers.

As soon as possible the captured robber was handed over to the
authorities, and Dick sent a message home acquainting his uncle with
what had occurred. This brought on both Randolph Rover and the boys'
father.

"You have certainly done wonderfully well," said Randolph Rover, as he
took his bonds. "Were you not so rich already I should want to reward
you."

"We don't want any reward," said Dick. "But I am sorry we didn't catch
Merrick."

For a long time the authorities tried to catch Sid Merrick and also
endeavored to learn the whereabouts of Tad Sobber, but without success.
They had disappeared, and that seemed to be the end of it. The old house
was visited again, but nothing of value was found there. Later on some
tramps set it on fire and it was burnt to the ground. A month later John
Pike and one other freight thief who was captured were tried for their
misdeeds and sent to prison. The authorities used Bill Dangler as a
witness against them, and Dangler, consequently, was let go. Strange to
say, Dangler turned over a new leaf and became a hard working man