rding the two swindlers, but nothing came. Then, worn out by
the strenuous day they had put in, they went to bed and slept soundly
until morning.

Before having breakfast they asked for messages. There was one from a
village called Bahan, saying a green runabout with two men had passed
through there about midnight. But the men had not been captured, and it
was not known what had become of them.

At noon the telephone line between Oak Run and Carwell was in working
order once more, and the boys sent word home. Then they left directions
at the hotel, so that any messages coming in might be transmitted to the
Rover farm.

"Well, I never!" cried Dick, suddenly.

"What now?" asked his brother.

"That freight thief, and that stuff in the cave----"

"Humph! it slipped my mind entirely. I was thinking only of Uncle
Randolph's bonds."

"Let us find out if anything has been done."

At the local police headquarters they found that a wagon had just come
in, loaded with the three full boxes of goods located at the cave. A
search was still in progress for Dangler, but so far he had not been
located.

"This clears up the mystery of the freight thefts," said an officer to
the boys. "I only hope we can get our hands on Bill Dangler."

"You know him?" asked Dick.

"Oh, yes. Years ago he used to work for the freight division of the
railroad."

"Do you know anything of this Merrick and the fellow called Pike?"

"No, but our idea is that the three men were in the deal together.
Probably this Merrick and this Pike pulled off this affair of the
traction company bonds as a side issue."

"Have the freight robberies been large?" asked Sam.

"Not so large at one time, but they have been going on for months, and
the total from four different stations along the line foots up to a good
many thousand dollars."

"Well, I hope we catch all three of the men--and any others who may be
in league with them," said Dick, and then he and Tom walked off. A
little later they were on the buckboard and bound for home.

When they arrived at the farm they found that their uncle had sent a
long letter to the officers of the traction company, relating in full
what had occurred. In return the officials of the concern said they
would put a private detective on the case, and this was done. But weeks
went by and nothing was seen or heard of Merrick and Pike, and what had
become of the missing bonds remained a mystery.

"I am anxious to take a look