e I don't know, Jack. I did not see you pick it up. You
don't remember anything about it?"

"No, not the first thing, Dick. Well, I shall give it to the doctor
in the morning, and ask him to make enquiries about it. If I picked
it up anywhere it must have been at the fire."

"Yes, I don't know where else you could have done it."

The boys were not required to get up as early as usual the next
morning on account of having been deprived of two or three hours'
sleep to go to the fire, but as soon as they were through breakfast
and drill Jack took the watch he had so singularly found to the
doctor, telling him how he had found it, and asking him to seek
an owner for it.

"H'm, ha, well, I declare!" said the doctor, turning the watch
over and over, and examining it closely. "Quite a valuable article,
Sheldon. And you don't know how it came in your pocket?"

"No, sir, I have not the slightest idea."

"H'm, ha, very singular!" and the doctor looked the watch over
again. "If you did not have a very good reputation, Sheldon,
I should say that there was something very suspicious about this,
but I am as much puzzled to get at the solution of this mystery
as you are. Well, well, I will take charge of it, and if no one
speaks of it will advertise it in the local paper."

"That is a good idea, sir. I can get Mr. Brooke to advertise it.
His paper is taken very extensively in this section."

"Could the young lady have dropped it when you met her at the
fire?" asked Dr. Wise. "She nearly fainted in your arms, I
understand."

"Possibly, sir," said Jack. "Perhaps it will be well to ask Mr.
Van der Donk if he has missed the watch. There are no initials
on it to show the owner, but it is likely that it belongs to Miss
Margaret, being a lady's watch. Will you enquire?"

"Certainly. It is likely that some one from the house will be at
the camp this morning in any event."

An hour later Mr. Van der Donk called with his daughter to compliment
the boys on their services of the night before, and to thank them
personally for what they had done.

The doctor asked him if he had missed a valuable watch, and showed
him the one which Jack had found.

"It does not belong to any of us," said the gentleman.

"I would very much like to have one like it," said Margaret, "but
it does not belong to me. You say it was found last night at our
house?"

"The young gentleman found it in his pocket, but, of course, it
got there b