examination.

"Prescott and Darrin are regular little schoolboy lawyers, Green,"
laughed the chief. "We can't make them tell a thing."

"But the judge ought to be able to."

"Perhaps Justice Lee has the power, Green, but we'd only make heroes of
Prescott, Darrin and the rest if we made martyrs of them in court. It
would stir up a lot of bad feeling in the town, too, and after that
every boy would feel that he had a grudge against you railway people.
You'd be annoyed in loads of ways that the police couldn't very well
stop. Prescott scored a hit with me when he said that a lot of grown men
ought to be able to catch a lot of boy offenders. Green, the best thing
to do is to put the case up to your railway company."

"The boys who threw the stones must be found and punished!" insisted the
operator firmly.

"Yes; I agree with you on that point. But you'd better go about in a
regular way. Wire your headquarters and ask that a railway detective be
sent here on the case. My department will give your detective all proper
aid in the matter."

One of the earliest trains, the next morning, brought Detective Briscoe.
That official, however, worked very quietly. No one guessed who or what
he was until he was ready to strike.

Ned Allen, Ben Alvord, Toby Ross, Wrecker Lane and Spoff Henderson were
badly scared that same next morning. They met on the way to school and
took blood-curdling oaths as to secrecy.

Then, in the school yard, Ben Alvord hunted up Prescott.

"Dick, you didn't give our names last night, did you?"

"No," Prescott replied.

"You won't name us, either, will you?"

"No, sirree!"

So the light-smashers felt more comfortable. By the day following they
breathed easily--until they reached school.

The boys were in the yard, playing until the gong rang for morning
session. A buggy drove up, and Detective Briscoe and two policemen in
plain clothes got out.

"Trouble!" was the word whispered. Ben Alvord and his fellows turned
pale. But the gong rang. Glad of any chance to bolt, Ben, Spoff, Ned,
Toby and Wrecker fled to the basement to get into line.

Briscoe and the two policemen appeared in Old Dut's room. The detective
drew some papers from his pocket, inquiring:

"You have boys here by the names of Allen, Alvord, Ross, Lane and
Henderson, haven't you?"

"Yes," nodded Old Dut.

"Ask them to step forward, please."

Pallid and shaking a bit, the five came forward.

"Boys," announced Detective B