the hotel man. "Stop him, Hickson! Don't let
him get away!"

"You sha'n't arrest me for nothing!" cried the shipowner's son, and
like a flash he turned around and started off on a run.

"Come back here, Phil!" called out Dave. "Come back! You are making a
mistake by running away!"

But Phil did not hear, nor did Ben and Buster, who had also taken to
their heels. Roger ran a few steps, then halted, and came back to our
hero's side.

"You are right, Dave," he said. "It's best to face the music."

Phil, Ben, and Buster had turned towards Oak Hall. Phil was in the
lead, but the others soon caught up to him.

"Wha--what are you go--going to d--do?" panted Ben.

"I'm not going to let them arrest me!" answered Phil. "I didn't do it,
and I'm not going to jail."

"Let us hide until we can get our folks to help us," suggested Buster.
The thought of going to a lockup filled him with dread.

"I'm going to notify my folks, too," said Ben.

"The trouble is, I don't know where my folks are just now," came from
the shipowner's son. "My father went on a trip on one of his vessels
and mother is visiting relatives."

The boys had kept on running on the road. But now, as they saw the
constable after them, they turned and dashed into a side-path leading
to the river.

"A motor-boat!" cried Ben, a few seconds later.

"It's the Kingsley boat," added Buster. "I know Tom will let us use
it--he said I could do it once. Let us go across in it."

All leaped on board, and Ben started up the engine while Buster took
the wheel. There came a put! put! as the fly-wheel was turned over,
and the little craft, which belonged to a boy living on the
river-bank, headed out into the Leming River.

In the meantime, while Constable Hickson was running after the
fugitives, Jason Sparr and the driver of the covered wagon confronted
Dave and Roger.

"Don't you try to run!" bawled the hotel-keeper.

"I'm armed," added the keeper of the town lockup, suggestively.

"I don't intend to run, Mr. Sparr," answered Dave.

"Why should we run, since we have done nothing wrong?" added the
senator's son. He tried to follow Dave's example and remain calm, but
he was tremendously disturbed.

"Did those three fellows do it alone?" queried the hotel man,
eagerly. "If they did, you had better confess to it, and clear
yourselves."

"None of us are guilty," answered Dave.

"I know better."

"You do not. Since we didn't do it, Mr. Sparr, I don't see how