spicion of what we're really
after. He might set his tongue wagging, and some reporter might get wind
of it and put it in a local paper. Then it would be copied in others,
and the first thing we knew it would be written up for the front page of
the Sunday edition of a city paper with all sorts of scareheads and
pictures. That would put the hoodoo on us for fair. We'd be followed and
spied on, and the first thing you know some other party would be finding
the money and Ross wouldn't get a dollar of it.

"Of course, Tom Bixby, if he's still alive, knows something about it,
but that was so long ago that he probably only thinks of it once in a
while, and if he should speak of it to any of his mates it would be put
down only as a sailor's yarn.

"Fred, you and Teddy will have to tell your folks, because it's only
right that your Uncle Aaron, who is so heavy a creditor, should know
about it, and then, too, he may be able to give us some information that
will help. But you can give the tip to the folks at home that it is to
be kept strictly among themselves. Dad, of course, won't let on to
anybody."

"That reminds me," said Fred, "that we ought to write to Uncle Aaron
right away."

"Suppose you fellows do that then, while I'm over in Bartanet,"
suggested Lester. "I have to go over there this afternoon to get
supplies. Want to come along, Bill?"

"Sure thing," answered Bill, rising and stretching himself. "I need a
little fresh air and exercise after the big dinner I've just put away."

The Rushton boys, left alone, got out pen and paper and prepared to send
the momentous news to their family at Oldtown.

Up to now, letters to their Uncle Aaron had been rather hard to write.
Sometimes they had been little notes of thanks for presents sent to them
at Christmas or on birthdays. Often--much too often--they had been
apologies that their parents had forced them to write for some piece of
mischief that had offended their uncle. He had usually been so crusty
and had so obviously resented the fact that they had ever been born to
cause him trouble, that they had usually approached the task of writing
with the feeling of martyrs.

This time it was different. Mr. Aaron Rushton, though by no means a
miser, was sufficiently fond of money, and took great care to get all
that was rightfully his. Therefore the boys knew that the letter,
telling of the bare possibility of getting back such a large sum, would
be very welcome.

"I'd l