ce fat roll of money you just
stole from the Three Towers teacher," Chet went on, his glance shifting
from the man to the pocketbook with the money stuffed hastily in it
where the man had left it on the ground. "You thought it was easy,
didn't you? Well, you didn't know you had me to reckon with." Chet was
boy enough to want to strut a little. Never before had he had a chance
to play the real hero. He probably never would have again, so he wanted
to make the most of this.

"You little puppy!" the man spat out at him. "You think you can get the
best of me, don't you? Let me tell you, no kid can do that."

He made a sudden lunge forward, and Chet, taken by surprise, stepped
backward, caught his foot in a root and stumbled a little.

He recovered himself in a minute, but in that little space of time the
"Codfish" had gone, disappeared as if the earth had swallowed him up.

Then Chet went mad. To have had the thief and then to lose him! He
started off wildly into the woods, but his foot struck against
something, and, looking down, he saw the pocketbook with the money still
in it.

He picked it up, feeling that he had partly played the hero anyway, for
if he had not caught the thief, he had at least recovered the money.

Then he started off on his hunt again, and this time almost stepped
into the arms of Ferd and Teddy.

"Say, what's the row?" the former yelled at him. "We heard the talking,
and thought we'd have a look--say, stop pointing that thing at me, will
you?"

"Then get out of my way," yelled Chet, his mind on only one thing. He
must catch the "Codfish." "I'm after the thief, I tell you! Get out of
my way!"

"Say, has he gone crazy?" asked Teddy. Then his eyes fell on the
pocketbook that Chet was still holding tight in his hands.

"He got the money! Say, Ferd, he got the money! Chet you're some hero.
Where's the thief?"

By this time Chet knew he had no chance of catching the "Codfish," who,
now that he was discovered, was probably running into hiding as fast as
he could, so he turned back with the boys and began excitedly to tell
them what had happened.

"And you really had him and you let him go again!" cried Ferd in
disgust. "Well, you poor old fish!"

"I got the money, anyway, didn't I?" Chet defended himself, adding in a
superior tone: "It's more than any of you did, I guess."

"You're some boy, Chet," Teddy repeated heartily. "Come on and let's
tell the good news to Miss Race. Make believe sh