t?' cried the others, pressing round to look.

'It's one of the orders that were stolen,' said Allan.

'Tell them where you found it, Tricksy,' said Hamish.

'It was in the box-room, where the spare coats and the fishing baskets
are kept,' said Tricksy. 'I went to see if Reggie's knife was in the
pocket of his old great-coat, and when I pulled it off the shelf this
fluttered down.'

'Well,' said Allan, while the others were dumb with astonishment, 'this
beats me altogether. It wasn't _we_ who were the thieves!'

Every one looked at the order, and turned it round, and examined the
back of it, but there was no clue to the mystery.

'Let's go and have a thorough search of the box-room,' said Marjorie;
'who knows what we may bring to light.'

'Take my pony, Tricksy,' said Reggie considerately. 'Those who haven't
ponies will have to walk. Don't begin the search until we are all
there!'

When the walkers reached Ardnavoir they found the others standing guard
at the door of the box-room.

'Now!' said Marjorie, throwing open the door; and they all burst in.

All the garments were taken down from the shelves and unfolded and
shaken, but nothing was to be found. Every pocket was turned out; but
the contents were only pebbles, and bits of string, and pieces of dried
seaweed.

All the fishing baskets were opened and peeped into, and turned upside
down and shaken, but without result.

Afterwards they pulled out the boxes that were ranged against the wall,
and looked behind them, but no postal orders were found.

'This box is unfastened,' cried Tricksy; 'let's look inside it.'

'Do you think we should do that,' demurred Hamish; 'Mrs. Stewart might
object.'

'Can't stop to think of that in a case of necessity,' replied Reggie,
and Marjorie's hands were soon in the trunk.

Furs smelling strongly of camphor, some old chair covers, then a
quantity of frocks and boys' suits grown too small, and a layer of
boots at the bottom.

'Nothing there,' said Marjorie, cramming the things into the box again.

'These other trunks are all locked,' said Reggie, trying them one after
the other.

'They'll have to be opened when the police come,' observed Hamish.

Marjorie and Allan looked at each other.

'Do you think we ought to bring the police back at this time?' asked
Marjorie in an undertone.

Allan sat down on a box, and the others all followed his example.

'We've got to consider what's to be done about this disco