do, Bobolink," asserted the other, blandly. "I wasn't
referring to you at all when I said that. There are others in the
swim. You're not the only pebble on the beach, you understand."

"Now I get you, Jud!" Tom Betts exclaimed. "And let me say, I've been
having little suspicions of my own leading in that same direction."

"We found Hank, Jud Mabley and Sim Jeffreys on the spot when we got
here, you all remember, and they seemed tickled to death because it
was the Briggs' place that was on fire," continued Jud.

Even Paul and Jack seemed impressed, though too cautious to accept the
fact until there was more proof. Already the foolishness of making an
unsupported accusation had been brought home to them, and the
scout-master felt that it was his duty to warn Jud and Tom against
talking too recklessly of their suspicion.

"Better go slow about it, fellows, no matter what you think," he told
them. "The law does not recognize suspicion as counting for anything,
unless you have some sort of proof to back it up. It may be those
fellows are guilty, for they have been going from bad to worse of
late; but until you can show evidence leading that way, button up your
lips."

"Guess you're right there, Paul," admitted Jud. "Some of us are apt to
be too previous when we get a notion in our heads. But Mr. Briggs is
dead sure it was no accident, whether the fire was started by the
Lawson crowd or some one else."

"I heard him say he suspected that his safe had been broken open,"
declared Tom Betts just then, "and that the fire might have been an
after thought meant to hide a robbery."

"Whew! that's going some, I must say, if that Lawson gang has come
down to burglary, as well as arson," observed Spider Sexton,
seriously.

"You'll have to get Jud Mabley away from his cronies mighty quick
then, Paul, if you hope to pull him out of the fire," commented
Frank.

"Well, for one I've yet to be convinced that they had anything to do
with the fire," Paul told them.

"But we know they've had trouble with Mr. Briggs plenty of times,"
urged another of the scouts.

"And you must remember they were here when we arrived, which looks
suspicious," added Bobolink.

"Appearances are often deceitful, Bobolink, as you yourself know to
your cost," the scout-master remarked. "If forced to explain their
being on the spot so early perhaps they could prove an alibi as well
as you. But come, since the fire is all over, and it's pretty shivery