nows there were valuable
papers of some sort, which his father is broken-hearted over losing. You
know Mr. Clausin has been just about sick ever since it happened."

"Yes," Paul went on, "and three times now I've heard that the chief of
police has been out there to confer with him. That makes me think Joe's
father must have some sort of idea about who robbed him."

"Oh! well, the fellow will never be caught if it depends on Chief
Billings," declared Jack, somewhat derisively; "I've known him to kick
up a big row more than a few times, after something strange happened;
but when did he get his man? Tell me that, will you, Paul?"

"Still, the Chief is a good police head. He can look mighty fierce, and
generally scares little boys into being good," laughed the scout leader.

"But some others I know snap their fingers at him," Jack went on; "for
instance, you understand as well as I do, that Ted Slavin and his crowd
ride rough-shod over the police force of Stanhope. They have been
threatened with all sorts of horrible punishments; but did you ever know
of one of that bunch to be haled up before the justice?"

"Well, of course you know why," remarked Paul, drily, making a grimace
at the same time to indicate his disgust.

"Sure," responded Jack, without the least hesitation; "Ward Kenwood, Ted
Slavin's crony, stands pat with the Chief. His dad happens to be the
richest man in Stanhope, and something of a politician. Ward threatens
to get the Chief bounced from his job if he makes too much row, and you
know it, Paul. The result is that there's a whole lot of bluster, and
threatening; after which things settle down just as they were, and
nobody is pulled in. It makes me tired."

"Oh! well," laughed the scout leader, "some fine day there will be a
rebellion in Stanhope. Then perhaps we can put in a police head who will
do his duty, no matter if the offender happens to be the son of a rich
banker, or of a railroad track-tender."

"Shucks! that day will be a long time coming," said Jack, shaking his
head in the negative, as if to emphasize his disbelief. "But do you
know, I'm all worked up about that little tin box. There's something
connected with it that Mr. Clausin hasn't told everybody. What could
those papers have been; and why was he looking at them that night? Did
the unknown robber come to the feed-store just on purpose to get hold of
them? Was he especially interested in what that tin box held?"

Paul looked at h