in his voice.
"Murky and Grandall and the whole outfit that got away with the cash the
road builders should have had--well! we don't usually have much to do
with such people and no good will come of our beginning now," the boy
added.

For a moment Chip Slider's face wore a look of anger. Perhaps he thought
Dave's latter remark was aimed at him. But he said nothing.

Phil looked at MacLester in a significant manner, as if he would caution
him against speaking so. Yet, "No use growling, Davy," were the words
he said. Then he added that such a thing as duty must be taken into
consideration; that one who has knowledge of a crime and conceals it is
regarded by the law the same as if he actually shielded the wrong-doer.

"Gee whiz! I should say so," piped Paul Jones with shrill emphasis. "We'd
be a pack of softies if we let Grandall and Murky, and the rest, get
away, after all we know now!"

When Billy also joined heartily with Phil and Paul in urging that the
Staretta officers be notified of the presence of both Grandall and
Murky, MacLester no longer held back. How best to go about the matter,
however, became immediately a problem.

Dave wanted to telegraph the police in Grandall's home town and learn
if the man was really wanted by them. The hearsay evidence possessed by
Slider, with regard to the stolen twenty thousand dollars, he declared,
wasn't worth much until it could be backed up by more hard, cold facts
than were thus far in hand.

"Suppose we were to go back to Staretta and have a talk with the sheriff
or chief-of-police or constable--whatever they have there in the brass
buttons line--tonight," proposed Billy. He was resting comfortably, his
back against a tree, while Phil and Dave, with Slider's help, were washing
the dishes.

Having had a quiet but busy afternoon young Mr. Worth was quite ready for
an evening out.

"Sure pop!" Paul Jones exclaimed. "How do we know but that Grandall fellow
is right on his way now to fly the coop?--and that's just what he is, most
likely."

"Go ahead! I'll keep camp--Slider and I," put in MacLester quickly.
Perhaps Dave was anxious to show Chip some friendly attention to make
amends for the unpleasant words spoken a little while before. Perhaps
Chip, as well, wished to show that he harbored no ill feeling. At any
rate, "Yes, let him an' me do up the rest of them dishes an' the rest
of you get started sooner," the lad proposed.

The thought that Slider's presence, to