ce asked. Yet the lights were still burning in
Fraley's store and at the post-office, which was in the little shoe store
opposite, when the Thirty rumbled down the main street.

Mr. Lincoln Fraley, standing in the doorway, went down the steps to meet
the boys as they drove up. Something had happened, he was quite sure, to
bring them back so soon; for, not being familiar with the rapid traveling
an automobile affords, he had no idea of the lads having been to Opal
Lake and back since he last saw them.

"It's time to close up anyhow. Come take a ride," Billy invited.

Mr. Fraley said his father would attend to closing the store and, going
in leisurely for his hat--lest he be suspected of a too lively interest in
the prospect of an automobile ride if he hurried, perhaps--he presently
seated himself in the tonneau beside Phil. As Billy drove slowly forward
Way told of the discovery of Grandall at Anderson's. Briefly he stated
the intention of causing the man's arrest and the capture of Murky, as
well, which, he was certain, could be quite readily accomplished.

"Well now!" said Mr. Fraley in a musing tone, and, "if it don't beat me!"
he slowly added in the same slow and reflective manner.

"But great land of belly aches!" Paul Jones chirped protestingly,
"don't you see what we want? We want to know whom we must
see--sheriff--judge--chiropodist--whoever it may be to get these
chaps into jail and nail down those twenty thousand pieces of eight!"

"Don't be in a hurry," spoke Fraley with greater animation. "What I had
in mind was that Nels Anderson surely is consorting with Grandall and
probably has been all along. I'm the more sure of it because the Swede
was in the store early this morning and bought a lot more stuff than
we've ever sold him at one time before. I didn't wait on him and didn't
know of it at the time you were here this afternoon. My father just
happened to mention it at supper. Pretty plain now where Nels got the
money and plain as daylight, as well, that he expects to have company
for some time, which accounts for the stack of provisions he took back
with him."

"All the more reason--" Phil began, meaning to continue, "that we should
get in touch with the officers at once."

Link anticipated what he would have said. "No," he interrupted, "You
don't need be in any hurry. And you do want to bring that Slider boy
with you when you come to talk with the sheriff. Your evidence is mostly
second-hand anyway.