.

"When Billy says they were tramps he's only jumping to conclusions,"
Tom explained, "he doesn't know a thing about it, because he owns up he
failed to get even a single look at the thieves. I've got my own
opinion about this thing."

"Meaning you believe you know who the fellows were?" questioned Carl.

"Stop and think--who would like nothing better than to put us in a
hole? Don't we happen to know that Tony Pollock and his crowd are
around here on Big Bear Mountain somewhere? Didn't they rob that hen
roost of Mr. Perkins?"

"Tom, I really believe you're right!" exclaimed Josh, beginning to look
at the matter from the standpoint taken by the patrol leader.

"We can soon settle that part of it!" declared Rob Shaeffer.

"By hunting for their tracks, and finding out how many thieves there
were," Tom went on to say. "Come on Billy, and show me just where you
saw the bushes moving when that laugh struck you."

He called upon the others to keep back so that they might not spoil any
tracks to be found at that particular spot. A very little search showed
the boys what they so eagerly sought.

"Here are tracks enough, and all heading away from the camp," said the
patrol leader presently, "let's see how we can classify them, for every
footprint will be different from the others."

"Here's one that is square across the toe," announced Josh, instantly.
"And say, seems to me I remember Asa Green always wears shoes like
that. Now Wedge McGuffey has got broad shoulders and spindle legs, and
he wears a pointed shoe like the one that made these tracks."

"Here's another that's got a patch across the toe," said Felix.
"Couldn't mistake that shoe, no matter where you saw it. A fellow could
be hung on such circumstantial evidence as that."

"And here's a fourth that's different from any of the rest," continued
Tom, as he pointed downward, "so it looks as if there were just four in
the bunch, which you may remember corresponds with the number in Tony
Pollock's crowd, now that Dock Phillips has thrown his lot in with
them."

Some of the scouts expressed their indignation loudly as they
investigated the results of the daring raid. It would not have been
pleasant for Tony and his cronies had they been brought face to face
with the angry scouts about that time.

Tom Chesney soon had reason to admit that he had met with a personal
loss that bothered him exceedingly.

"They've even taken my little diary in which I've been keep