till this morning that her desk had been pried open, and three
hundred dollars taken!"

CHAPTER XVIII

CAUGHT BY THE STORM

"That settles it, boys!" said Fred, compressing his lips.

"Some more of Corny's smart work, I guess you mean?" ventured Bristles.

"Well, we happen to know he was in town again yesterday afternoon, and
putting things together, it looks bad for Corny," Fred explained.

"And I take it you mean to do what you said," Colon remarked; "that is,
you promised us if there was another robbery, and that man was seen
around, you'd tell everything to Chief Sutton and let him start a hunt to
find Corny? Have I got it straight, Fred?"

"You certainly have, Colon, and that ought to be attended to before we
start out on our run," Fred continued.

"Sure thing, because when a fellow has broken open a house and taken as
much as three hundred dollars in cash, he's likely to get busy right
away, and hide somewhere. That other time it was in a cave, and now
Corny may have another secret den. It'll be up to the Chief to locate
him."

"But I say, Fred, I hope now this won't interfere any with our plans
to-day?" expostulated Bristles, while both Sid and Colon immediately
looked anxious.

"Only to hold us back ten minutes or so," Fred told them.

"You won't bother going to town, and seeing the Chief personally, will
you, Fred, when we've got a 'phone handy right here?" demanded the
Carpenter boy, starting in the direction of the front gate close by. The
others followed.

"I could answer all the questions he'll want to ask, over the wire just
as well as if I were down at headquarters," Fred announced, at which an
expression of relief was seen to sweep over three eager faces.

Fortunately the head of the local force was at his desk, engaged in his
customary morning duties. Fred lost no time in getting down to facts,
and from what the other boys, listening close by, heard him say, his
astonishing communication must have created quite a lively panic at
headquarters.

For some time after telling what they had learned when passing through
that particular stretch of woods the week before, Fred was kept busy
answering questions. He explained just why they had seen fit not to
mention the matter before, and the reason that ban of secrecy was now
removed.

When finally Fred hung up the receiver, and turned around with a smile on
his face, as though perfectly satisfied with what he had done, not more