"Have you ever been in Faversham, Davy?" asked Thad, suddenly.
"Well, no, I must say I haven't; but I've heard some about it from a boy who visited Sim Eckles, and who used to live there. It's a big place, Thad."
"Oh! size has nothing to do with this matter," remarked the other. "I was just wondering whether you might not have heard that name before."
"You mean Malcolm Hotchkiss, don't you?" asked the other, eagerly.
"Yes, the name he mentioned to you, when he spoke about the marked shoe?" the patrol leader went on to say.
"Hold on!" Davy exclaimed, hoarsely; "now, that's queer; I never once bothered my head to think about it till you asked. Sure I've heard the name before. The boy over at Sim Eckles' mentioned it more'n once."
"Who is he, then, Davy?"
"Why, Malcolm Hotchkiss, he's just the Chief of Police over at Faversham, that's what, Thad," replied the other scout, almost breathless in his renewed excitement.
"Oh; is that so?" remarked Thad. "Well, how does it strike you now, Davy?"
"Looks bad for these here men, that's what," came the reply.