"Yes," said Larry. "Pip told us. Do you believe it?"
"Rather!" said the boy. "As a matter of fact, I suspected it before any one else did."
"Fibber!" said Larry at once, knowing by the conceited tone of the boy's voice that he hadn't suspected anything of the sort.
"Well, look here," said the boy. "I've been staying in the hotel opposite Mr. Hick's garden - and last evening I saw a tramp wandering about there! I bet he did it!"
The others stared at him. "Why should he do it?" asked Pip at last. "Tramps don't go in and pour petrol over things and set them on fire just for fun."
"Well," said the boy, thinking hard, "this tramp may have had a spite against Mr. Hick. You can't tell. Mr. Hick hasn't got a very good name about here for being good-tempered. He may have kicked the old tramp out of the place, or something, that very morning!"
The others thought about this. "Let's go into the summer-house and talk," said Pip, feeling excited. "This is a sort of mystery, and it would be fun if we could help to solve it."
The boy with Buster walked into the summer-house too, without being asked. Buster scrambled on to Larry's knee. Larry looked pleased.
"What time did you see the tramp?" asked Pip.
"About six o'clock" said the boy. "A dirty old fellow he was too, in a torn mackintosh, and a frightful old hat He was skulking along the hedge. Buster saw him and tore out, barking."