The idea of their fathers and mothers knowing that they had been caught wandering about some one else's house at night was much more alarming than having in the police. Larry suddenly surrendered.
"We came to bring back a shoe we took this morning," he said in a low voice. Both Miss Miggle and Mr. Smellie stared as if they thought Larry had gone mad.
"A shoe," said Mr. Smellie at last. "Why a shoe? And why only one! What are you talking about?"
"We were looking for a shoe that fitted a footprint," said Larry desperately.
This was even more puzzling to the two listeners. Mr. Smellie tapped his pen impatiently on his desk. "Explain properly," he said. "I give you one minute. At the end of that time I telephone the police and also your parents, if you haven't given me a full and proper explanation of your most extraordinary conduct."
"It's no use," said Fatty to Larry. "We'll have to tell him the real reason, even if it does warn him and put him on his guard."
"What are you talking about?" said Miss Miggle, who was getting more and more astonished.
"Put me on my guard!" said Mr. Smellie. "What do you mean? Really, I began to think that you two boys are completely mad."
"We're not," said Larry sulkily. "But we happen to
kaow something about you, Mr. Smellie. We know that you were in Mr. Hick's house on the evening of the fire."