"Banks isn't at home now," said Yancey Battick, looking at the two young fellows doubtfully.
"We saw him all right," Orrin declared. "Jim Larry who works up at Sunnyside knows him well. Lives right on the next farm to the Bankses."
"Mr. Battick!" exclaimed Hiram, smitten by a new thought, "have you ever had any trouble with Ad Banks?"
"I told you once I had to run him off my place."
"And there is something I did not tell you," Hiram went on. "Remember the day I was over looking at your wheat field? Back there in the spring, I mean?"
"Yes, I remember, Mr. Strong," said Battick, reddening.
"When I left you that day I chanced to see Adam Banks sneaking through the underbrush away from that very log on which we had been sitting to talk!"
"Had he been eavesdropping?" demanded Battick angrily.
"Like enough. I did not give it much thought at the time. But he may have learned at that time all about this special wheat."
"He did it!" ejaculated Battick. "He was paid to do it, I bet."