Bill was bursting with the news, but Skinny was the first to speak.
"We want you to run for those burglars," he said, "and we can tell you who they are."
When he heard that the marshal began to get interested.
"Well, who were they? Maybe," he went on, smiling at us, "you youngsters have come to give yourselves up."
"We didn't do it," put in Bill. "We wouldn't do such a thing, but we know who did. We don't know his name, but we know his track. We could have caught him yesterday if we'd wanted to. I wish we had now."
Then we told him about losing our dinners and following the robbers through Plunkett's woods, and about the queer looking track made by the bandaged foot.
"I'd know that footprint in China," said Bill, "and I found one just like it in the alley back of Green's store. The man with the lame foot made it. I 'most know he did."
"Say, William, you are a regular sleuth," said the marshal. "I have a notion to put you on the force."
But he didn't guy us any more after that. He put on his coat and walked downtown with us.
After he had looked at the footprint he covered it up again so that nobody would step on it.