“I’ll tell you what I think,” spoke Ned. “We ought to tell father. He will know what to do.”
Mr. Slade was plainly surprised at some of the disclosures made, for, though he knew most of the circumstances, he was not acquainted with all of them. The boys had forgotten many details in their previous recitals, and, of course, the finding of the box was the latest occurrence.
“I must say you boys have sifted this thing out pretty well,” said Mr. Slade. “You have a great deal more information than have the police.”
“What had we better do about it?” asked Jerry. “You see we are at a sort of stand-still now.”
Mr. Slade thought for a few minutes.
“Here is what I would do,” he said at length. “I would contrive to have a talk with Noddy Nixon, all three of you. I understand he is a sort of bully, but if the three of you are together there is nothing to fear from him.
“Once you get him alone somewhere you can tell him just what you know, and show him how everything points to him as the person who robbed the mill. It may be that the information will overwhelm him, and he will own to everything. Again, he may be innocent of everything, and able to explain all of his acts satisfactorily. In that case you will be glad that you made no public complaint.”
After a little thought the boys voted this was the best thing to do. They arranged to send Noddy a note asking him to meet one of them in a secluded place the next day, and all three chums promised to be on hand.
Early the next day the three boys met again. In accordance with the arrangement of the night before, Jerry had sent a note to Noddy, asking the bully to meet him near the old wind mill.
“Come, for the matter is of great interest to you,” the note had said, and Jerry had signed no name. Ten o’clock was the hour set, and quite a while before that time the three boys were at the dilapidated structure.