“I’ll be down after I have breakfast,” replied Ned, waving a farewell to Andy, and returning to the house sorely puzzled.
He ate his breakfast rapidly. He hardly knew what to do in reference to what he had witnessed during his watch at the mill. After some thought he decided to wait a little while, learn more particulars of the robbery, and then relate everything to his father.
In a little while Mr. Slade left the house and Ned soon followed. When the lad reached the centre of the town it needed no one to tell him that there was considerable excitement. In a small place like Cresville news spreads quickly even without a daily paper.
Ned soon found his chums, Bob and Jerry.
“Have you heard about it?” demanded Ned.
“Yes, Andy Rush told me,” said Jerry.
“And he told me, too,” put in Bob. “That fellow is as swift as his name.”
“Did you hear any particulars?” demanded Ned.
“It was an old-fashioned safe, according to what the policeman told me,” said Jerry, “and the burglars had little trouble in getting it open.”
“Did they blow it apart?”