“Now if we find out anything that connects the tramps with this outfit as I suggested a while ago, we’ll have a pretty pack of villains, won’t we?” asked Dick.
“I don’t think the tramps have anything to do with this, much as you’d like to have it so, Dick,” said Garry.
“There’s one thing we might do a bit later if we deem it advisable,” suggested Phil, “and that’s make a little tour of investigation of Green’s house as you did last time, Garry. We know of the secret entrance to the house, and that would simplify getting inside.”
“We’d have to have pretty good clues to make us do that again,” decided Garry. “That last time was a pretty risky piece of business, and luck was with us all the time. However, we shall see what later developments will bring about. Now I move we say goodnight and crawl off to bed.”
Ruth had been an interested listener all this time, and she implored the boys to let her help if they would.
“I’d just love to think that I helped in any way to round up the people that have been sending those horrid letters,” she said with bated breath.
The boys laughed, and assured her that if they could use her in any way to play detective they would surely call on her. They said nothing concerning the new developments in the postal situation, deeming it wiser to keep this matter a secret until the arrival of the inspector.
Next morning after breakfast they set about taking photographs of the letters. They did not think it highly necessary that this be done, but there was little they could do until the arrival of the man from the postoffice department, and besides, Dick was anxious to try out his skill as a photographer. He was fairly adept already, and was always trying to add to his experience.
“Now how are you going to treat that fingerprint, Garry?” asked Dick.
“I won’t promise that it will be altogether successful; all I know about doing it is something I read in a newspaper once. It seems that the way they photograph prints is to cover the spot with some specially prepared dark powder and that catches on the ridges of the print left by the finger. Now we haven’t any of that particular kind of powder, so we’ll have to invent something.”