“By ginger, it’s funny I didn’t think o’ that before. Find out one thing, and you’ll have a good start. Find out if the robberies happen to the mail that is delivered by my cousin or on the train that runs between Hobart and Coldenham, and there’s your start.”
“Why, how will that help us?” inquired Garry.
“Why, dad blame it, the engineer o’ that train is a brother-in-law of Lafe Green!”
This surprising piece of news threw all into a silence for a moment.
“You see how simple things are now?” queried Dud. “If you can find out that letters are all right when they leave the Hobart postoffice, and are all wrong when they get delivered to Coldenham, then you have half the work done, and you can be pretty certain that Lafe is back of it.”
“That’s step number one, then,” said Garry. “Let’s hustle back to town and have a little chat with Denton. Which way are you bound, Dud?”
“I’m off for about two or three days in the woods. Need some money and so can’t afford to loaf; besides, these be great days for wandering through the forest, and can’t afford to miss one of ’em. We’re due for good weather for a week or two, then we’re due for a spell o’ rainy days. All signs pint that way. So good luck to you. I’ll look ye up when I get back, either here or in town. Ought to catch you one place or t’other.”
Dud shouldered his pack, and loped off into the woods with a wave of his hand at the chums, and soon disappeared from view.
The boys hastened to straighten out the camp after their dinner and then prepared to go to town.
“What say we do same as we did last time—cache the foodstuff in one of the trees near here; that will prevent any marauder from making off with it, and leaving us hungry some night?” asked Dick.