"The pesky rascal!" he ejaculated. "Did he run away with much?"
"That we don't know, for we have no idea what was in the safe," replied Jack.
"He must have taken some of the silver spoons, and knives and forks," put in Pepper. "Here is the empty silverware case, and I found a loose silver fork on the floor of the dining-room."
"The Fords will be the only ones to tell just what was taken," said Andy. "And the sooner we notify them the better."
"I don't know if they are in the city or not," said Isaac Fasick "I know they meant to travel some this winter."
"They are at their city home just now; I got a letter day before yesterday," answered the former major of the school battalion. He did not deem it necessary to say the letter was from Laura Ford.
"Let us telegraph to them," said Pepper. "But what about the thief? We ought to get right after him."
"We can tell Jed Plodders," said the farmer. "He's the Cedarville constable and pretty smart, too."
"Jed will never catch that fellow," answered Jack. "He'll be miles and miles away before the constable gets his badge pinned on to go after him."
"Oh, Jed is smart," cried the farmer. "He's my wife's second cousin, and the whole family is mighty cute."