The boys entered the house, and there told their uncle and aunt of what had been found. Randolph Rover looked at the stone with interest.
“It is a curious one,” he said slowly. “I do not imagine there are many like it. If this Sobber had one, then this is probably his.”
“You didn’t see any strangers around the farm, did you?” asked Sam.
“None that I noticed. Of course plenty of folks have passed up and down the main road, and the back road, too.”
It was not long after that when Jack Ness drove up with the camping outfit. The boys aided the man in putting the outfit away and also questioned him concerning Sobber.
“There was one man, or young fellow, hanging around,” answered Jack Ness. “I tried to reach him, to ask him wot he wanted, but he jumped the orchard fence and got away. I thought he might be a tramp, although he wasn’t dressed like one.”
“Why didn’t you report him?” demanded Dick.
“Oh, everybody was a-havin’ seech a good time I didn’t want to bother you. I watched the fellow until he was away down the road.”
“How was he dressed and how did he look in the face?”
As well as he was able the hired man described the individual he had seen. The clothing counted for nothing, but the face and manner of the person tallied with that of Tad Sobber.