"Coo! Look here! See that shoe-lace there?" said Mr. Goon, pointing. "That's a whopping big due, that is. Somebody's been in there and lost his shoe-lace!"
Mr. Tupping stared at the shoe-lace in the greatest astonishment. Then he saw the blue button — and the hair-ribbon. He gave a gasp of surprise. He inserted the key in the lock and opened the door.
The two men collected the "clues" from the cat-house. They brought them out to look at them.
"Whoever went in there wore shoes with brown laces, that's certain," said Mr. Goon with great satisfaction. "And look at that there button — that's come off somebody's coat, that has."
"What's this?" asked Mr. Tupping, showing Mr. Goon Pip's peppermint drop. Mr. Goon sniffed at it
"Peppermint!" he said. "Now, does that boy Luke suck peppermints?"
"I expect so," said Mr. Tupping. "Most boys eat sweets. But Luke don't wear a hair-ribbon, Mr. Goon. And look, there's another cigar-end — like the one you found under the house."
Mr. Goon soon lost his excitement over his finds, and became puzzled. He gazed at his clues in silence.
"Judging by these here clues, the thief ought by rights to be someone that smokes cigars, wears blue hair-ribbons and blue buttons, sucks peppermint drops, and has brown laces in his shoes," he said. "It don't make sense."
Fatty was trying his hardest not to giggle out aloud. It was so funny seeing Mr. Goon and Mr. Tupping puzzle their heads over all the clues that the children had so carefully left for them to find. Mr. Goon cautiously licked the peppermint drop.