"Sure. This is where he lives. I remember the place was pointed out to me once."
"I knew Jack Dodd lived on a farm but I didn't know it was this far out," said Chet. "Let's drop in and see what's up."
With Frank in the lead the three boys turned down the lane leading in to the Dodd place.
"I wonder what that trooper is here for," he said. "They all seem to be having an argument over something."
"Perhaps the trooper met the auto thieves!" conjectured Chet.
When they drove into the barnyard they saw a boy running toward them and they recognized him as Jack Dodd, a quiet, likable lad who was in their class at the Bayport high school.
"Hello, fellows!" he called to them, but they saw that there was a worried expression on his face. "What brings you away out here to-day?"
"Hunting trip," said Chet, with a curious glance toward the state trooper, who was standing over by the fence with Mr. Dodd and two burly strangers. Their voices were raised in a loud argument, in which Mr. Dodd appeared to be opposed to the others.
"Hunting trip?"
"Hunting for auto thieves," Frank explained. "Isaac Fussy's car was stolen a little while ago. When we saw that trooper here we had an idea that perhaps he might know something about it."