"Right!" nodded Harry.
"They must all be members of the same gang of thieves, then," flashed Dick. "I've read in the newspapers that the thieves who work the Christmas trade generally go in gangs. By crackey! Did you see that?"
"Yes!" muttered Tom Reade excitedly.
"What?" questioned Greg.
"Why," explained Dick, "Mr. Slim put his hand in a woman's skirt pocket. He slipped a wallet from her pocket to his."
"That's what he did," nodded Tom.
"Come along," urged Dick. "We'll see if we can come across a policeman before Mr. Slim gets all the money in the town."
Falling in by twos the Grammar School boys, full of excitement, trailed after the slim, neatly dressed thief.
Two blocks lower down the boys ran across Policeman Whalen, who, in citizen's clothes, had been turned out to watch for thieves.
In an undertone Dick called attention to the slim fellow, who was still moving along in the moving crowds of shopping women. Whalen cautiously took up the trail, while Dick & Co. fell back somewhat.