"That doesn't make any difference to the law," growled the short man.
"Oh, yes it does," said Jack sweetly. "You're trespassers as much as any one else if you haven't a warrant, and I don't believe you have."
"No, I guess you're right," admitted the tall man, with as good grace as possible. "Come on," this to his companion, "we can't learn anything here. Let's go see old Ben."
Cora and Laurel had gone into the house. Jack did not want them annoyed again, and he wondered how the men had come to think that Cora might know something of the quarrel between Peters and Tony.
"It was probably just a guess," decided Jack. "There is certainly something like a mystery about the hermit, and—"
He interrupted his thoughts as he saw one of the men coming back.
"Hang it all! I wonder what he wants now?" thought Jack. The man soon informed him.
"I say, do you think the hermit, as you call him, would be well enough to testify in court about this case?" the detective asked.
"What case?" inquired Jack, wondering if the man suspected the reason for the hermit's exile.
"The Peters case."