"Perhaps we'll get on the trail of it when we get to the deserted house."
"Do you suppose we can break in?"
"Perhaps we can. I've brought an electric flashlight along that may come in handy."
"A good idea," exclaimed Bob. "I have an idea myself."
"What's that?"
"We'd better not ride too far down the road. Let's leave our wheels this side of the hill, and then go across the country and come in to the house from the back. In that way I think we'll stand less chance of being seen."
"Probably you're right. At any rate I hope no one steals our bicycles."
"I wonder if they'd be returned," said Bob. "Wasn't that a queer thing?"
"It certainly was."
They rode in silence for some time and presently came within sight of the hill of which they had been speaking. They dismounted from their bicycles, and wheeling them by their sides started across the fields. A hundred yards from the main road they concealed them under a clump of bushes and then continued on their way. They walked for about a half-mile until they saw the fringe of the woods in the middle of which stood the deserted house.