"Tell us about it," requested the judge.
"There isn't very much to tell," said Pepper, repeating the details of his trip, from the time of meeting the horse and wagon with Monkey Rae and the man.
"Of course," muttered Jack, "you could bet Monkey would be in it somewhere."
"S-s-say," went on Pepper, "how did that fight come out? I didn't have time to stop and see."
"I should think not," observed the judge; "it was your busy day."
"I think it must have been a draw," answered the colonel, "for each went his own way. But to return to our business. You said, Judge, there was some talk about these boys; what is it?"
"Well, you know," began the judge, "my office was broken into some time ago and some things taken."
"You don't think that these boys had anything to do with it, do you?" interrupted the colonel.
"Of course not," the judge assured him; "but there were some boys' tracks—now let me go on—and it has been said that these boys were out very early on that morning, and that they have been spending money pretty freely of late, buying uniforms and other things."
"But we earned that money ourselves," interrupted Pepper indignantly.