"But what about the tools?" asked the officer.
"Oh, yes," continued the judge, "I had forgotten about them. Do you know anything about these tools, Dick?"
"Yes, sir; they came from our shop," he answered.
"Ah! that's what I thought," said the officer to himself. "It isn't going to end here."
"They were taken from there," went on Dick. "We missed them several days before the robbery, but I don't know who took them."
"Then they must have been taken by some one around here," concluded the judge. "It seems to me that the farther we go the more mysterious it gets. Jack, I think that you had better set your wits to work and see if you can't clear it up."
"Very well, Judge," answered Jack, who had been going over the matter in his mind. "I think I have a clue that I am going to follow up and see what comes of it."
"Good," commented the judge. "While I do not believe for an instant that any of you young gentlemen had anything to do with the robbery, I would like to see it brought home to those who did it."
"And I, too," added the colonel.
"Good night, boys," continued the judge. "You have had rather an exciting day, and I think you had better be getting home. I think you want to look out for Pepper so that nothing more happens to him to-night."