You had better keep them for the present. So that is
the way they went," he mused; "they probably escaped in a boat.
I'm afraid there isn't much chance of capturing them. That is all,
boys. I just wanted to have a talk with you to straighten things
out."
"Where did all these stories come from?" asked the colonel.
"Oh, I think it is mostly boys' talk," said the judge. "I think
Tompkins said he heard it from his boy."
"Sam Tompkins!" cried Jack, "of course. He's trying to throw
suspicion on us, but I guess he knows a lot more about it than we
do."
"I think you have hit it, Jack," agreed the judge. "I believe that
is a clue worth following up."
"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.
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