"I don't know if they are in the city or not," said Isaac Fasick "I know they meant to travel some this winter."

"They are at their city home just now; I got a letter day before yesterday," answered the former major of the school battalion. He did not deem it necessary to say the letter was from Laura Ford.

"Let us telegraph to them," said Pepper. "But what about the thief? We ought to get right after him."

"We can tell Jed Plodders," said the farmer. "He's the Cedarville constable and pretty smart, too."

"Jed will never catch that fellow," answered Jack. "He'll be miles and miles away before the constable gets his badge pinned on to go after him."

"Oh, Jed is smart," cried the farmer. "He's my wife's second cousin, and the whole family is mighty cute."

"All right, let him catch the thief," answered Pepper.

Matters were talked over for several minutes, and the boys decided to separate, Andy and Pepper to remain on guard at the Lodge and Fred and Jack to run the iceboat to Cedarville and take Isaac Fasick along.

"Now, don't you run into no air-holes!" cried the farmer, as he took a seat on the _Skimmer_. "I don't want to drown just yet, not me!"

"We'll be on our guard," answered the owner of the craft.

"The wind is just right," said Jack, as the mainsail was hoisted. This was true, and the run to the village took but a few minutes. While the boys went off to send their message to the Fords, Isaac Fasick hunted up the constable and related what had occurred.

"Ha! a robbery, eh?" cried the constable, looking highly important.

"That's it, Jed."

"And you caught the boys in the house all alone?" went on the constable, trying to look very wise.

"Why, yes; I did."

"Maybe they did the robbery, Isaac."

"By gum! I didn't think of that, Jed!" exclaimed the farmer.

"It would be an easy way of tryin' to look innercent," went on the constable. "They fixed it all up--blow open the safe, hide the silver an' other valerables, an' then, when you surprise 'em, they try to put the crime off on sumbuddy else."

"Say, Jed, do you think that's so?" asked the farmer, his suspicions aroused.

"Don't it look reasonable, Isaac?"

"It sure does, Jed. But to think them boys would do sech a terruble deed!"

"Some o' them boys at boardin'-school spend a fierce sight o' money.

Some of 'em drink an' gamble. They ain't above gittin' money by hook or crook, ef they need it. Yes, they may be guilty," and the constable swelled out with his own importance.

"Perhaps you better question 'em," suggested the farmer, timidly.

"Question 'em?" snorted the constable. "Yes, I will; an' I'll do more--I'll hold 'em until this mysterious case is cleared up!"

CHAPTER XXVII

LOOKING FOR CLUES

Having sent their message to the Fords, the two cadets turned in the direction where the farmer had said the constable lived.

"I don't think old Plodders will be able to do a thing," said Jack.

"He'll look wise and ask a lot of questions, and that's all."

A block had been covered when they saw the farmer and the constable approaching. On his breast Jed Plodders had pinned a bright, silver star, and he carried a policeman's club in his hand.

"There they are!" cried Isaac Fasick.

"Is them the cadets?" queried the guardian of the peace.

"That's two of 'em. The other two said they'd stay an' watch the house."

"Stop!" cried the constable, and pointed his club at the cadets.

"Are you Constable Plodders?" questioned Jack.

"That's who I be," was the stern reply. "Now then, out with it, young fellers. You broke into Mr. Ford's house, didn't you? Now, don't try to fool me, fer it won't wash! You broke into the house, and Mr. Fasick ketched you at it, didn't he?" And the constable cast what was meant for an eagle eye on Jack and then on Fred. He had made up his mind that he would surprise both of the boys into a confession.

The two cadets stared in wonder at the constable, and then a smile came into Jack's face. The situation was so ludicrous he felt like laughing.

Jed Plodders saw the smile and frowned deeply.

"This ain't no laughing matter, you scamp!" he bellowed. "You broke into the Ford house an' tried to steal the silverware! Now don't try to deny it, or it will be the wuss fer you! You done it now, didn't you?" And he pointed his club at first one cadet and then the other.

"No, we didn't do it!" burst out Fred. "You are a great big chump to think we did!"

"Hi! hi! don't you talk to me like that!" roared the guardian of the peace.

"Then don't you accuse us of any crime," came quickly from Jack.

"Didn't Mr. Fasick find you at the house?" demanded the constable.

"He did, but we didn't go there to steal; we went there to see if everything was all right. He went there for the same purpose."

"Say, don't you go for to mix me up in this robbery," interrupted Isaac Fasick, hastily. "I didn't have a thing to do with it."

"No more had we," answered Fred. "We just sailed to the place on my iceboat. We can prove it."

"We are friends of the Ford family; we can easily prove that, too,"

added Jack. "Mr. Ford and his wife both asked us, when we were in this vicinity, to take a look and see if everything was all right. We found a strange man in the mansion and we did our best to catch him, but he got away. What we want you to do is to get busy and try to catch that rascal. If you don't do it, we'll make a complaint against you for neglect of duty."

While Jack had been major of the school battalion he had been in the habit of speaking in an authoritative voice, and now he used the same tone in addressing Jed Plodders. The constable stared at the cadet for a moment and then his jaw dropped and likewise the club in his hand.