"Say, do you know what?" cried Tom. "I think we ought to got to Cedarville ourselves."

"That's the talk!" cried Sam. "We can't do anything here but suck our thumbs."

"We'll wait until morning and see if any word comes," answered d.i.c.k, who did not want to do anything hastily. "Perhaps father may want us to work on the case from this end."

"What about Fred and Hans?" asked Tom.

"They'll go along-part of the way," answered Sam. "They said they would."

"It's too bad to break up their vacation."

"Oh, they understand matters. And, besides, they are both going elsewhere next week," answered Tom.

Impatiently the three Rovers waited for news from their father or from the Stanhopes. At supper time Mr. Randolph Rover returned from Oak Run.

"Here is a telegram from your father, stating he arrived safely at Cedarville," said the boys' uncle. "We ought to get some word late tonight about this mysterious affair."

A little later Tom was outside, walking around the piazza. He was looking on the ground, and presently saw something bright lying at the foot of a bush, and stooped to pick it up. It was a queer-shaped stone, of blue and white.

"I've seen that stone before," he murmured, as he turned it over in his hand. "It doesn't belong to any of our folks. Maybe it is Fred's, or Hans'."

With his find in his hand he entered the house, where the others were just sitting down to the table to eat. He held the stone up to view.

"Any of you lose this?" he asked, and looked at Fred and Hans.

"Dot ain't vos mine," declared Hans, readily. "Vot vos it, a stone from a preastbin?"

"I guess it is from a watch locket," said Tom.

Fred looked at the stone and started.

"Let me see it!" he cried, and held it close to the light. "Well, I declare!" he gasped.

"What about it, Fred?" asked d.i.c.k and Sam, in a breath.

"I don't know who this stone belongs to, but I do know that Tad Sobber used to wear one just like it, when he went to Putnam Hall!"

CHAPTER XVI SOMETHING OF A CLUE

"Tad Sobber!"

The cry came simultaneously from all of the Rover boys.

"Yah, dot's so!" exclaimed Hans. "I remember him now. Vonce I vos ask Sobber vere he got dot sthone."

"If the stone belongs to Sobber-he must have been here!" gasped out Sam.

"Do you think he is around now?" asked Tom, and threw his eyes about the lawn, as if half expecting their enemy to show himself.

"No, he isn't here now-wish he was," answered d.i.c.k, bitterly. "More than likely he is miles away by this time-and the Stanhope fortune with him."

"I can't understand this," said Fred. "Unless Sobber has been here, spying on you."

"Maybe he followed the Stanhopes here-to find out, if he could, what had become of the fortune," suggested Sam.

"Sam, I think you've struck it!" almost shouted d.i.c.k. "It may be that he came here, heard Mrs. Stanhope ask dad to invest the money for her, and heard dad say that he would let her know when he wanted the cash. Then, perhaps, he went off, and sent Mrs. Stanhope a bogus letter, or telegram, signing dad's name."

"Say, d.i.c.k, you're a regular sleuth!" cried Fred. "I guess you've got it straight."

The boys entered the house, and there told their uncle and aunt of what had been found. Randolph Rover looked at the stone with interest.

"It is a curious one," he said slowly. "I do not imagine there are many like it. If this Sobber had one, then this is probably his."

"You didn't see any strangers around the farm, did you?" asked Sam.

"None that I noticed. Of course plenty of folks have pa.s.sed up and down the main road, and the back road, too."

It was not long after that when Jack Ness drove up with the camping outfit. The boys aided the man in putting the outfit away and also questioned him concerning Sobber.

"There was one man, or young fellow, hanging around," answered Jack Ness.

"I tried to reach him, to ask him wot he wanted, but he jumped the orchard fence and got away. I thought he might be a tramp, although he wasn't dressed like one."

"Why didn't you report him?" demanded d.i.c.k.

"Oh, everybody was a-havin' seech a good time I didn't want to bother you. I watched the fellow until he was away down the road."

"How was he dressed and how did he look in the face?"

As well as he was able the hired man described the individual he had seen. The clothing counted for nothing, but the face and manner of the person tallied with that of Tad Sobber.

"I guess it was Sobber right enough," was Tom's comment. "We ought to let dad know about this."

"We will let him know-first thing tomorrow morning," answered d.i.c.k.

All waited impatiently for some word from Mr. Rover, but none came in until eight o'clock the next morning. Then the telegram was very brief, reading as follows:

"Bad mix-up, money all gone. Better come on and help in investigation."

"Too bad!" groaned d.i.c.k. "I am going to start for Cedarville by the first train."

"So am I," added Tom.

"And I," came from Sam.

Then of a sudden all three lads looked at Fred and Hans.