shoes, which were new, were plainly, visible in the road.

Stopping their machines alongside the highway, the three young
people began a careful search of the dusty stretch. They went over
every inch of the ground, particularly in the vicinity of the place
where Ed had stopped to fix the broken mud guard. But there was no
sign of the pocketbook.

"Maybe it was dropped farther back," suggested Jack.

"Well, we'll try there," assented Cora, and for ten minutes they
walked up and down the road, some distance back from the place where
Ed had alighted.

"Now try farther on," was Walter's suggestion, and they did this.

But all to no purpose. They were not rewarded by the welcome sight
of a brown leather wallet, bulging with riches.

"It's no use," said Jack.

"Oh, let's try a little longer," begged Cora.

"Well, if he dropped it before he got here, or after he left, we
might as well make the entire trip to New City, and then reverse and
go to Chelton," went on Jack. "And we can't look over every inch of
all the distance."

"We can drive along slowly," was Cora's idea. "The wallet is so
large that it could easily be seen. It's too bad we haven't Sid and