some bed chamber fronting upon it.

"Hey, you down there! What's all this racket?" challenged this
newcomer on the scene.

"Are you Colonel Lyon?" inquired Dave.

"That's me."

"Then you had better come down and see what's going on."

"Why so?"

"Your house has been burglarized."

"Gracious I you don't say so. Where is the thief?"

"He has escaped."

"Hm. Down in a minute," mumbled the man, retiring from view.

It was several minutes before the owner of the mansion put in a
second appearance. He came cautiously out on the porch, clutching a
great heavy cane. He looked the boys over suspiciously.

"I don't understand this," he began.

"Neither did we, Mister," returned Hiram, "till the thief came
bolting out through that front door. He fell all over me and
dropped his bundle. There's what was in it."