than once."

"What's that. Well, I declare now if it ain't so! This is getting
mighty interestin', sure. Here, Dobbs, you watch this car until I
come out. Now, my boy, come along with me," said the sheriff.

"All right, sir; just wait a couple of seconds. There's something
here in the car that Jim and Bart seemed to think a heap of, and
so I wouldn't like to lose sight of it just now."

Saying which Frank bent down and took hold of the little leather
bag. He had been surprised before to find it quite heavy, a fact
that had convinced him it must hold something which had been
stolen from the doctor over in Columbia.

Fortunately there was hot coffee to be obtained. While it was
coming Frank entertained the kindly sheriff with a rapid account
of what had happened, commencing with the duck hunt, and the
finding of the stranded car on the road home.

"Well, I never!" the other kept saying, as he sat there with his
eyes glued on the face of the young speaker, and drinking in his
words.

When Frank told of how he jumped over the railing of the bridge
that spanned Juniper Creek, the sheriff brought his hand down upon
his knee with a resounding slap.

"Beats anything I ever heard, I swan if it don't! And they tell me
that you captained them boys as played the Clifford football team