But don't you agree with me, Frank?"
"Certainly I do, because I happen to have a strong bit of evidence which
I picked up out there close to the burning leaves."
He held something up.
"A match-box!" exclaimed Will.
"Do any of you own that?"
"Pass it around. I never saw it before," declared Jerry, as he handled
the little silver article in which several matches still remained.
"Well, I have, then," remarked Bluff, suddenly, as he stared at the
trophy; "and just as I thought, here are two initials on it."
"What are they?" asked Jerry, showing excitement.
"H.B."
"That doesn't cover any of Andy's crowd, though," said Jerry, seemingly
disappointed.
"The real owner of this match-box is Herman Bancroft," announced
Bluff; "I've had it in my hands more than once. You know I went with
him for a time."
"He wanted to join our Rod, Gun and Camera Club, but the black ball
dished his chances. Perhaps Herman was mad about that; perhaps he even
followed us up here, and has tried to get even," suggested Will.
"That's hard to believe, for he isn't the bad fellow some people say. A
little wild, but with a good heart. I'd rather believe he lost it, and
one of that crowd picked it up," said Bluff, sturdily.
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