For a moment Tom and his chums stood looking at the somewhat bewildered farmer, and then Tom spoke.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve!” he said cuttingly.

“I should say so,” added Bert.

“The worst ever,” added Jack.  “After we help you put out the fire, and practically saved your barns and horses, you come and make trouble like this.  You’re a peach, you are!”

“Don’t you give me none of your back talk!” snapped Mr. Appleby.  “I know what I’m doin’.”

“Yes, and I suppose you did when you charged us ten dollars for a little corn,” said Tom.

“That’s all right,” replied the farmer, doggedly.  “I’ll find out who sot that fire, and I’ll have th’ law on ’em, student or no student.  An’ I’ll find out who lost that pin.”

“Good luck to you!” called Bert sarcastically.

“Maybe you lost it yourself,” said the farmer quickly.  “Will you show me your pin, an’ will you swear you wasn’t away from the school early in th’ evenin’ of the fire?  Will you?”

“I sure will!” exclaimed Bert, “and here’s my pin,” and he showed where it was fastened on his sweater that he used to throw over his broad shoulders when resting from football practice.

“Where’s yours?” demanded Mr. Appleby, turning to Tom and Jack.

Bert, who was looking at Tom, fancied he saw a start on the part of his chum.  There was just the suggestion of a flush under the tan of his cheeks, and then he answered: 

“It’s in my room probably.  I don’t wear it all the while.”

“Neither do I,” added Jack quickly.  “I haven’t mine on.  Maybe I lost it.”

“Why, Jack!” began Bert.   “I saw your pin on you this af------”

He subsided quickly, for, as Tom turned aside Jack administered a swift kick to Bert, at the same time hissing into his ear:  “Shut up, you chump!  Why do you want to bother answering a fellow like him?”

“Oh—­er—­all right,” stammered Bert, and he looked from Jack to Tom, wonderingly.

“All right.  You may think you’re smart, but you’ll find that th’ law’s smarter than any of ye!” threatened the farmer, as he turned aside with a scowl.

“Nice sort of chap—­not,” murmured Tom, as he strode on, his companions hurrying to catch up to him.

“I should say so,” agreed Jack.  “Why, any fellow might lose his pin—­not necessarily at Appleby’s hay stacks—­and that, in his eyes, would make him guilty.  I don’t even know where my school pin is at this moment.”

Once more Bert looked at Jack, and he wondered much, for he was sure he had seen Jack’s pin gleaming on his sweater a short time before the farmer appeared, and yet now Jack said he did not have it.

“It’s too much for me!” murmured Bert.  He was not much given to solving puzzles, and this one was beyond him.  Why had Jack pretended not to have his pin, when all the while Bert was sure he had seen it?  Could it be that------?