“Yes,” answered Mr. Scott; “they are a political token issued in the time of Van Buren during the controversy over the currency.  By the way, I shouldn’t be surprised if these were some of the coins that were stolen out of Judge Taylor’s office when it was broken into.”

“Then the robbers must have gone away over that road,” mused Rand, “and that is how they got there.”

“That was doubtless the way of it,” concluded Jack.

“Ay, but you thought there was some connection with them and Monkey Rae,” reminded Donald.

“Are you sure there isn’t?” answered Jack.

CHAPTER XV

PEPPER TAKES THE MESSAGE

When Rand arrived at the great oak, which stood at the fork of the road on the outskirts of Creston, on the following morning, he found Pepper impatiently awaiting his arrival.

“I thought you were never coming,” grumbled Pepper, when Rand made his appearance.  “I expected to be half way there by this time.”

“Plenty of time,” said Rand.  “How long do you think it will take you to get there and back?”

“How far is it?”

“Five miles, as the crow flies,” returned Rand, “and near six by the road.”

“That’s an hour and a half on the road each way and an hour to stop.  I ought to do it in four hours and a half.”

“Then you should be back by dinner time,” concluded Rand.  “We will meet you here at 1 o’clock.  Which road are you going to take?”

“The upper road,” decided Pepper, “it runs through the woods, but it’s by far the shortest way.”

With a whistle the boy started off along the thoroughfare at a good pace.  “Look for me at 1 sharp,” he called back as he went off.

He had gone perhaps a quarter of a mile on his way when, as he was passing a small clump of bushes by the side of the road, there was a rustle behind the bushes, and a voice cried: 

“Halt!”

Pepper, however, broke into a run which carried him past the clump, when again came the command: 

“Halt, or I’ll shoot!”

The boy hesitated for a moment as to whether he should stop or run, and as he did so Gerald and Jack came out upon the scene.

“Did we scare you?” asked Gerald.

“No,” replied Pepper stoutly, “I thought it was a joke.”

“We just wanted to test your courage,” said Jack.

“That reminds me—­” began Dick, who had now joined the others.

“That it is time for me to be getting along,” broke in Pepper.  “Good-by, fellows,” starting off again.

“Good luck,” called the boys after him.

The road which he was following ran through the woods along the top of the mountain and was comparatively little traveled, most persons preferring the lower road which, although longer, was not near so rough or hilly.

Pepper met but few people on the way, and had gone rather more than half the distance when, as he was descending the slope of a small hill, he observed coming down the opposite slope a horse and wagon, about which there was something familiar.