"Now, Blakeley," he said, kind of more serious like, while he rowed around; "what are we going to do about it? Skinny didn't take the money, that's settled. All right then, who did? Nobody. Correct, be seated. All right then, what became of it? Mr. David Jones has it--our old college chum, Davy. It's at the bottom of Black Lake. How do I know all this? Because I know young mackinaw jacket and because I know Skinny--see? Simple as eating pie." "Gee, I've got to admit that eating pie is easy--especially mince," I told him. He said, "All right, now I'm going to ask you a question and if you want to, you can say 'none of your business.' You told me you were keeping still about something. Has it anything to do with Skinny?" "No, siree, it has not," I told him. "All right, has it anything to do with the key?" He shot it out just like that and oh, boy, wasn't I up in the air. I said, "Maybe, kind of; yes, it has." "Well then, you'd better tell me all about it," he said. "I can't," I told him. He said, "Oh, yes, you can." "I promised I wouldn't," I said. "Well then," he said, "we're all up in the air and I guess I can't help you much. I just thought that maybe two heads would be better than one, that's all. The money came out of the locker, that's sure. Any idea who it belongs to?" For a minute I just sat there thinking, watching him dip his oars. He lifted them up and I could hear the water drip from them, and then it would be all quiet till he did it again. "I couldn't row ashore with one oar," he said; "I'd just have to scull. Two oars are better than one. Same with heads, Blakeley. Skinny's got till Wednesday. You've done a good job so far. I dare say the cross will be here by Wednesday. Ever try to row feather-stroke, Blakeley?" Gee, I just couldn't help what I did--I just couldn't resist that fellow. I said, "Bert, you've got more brains than I have, that's one sure thing, and I can't help doing just what you say. I have to admit you're a wonder. I can't do any more alone, I can't. We have to be partners, kind of. Do you believe that about the Elks throwing him down? Bert, there was a fellow, a big fellow, and he's a son of the man that owns this boat, and he's a lieutenant." This is just what I told him. I said, "He's had a whole lot of dandy adventures and he took his uniform off to go fishing and hid it in the house-boat. And then when he came to get it, the boat was gone, because his father told our troop that we could use it. And after we got way down as far as Staten Island he sneaked on board one night and put his old clothes in the locker and took his uniform, and afterwards he dropped the key when he tried to give me some money and Skinny found it. He found the money, too, and he gave it to Mr. Ellsworth, but he forgot about the key." "He gave it to Mr. Ellsworth, huh?" Bert said.