“Of course,” said the chief. “You are to go back there and hang around with Charley Maynard as soon as we land these fellows on the train, or become convinced that they did not take a train back to the city.” “There is a train leaves here at four o’clock in the morning,” said Chick, referring to a timetable. “They might have taken that.” The fact was that Chick found himself not a little puzzled at the attitude of his chief in the case. Had he been permitted to have his own way, all the investigations would have been confined to the Maynard house. He regarded the burglary as merely incidental, and would not have wasted a moment on it. As he explained to Nick, he did not see how the burglars could have committed the murder or stolen the gems, as they had penetrated into the house no farther than the rear room. He determined that if he was left at the house, in charge of the case there, the inmates would have some pretty hard questions to answer. Nick must have detected his intentions, for he said: “Let the inmates of the house alone; let them say and do what they please, and go where they see fit; but keep your eyes on them. I want to know whom they see and what they do.” “Very well,” said Chick, not a little disappointed. “Now,” continued the chief, “it may be that Charley was drugged on the night of the murder and robbery. See what you can learn about that.” “You think that probable?” “It is at least possible,” was the reply. “Then that shows a desire on the part of some one in the house to rob him. As I said before, I think the burglars were on a worked-out claim.” Nick chuckled, but said nothing. Chick had differed with his chief in so many cases which had been won that he was not inclined to force his opinions to the front, so he remained silent. The railroad station at which the detectives now stood was a small affair, and was usually closed in the nighttime. No through trains stopped there, but at four o’clock in the morning a local passed into the city, and an agent was always there at that time. A short distance from the station was a little suburban store where fruit and light lunches were sold. Many suburbanites took and left the trains there during the day, and the keeper of the store did quite a business. Nick approached him as he stood serving coffee and sandwiches to two travelers. “Were you here this morning?” he asked. “I sleep here,” was the reply. Nick called him aside as soon as his customers left. “Were you in your place of business when the train passed here at four o’clock this morning?” he asked. “The place was not open,” was the reply, “but I was awake.” “Did the train stop?” “Yes, sir. It always does. There are usually early birds out. We call them four-o’clockers.” “Their work in the city begins early?” “I suppose so.” “Do you happen to know whether any strangers were about here when the train came in?”