On the other hand, the entrance to the store had been effected in a bungling and unworkmanlike manner; and though an attempt had been made to blow up the store safe, it had evidently failed because the burglars had no proper tools for accomplishing their purpose. There was also an apparent haste and indiscrimination in the selection of the goods that had been taken, which an expert thief would scarcely have manifested. Indeed, many of the articles taken seemed to suggest that the robbers were youthful as well as inexperienced. These circumstances together with the evident familiarity of the thieves with the store, led the proprietor and the police to believe that the burglary had been committed by some one living in or near the town; and consequently they began their search for the criminals right at home. It was not long before they found what appeared to them to be several important clues leading toward the identification of the thieves. A heavy thunder shower had set in the night before, about ten o'clock, and had continued until long after midnight. Tracks at the rear door of the store revealed the fact that the robbery must have taken place _after_ the storm, and that there were two burglars, if not more. A small piece of cloth was found attached to the edge of the hole in the partition, and had the appearance of having been torn from the coat of one of the robbers as he crawled through the opening. Later in the day a coat was found under a pile of lumber on the wharf, of the very same material as the scrap of cloth which had been found attached to the partition between the stores, and, wrapped inside of it, were the saw and auger which had been used to gain entrance to the building. It was soon rumored also that this coat had been identified, and that one or more arrests might be expected any moment. It was Ray himself who had brought the tidings of the robbery to Long Point Farm. He had gone over to the town the night before in the large sail boat, as he was to bring back a load of grain. Mr. Woodhull had tried at first to dissuade him from going, as there were already signs of the approaching storm, and the night would doubtless, at the time for his return, be exceedingly dark, even if the winds and waves were not unfavorable. But Ray persisted. "Next month," he said, "Mr. Carleton will be off on his vacation, and I wish to get along as far as possible in my studies before he goes. If it should storm hard when I am through with my recitation, I can remain with him until the tempest is over. I'll take along the big sail cloth, to cover the grain; and as long as I get around in time for the morning chores, it will make no great difference."