"Boys," said he, when he finally lowered his eyes, "I have a feeling that some one is trying to victimize this professor of yours; in other words, that evil forces are at work to swindle him out of his claim, or, perhaps, to get it in some way even more desperate.

I don't want to alarm you unnecessarily, but it's the part of wisdom to consider this matter in the worst light possible, and then to go to work alon g that line.

If we're mistaken in our conclusions, well and good.

Better that, you know, than to think nothing is wrong, to let matters drift, and then to find that the professor has been swindled or"-- he hesitated--"or that he has disappeared, never to return." All three of the boys at that gave a jump of consternation.
"Great Scott!" exclaimed Clancy, "you don't have any idea that the harmless old fossil has been put out of the way ?" "No," was the reply; "and yet there are people who would put him out of the way, if, by so doing, they could show up with a quitclaim deed to that wonderfully rich gold mine.

If the professor were gone for good, you see, no one would appear to question the validity of the legal document.