good price and last year was the first season we didn’t realize a profit on them.”

“Any idea where they go?”

“No, we haven’t, but it must be outsiders. Probably some tourists discovered the old farm tucked away there in the woods, and let it be known, or came back themselves. We have three watchmen, and now one of them sits up all night, but it hasn’t done much good,” Mr. Fenton answered.

“Sure Hezzy isn’t putting his own brand on them?” Jim suggested.

“My goodness sakes alive, child, don’t say anything like that. I wouldn’t have anyone hear you for the world,” Aunt Belle said anxiously.

“Hezzy is too honest for his own good, really. He wouldn’t take a bent pin that didn’t belong to him. I’ve known him since I was a boy. He’s a fine poultry man and absolutely reliable. Keeps his records as accurate as can be. There isn’t a cent’s worth he doesn’t give a detailed account of every week,” Mr. Fenton supplemented.

“I didn’t mean to cast reflections on his honesty, but he was such a bear, it just occurred to me he might be feathering his own nest with your turkeys,” Jim said.

“Oh, dear me, don’t say it again. Why, I should be so distressed to have it get out—”

“We won’t breath it, Aunt Belle,” Bob promised.

“I’ll take you over sometime and you can see the place. I ordered a pair of good watchdogs to help guard it. They should be here in a day or so,” Mr. Fenton said, then added. “Well, if you want to go out and inspect what’s being done on the mud hole, come along.”

“Perhaps they could eat another piece of pie, Norman.”

“No, we couldn’t, not a sliver,” Bob insisted.

“Much to our regret,” Jim grinned.

“Very well,” Aunt Belle agreed.

The two boys followed Mr. Fenton out of the front door, down the flower lined path under a grove of huge maples, across the road onto the farm proper, past the barns, around the vegetable garden and then he stopped and made a gesture.

“Here it is.” They saw the land, much as he had described it, the alfalfa meadow rising gently on the further side, and between them was a long pond of still water which was very dirty.

“Some hole,” Jim 

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