“I told you so,” was the burden of Chief Collig’s song of triumph. “I knew all the time that Robinson was the man. I arrested him right after the robbery, but they all said it couldn’t be him. So I let him go. But I knew all the time it couldn’t be anyone else. Ain’t that so, Smuff?”

And the loyal Smuff would dutifully chime in with, “Yes, chief. We have to hand it to you. You had the right man all the time.”

“I guess these professional detectives won’t think they’re so smart after all, eh, Smuff?”

“No, you bet they won’t. We can still teach ’em a thing or two.”

“I’ll say we can, Smuff. I’ll say we can.”

These stories, naturally enough, reached the ears of Fenton Hardy and the Hardy boys and they felt keenly the arrogant superiority displayed by the Bayport police officials. But they said nothing, suffering their defeat in silence.