Maple Grove is having a Founder's Day, and all the Barnhill family is taking part. Tom and Jake are in charge of the cornhole game; there's a parade down Main Street with people coming from far and wide. The men of the church are grilling hot dogs and hamburgers, while the ladies of the church are selling slices of homemade cakes and pies.

Who would ever suspect that trouble was about to come to this nice quiet village? What could a bank robbery in West Virginia have to do with Tom and Jake? Here are some clues, a hobo, a train, and a kidnapping. It makes for the most exciting and dangerous mystery of the boys' lives.