Out of a Labyrinth

reputation as thoroughly good fellows was w

ow well met with every old bummer and corner loafer; he made himself acqua

on warranted, concerning me, and so it came about that I was believed to be a young man of wealth, the possessor of an irascible temper, but very generous; the victim of a woman's

, or drawn out of, him when he was supposed to be "the worse f

, Trafton had accepted me at Carnes' standard, and I found my way made s

n a social footing with the Brookhouses, father and son. I made my bow before the fair owner of the treasure-ship jewels

ntertained a suspicion of our masquerade, we began to look more diligently about us fo

ble saloon, and I had returned from a small social gathering whither I had been piloted by

up again as his enthusiasm waxed or waned. "The question is this: What's in our hand

ghed, while I referred to a previously mentio

rk up a knotty case. We know we are in the field, bedad. We know that horses have been stolen, houses broken open, ro

looked over as if he expected

to-day, and, like a love letter, it should be destroyed as soon as read. Here you have, as near as I could get them, the names of the farmers who have lo

bridge of his nose

lated; "St. Patrick himself c

this county. On this map, one by

arnes, impatiently. "Serve it up

certain directions. Look; east, northeast, west, north; scarce one south, southeast, or southwest. Hence, I conclude th

!" muttered Carnes

y alert, "the horses, etc., have been stolen from points ten, twelve, twenty miles

m?" from

ay, the robbery is committed. The horses must be off the road, and safe from prying eyes, before morning, and must remain perdu until the search is over. What, then? The question

comment, but

horse-thieves to be somewhere south, or nearly south,

mp

early south, for obvious reason

ind; pra

the roads that intersect it from this. I infer that it is use

nce of that north and south

begin a systematic s

s chair close to the table, upon which he pl

hair close to the table, upon which he planted

elves with a few hours' sleep, we were so thoroughly "organized" that had we not found another opportunity for private consultation during our op

nes, the following morning, "that I entirely forgot to treat you to a beautiful little Trafton vagar

amazement; "Carnes, that's

't seen Jim Long this day. D'ye mind the chap

with red hair an

ber; to-day he was drunk, and he told me in confidence that some folks looked upon Dr. Bethe

s this

Squire Brookhouse, but the 'squire

t of silence between us, "hadn'

turning slowly until he faced me squarely "If I were