nd tell Colonel Montague
what's up. I would, if I had known exactly what was going to happen."

A boat with Captain Chinks at the oars, and Mr. Brooks in the
stern-sheets, came alongside the Skylark.

"You are here--are you?" said Captain Chinks, with an ugly look.

"Of course I'm here," replied Bobtail, quietly. "I ain't nowhere else."

"I want you to go on shore with me," added the deputy sheriff.

"Monkey says you want to take me up."

"I don't want to do so, but I must discharge my duty. I have a warrant
for your arrest," replied Mr. Brooks.

"What for?"

"For stealing a letter with money in it."

"Captain Chinks here knows that I didn't do it."

"No, I don't."

"You saw the letter in Squire Gilfilian's office after I left."

"That's so; but I can't say that you didn't go back after I went off. I
didn't believe you took the letter till the squire proved it; and then I
couldn't help believing it. I don't see how you can help believing it
yourself."

"I didn't take the letter."

"We will talk this matter over at the squire's office," interposed the
deputy sheriff. "You had better not say much about it here."

"I'm going to speak the truth right straight through, and I don't care
who hears me."

"You are not obliged to say anything to commit yourself, Bobtail. I want
you to understand that," said Mr. Brooks, kindly.

"I shall not say anything to commit myself, you had better believe, for
I didn't take the letter."

"The less you say about it, the better," added the officer.

"Does my mother know anything about this business?" asked Bobtail.

"I reckon she knows more about it than anybody else except yourself,"
answered Captain Chinks.

"I have talked with your mother about it," said Mr. Brooks. "She feels
very bad, of course; and she says she can't explain the matter at all."

"She don't know anything about it," replied Bobtail.

"I will send for her when we get on shore," added the deputy sheriff.

Captain Chinks pulled to one of the wharves up the harbor, where the
party landed, and then proceeded to the office of Squire Gilfilian. The
lawyer was there, and so was the ill-visaged man who took care of the
case of the bank robbers. Mr. Brooks had sent a boy for Mrs. Taylor as
soon as they landed, and she and her husband arrived at the office
almost as soon as Bobtail.

"O, Robert," exclaimed the poor woman, her eyes filling with tears, as
she hugged her boy.

"Don't be scared, mother. I