is
direction."

"You might as well own up to what you have done," added the constable.
"It won't do you any good to deny it."

For the moment Matt did not reply to this. He was thinking of what had
occurred at the bridge just before the two men had reached it. Could
it be possible that the dark object which had left the place when he
had arrived was the thief, rooted out of what he had considered a safe
hiding-place?

"How near were you to me when you saw me first?" he asked of
Marvelling.

"We were near enough."

"Did you see my face?"

"Never mind if we did or not."

"No, I must say I didn't see your face," said the constable, who,
although a friend of the store-keeper, was yet disposed to be fair and
square.

"You probably saw a man, and he ran in this direction," went on Matt.

"We saw you," said Marvelling doggedly. "March him back to the store,
Jackson, and we'll make him confess where he has placed the stolen
stuff. He doesn't seem to have it with him."

"If you wish to get back your goods you had better listen to what I
have to say," returned Matt, trying to keep down his rising temper. "I
did not enter your store, but perhaps I can put you on the track of
the party who did."

"Oh, pshaw! that's all talk!" snarled Isaac Marvelling. "March him
back, Jackson."

"It won't do any harm to listen to his story," said the constable
meekly. "I reckon you want to get the goods back more than anything."

"Of course! of course!" responded the store-keeper eagerly. "I can't
afford to lose forty-five dollars' worth of stuff at once."

"You say you didn't do the job, and that you think you can put us on
the right track?"

"I think I can do something for you," returned Matt.

And in a few brief words he told how he happened to be at the bridge
and what he had seen. The constable listened with deep interest, but
Isaac Marvelling pooh-poohed the whole story.

"He's a good one at telling 'em," said the store-keeper. "I don't
place no credit in what he says."

"Well, it won't do any harm to investigate," replied Jackson. "You
hold him, while I light my lantern and take a look under the bridge."

"He may try to get away from me," said Marvelling, as he surveyed
Matt's tall and well-built form with some trepidation. "He would most
likely do anything to keep out of jail."

"I have more at stake than you have," cried the young auctioneer.

"Indeed?"

"Yes, sir. I consider my reputation worth considerably