e lock-up,
anyway."

Isaac Marvelling grumbled, but at last consented, and soon all three
were down under the bridge. Here it was pitch-dark, and the feeble
rays of the lantern only lit up a circle that was less than three
yards in diameter.

In hopes of clearing himself, more than for the purpose of aiding
Isaac Marvelling in the recovery of the goods, Matt set to work with a
will.

"Here is another spoon," he said presently, and he handed over a
silver-plated affair, which at the most was not worth fifteen cents,
wholesale.

"Here are a couple of knives," added Jackson. "And here is a bit of
paper some of the stuff must have been wrapped in."

"Look here!" suddenly cried Matt, as he pointed down into the water.
"Here's a man's cap, and it looks as if it had just fallen in, for one
side of the peak is not yet wet."

"Let me see that cap," returned the constable quickly.

He snatched it from Matt's hand and turned with it to the lantern. His
examination lasted but a few seconds.

"Say, Marvelling, have you seen anything of old Joe Yedley lately?" he
asked, turning to the store-keeper.

"Yedley? Why, yes; he was in the store begging, only yesterday," was
the reply. "But what has he----"

"Did you give him anything?"

"Give him anything?" cried Marvelling wrathfully. "Not a cent! I told
him to clear out; that I didn't want him to ever come in again. I have
no use for beggars."

"Did he go near the case with the cutlery and jewelry in it?"

"Humph! I suppose he did. But what has he to do with this?"

"This is Joe Yedley's cap; I would know it out of a thousand. He is an
old offender, and it is more than likely that he is the thief!"

CHAPTER XXII.

THE SHANTY IN THE WOODS.

The reader may rest assured that Matt listened with deep interest to
the words of the constable. He knew nothing of the man that had been
mentioned as the probable thief, but he was willing to believe
Jackson's supposition true.

"That Joe Yedley's cap?" returned Isaac Marvelling slowly.

"Certainly. You ought to know it well enough. He has worn nothing else
for years."

"Humph! how did it get here?"

"The man must have dropped it in his haste to get away when I came
here," said Matt. "He left in a big hurry."

"That's most likely it," said the constable. "To tell the truth, it
looks just like a piece of Yedley's work," he added slowly. "He did it
in order to get square, as much as anything, I reckon. He always
re