sented being called a beggar."

"Humph!" muttered Isaac Marvelling, not particularly pleased over the
turn affairs seemed to be taking. "He may be guilty and he may not be.
I rather think you had better hold this young fellow for awhile yet."

"Just as you say."

"You may hold me if you wish," put in the young auctioneer. "But if
you want to get all of your stuff back you had better follow up this
Yedley."

"I'll do that," returned the constable. "I have an idea I can find out
where he has gone to. He has several old hang-outs here, and most
likely he'll be at one or another of them."

"Are any of the places close at hand?"

"He used to put up at a shanty back here in the woods," was the slow
reply. "It is possible he has struck for that place--or else for Bill
Voegler's barn."

"Supposing we three make for the shanty without delay?"

The matter was talked over, and finally Isaac Marvelling, urged on
solely by the desire to recover his goods and not to clear Matt,
consented to accompany the others to the place the constable had
named.

It was a dark and lonely road the trio had to travel. But Jackson knew
the way well, and to avoid suspicion, put out the light. He cautioned
them not to make any noise, and so, as silently as Indians, they filed
along, Jackson first and Marvelling last, with the young auctioneer
between them.

Ten minutes' walking brought them to the edge of a bit of woodland,
surrounded on three sides by corn-fields. Here Jackson called a halt.

"The shanty is not two hundred feet from here. Keep quiet while I go
on and investigate," he whispered.

The constable glided out of sight, and five minutes of silent suspense
followed.

"It ain't likely he'll find anything," grumbled Isaac Marvelling.
"This ain't anything but a wild goose chase."

"Wait," returned Matt. "He must go slow, or he may----"

The young auctioneer broke off short, for at that instant several loud
exclamations reached their ears.

"Surrender, Yedley!" they heard Jackson cry. "Surrender, in the name
of the law!"

"Who told ye to come here?" yelled the voice of an old man. "Git out
an' leave me alone."

"I arrest you, Yedley, for stealing-- Hullo! he's gone! Stop him! stop
him!"

There was the banging of a shanty door, and then a crashing in the
bushes. Footsteps came close to where Matt and Marvelling stood.

"He's coming this way!" cried the young auctioneer. "Let us stop
him!"

"You stop him!" stammered th