of them."

"Didn't see any of them! Why, you've told the whole history straight
through, just the same as if you'd seen it with your eyes. How did you
manage that?"

Tom says, kind of easy and comfortable:

"Oh, just noticing the evidence and piecing this and that together, your
honor; just an ordinary little bit of detective work; anybody could 'a'
done it."

"Nothing of the kind! Not two in a million could 'a' done it. You are a
very remarkable boy."

Then they let go and give Tom another smashing round, and he--well, he
wouldn't 'a' sold out for a silver mine. Then the judge says:

"But are you certain you've got this curious history straight?"

"Perfectly, your honor. Here is Brace Dunlap--let him deny his share
of it if he wants to take the chance; I'll engage to make him wish he
hadn't said anything...... Well, you see HE'S pretty quiet. And his
brother's pretty quiet, and them four witnesses that lied so and got
paid for it, they're pretty quiet. And as for Uncle Silas, it ain't any
use for him to put in his oar, I wouldn't believe him under oath!"

Well, sir, that fairly made them shout; and even the judge he let go
and laughed. Tom he was just feeling like a rainbow. When they was done
laughing he looks up at the judge and says:

"Your honor, there's a thief in this house."

"A thief?"

"Yes, sir. And he's got them twelve-thousand-dollar di'monds on him."

By gracious, but it made a stir! Everybody went shouting:

"Which is him? which is him? p'int him out!"

And the judge says:

"Point him out, my lad. Sheriff, you will arrest him. Which one is it?"

Tom says:

"This late dead man here--Jubiter Dunlap."

Then there was another thundering let-go of astonishment and excitement;
but Jubiter, which was astonished enough before, was just fairly
putrified with astonishment this time. And he spoke up, about half
crying, and says:

"Now THAT'S a lie. Your honor, it ain't fair; I'm plenty bad enough
without that. I done the other things--Brace he put me up to it, and
persuaded me, and promised he'd make me rich, some day, and I done it,
and I'm sorry I done it, and I wisht I hadn't; but I hain't stole no
di'monds, and I hain't GOT no di'monds; I wisht I may never stir if it
ain't so. The sheriff can search me and see."

Tom says:

"Your honor, it wasn't right to call him a thief, and I'll let up on
that a little. He did steal the di'monds, but he didn't know it. He
stole them from his brothe