l clasped tightly in his arms, and his snoring sounded like distant
thunder.

It was with some difficulty that we at length aroused him, and got him
to the cart, where he was allowed to rest and sleep as long as he
pleased, and while he was thus employed, we made another discovery,
which set us to wondering.

CHAPTER XXIV.

ROBBERY OF THE CART.--CAPTURE OF STEEL SPRING.

What caused us so much surprise was the fact that during our absence the
cart was visited, our provisions overhauled, a portion carried off, and
one or two bottles of claret emptied. It was evident that the thief was
in too great a hurry to draw the cork, even if he had had a corkscrew,
of which there was some doubt; so he had just broken the necks of the
bottles on one of the wheels, and then drank to satiety.

Our visitor was no ghost-like character, who could pass through a hole
and not feel inconvenienced. According to the quantity of provisions
which he had eaten and carried off, he must have possessed a human
stomach of remarkable voracity.

It was very evident that we had a thief of extraordinary shrewdness to
deal with, and that unless we were a little sharper we should be cheated
of our gold and fleeced of our provisions--two reflections not very
comforting.

We held a long conference and debated the best way to entrap our
opponent, and yet we could reach no conclusion, and were about to
provide our dinners, when Rover bounded from the bushes with a piece of
cloth in his mouth, which he shook and played with for some time before
he would relinquish.

It was the remnant of a blue flannel shirt, and the idea struck me that
our visitor had not only taken our provisions, but had stolen a portion
of our clothing. I examined the few articles which I had brought and
found that my surmise was correct. A pair of pants and a shirt were
missing; but I felt glad to think that the exchange had been made, as
now I considered that we had our friend on the hip.

I explained to Fred and Smith the manner in which we could track our
visitor, and they agreed to assist me in trying the experiment. I called
the hound, and laid the remnant of the shirt before him. Thinking that I
meant to have a lark with him, he began to tear the flannel and play as
formerly, but I touched him with a small switch and he crouched at my
feet, and looked up so reproachful and timid that I was almost sorry to
think I was obliged to correct him. I steadily persevered u