once more, but
failed to discover any marks of any value. Then we sat down, and the
oculist drew a vivid picture of the journey the thief had made. At
last, feeling more than satisfied with our work, we rose to go in to
breakfast.

"Ewart, I want you to wire for that friend of yours before you do
anything else. You may want him soon. I will leave by the morning
train to-morrow, but I shall continue on this case till the mystery is
solved. In the meantime, you will need someone you can trust at your
side all the time."

"I'll go into Glenelg, and wire immediately after breakfast," I
promised. "Hullo, more reflections," I laughed, and pointed to a
small, bright object some distance away on the rocks, which was
catching the glint of the sun.

"We seem to be surrounded by a spying army of glittering objects,"
laughed my companion, as we strolled on. We had walked some forty
yards when some instinct--I know not what--prompted me to investigate
the affair. I turned back, and went to pick up the shining object,
though for the life of me I could not have told you what I expected
to find.

"Garnesk!" I bawled. "Garnesk! Come here!"

"What is it?" he shouted to me, as he came hurtling over the rocks.

"Look at it," I replied tersely, and placed it in his outstretched
palm. He glanced at it, and then at me.

"That settles it," he said, and whistled softly, for I had found a
small piece of brass, and on it was engraved:--

"Sholto, The Douglas, Invermalluch Lodge, Inverness-shire."

It was the name-plate from Sholto's collar.

CHAPTER IX.

THE MYSTERY OF SHOLTO.

We discussed our discovery pretty thoroughly on the way back to the
house, and both agreed that it left no doubt upon one aspect of this
strange affair--the man who stole Sholto was no ordinary thief.

The General was standing on the verandah, looking about for us, as we
came up the beach path. I told him of Garnesk's deductions and their
interesting result, and the old man was greatly affected.

"I never dreamt I should live to see the old place abused in this
shocking manner," he grunted. "'Pon me soul, it's--it's begad
disgraceful. I've lived here all my life, on and off, and I've never
been troubled with anything like this, scarcely so much as a tramp
even. I hope to God it'll soon be over, that's all."

"Thanks to Mr. Garnesk, we're moving along in the right direction," I
tried to reassure him. "And we have the satisfaction, in one way, of