the rock which the miners brought him; and the little company set
out for home, leaving Tabitha and the assayer to carry the precious
find over to the bank.

"Do you know," said Gloriana, as the black-eyed girl finished relating
the afternoon's happenings to her, "I half believe that man snooping
around the pesthouse is the robber."

"What man?" demanded the startled Tabitha.

"Well, I don't know who he is, but it is someone I've never seen here
in town. He was there this morning, but I didn't think much about it
then. We were so excited over the robbery. But this afternoon while
the assayer was dragging you out of the prospect hole, and I was
watching through your field glasses, I happened to turn them in the
direction of the pesthouse, and there he was again, humped up on the
doorsill, watching through glasses of his own. When you started off
toward town, he hustled into the house and shut the door. Now, it
seems to me no one would stay in a _pesthouse_ unless he was hiding
from someone."

"No one ever had smallpox there."

"Then why does everyone avoid it so?"

"I don't know. The name, I reckon. It was built for a pesthouse, but
the doctors decided the patient didn't have smallpox after all, so the
building has never been used."

"Then perhaps he knows there is nothing to be afraid of in the house."

"That may be, of course. Is he there yet?"

"Yes, I think he is. I've kept a close lookout ever since I discovered
him, and I haven't seen him leave."

Tabitha seemed lost in thought a moment, then turned an eager face
toward her companion. "Gloriana, the reward!"

"Could we?"

"Can't tell till we try!"

"But how----"

"There are only two small windows in the house,--funny, isn't it, when
air is so necessary in case of sickness,--he can't get out of them. So
all we have to do is guard the door."

"But how shall we get him to the--police?"

"Sheriff? I hadn't thought of that part. We couldn't tie him up and
march him to jail,--we aren't strong enough, just us girls. We'll have
to make sure he is there, lock him in, and then while one of us guards
the door, the other must go for help."

Gloriana shuddered. She hoped it would not fall to her lot to guard
the door, and yet she could not bear to think of Tabitha's staying
there alone with only a flimsy structure between her and a desperate
character.

"I--we--had we better try it alone?" she asked timidly. "Wouldn't it
be wiser to tel