Now," said he, in conclusion, "if we can only manage to clear up that
case of the beer-cask, we shall have done a good stroke of business
to-day. Have you found out anything in regard to it?"

The case to which Mr Sharp referred was that of a cask of beer which
had been stolen from the line at a station not three miles distant from
Clatterby.

"Yes, sir," said David Blunt with a satisfied smile, "I have found out
enough to lead to the detection of the thief."

"Indeed, who d'ye think it is?"

"One of the men at the station, sir. There have been two about it but
the other is a stranger. You see, sir," continued Blunt, with an
earnest look, and in a business tone of voice, "when you sent me down to
investigate the case I went d'rect to the station-master there and heard
all he had to say about it--which wasn't much;--then off I goes to where
the truck was standin', from which the cask had bin taken and pottered
about there for some time. At last I tried on the Red Indian dodge--
followed up tracks and signs, till at last I came upon a mark as if
somethin' had bin rolled along the bank, and soon traced it to a gap
broken through a hedge into a field. I followed it up in the field, and
in a short time came on the cask itself. Of course I made a careful
examination of the locality, and found very distinct foot-prints,
particularly one of 'em on a piece of clay as sharp as if it had been
struck in wax. While thus engaged I found a shoe--"

"Ha!" exclaimed Mr Sharp.

"And here it is," said Blunt taking the shoe from under his chair and
laying it on the table.

The superintendent took it up, examined it and then replaced it on the
table with a nod, saying, "Proceed."

"Well, sir, of course I looked well for the other shoe, but didn't find
it; so I came away with what I had got, takin' care to place a lump of a
stone over the foot-print in the clay, so as to guard but not touch
it,--for it wasn't the print of _this_ shoe, sir, though somewhat like
it."

"Ha!" exclaimed Mr Sharp again.

After revolving the matter in his mind for some minutes, and consulting
with his satellite, Mr Sharp resolved to go down at once to the place
and watch the beer-cask.

"It is not very late yet," he said, "and these thirsty boys will be sure
to want a drop of beer to their supper to-night. What makes you so sure
that Bill Jones is the thief?"

"Because," answered Blunt, "I observed that he was the only man at the
station tha