t in the
chair," said Jack at length. "That proves that you did take the pin. Now
where is it? If I have to fill my enchanted glass again, I'll make you
look in it whether you want to or not. Where is it?"

[Illustration: THE ENCHANTED LOOKING-GLASS.]

"De oberseer got it," was the reply that made the sailor wonder whether
he was awake or dreaming. "Suah's you born, de oberseer done made me gib
it to him."

Jack had not the least doubt of it, but in order to test the boy's
sincerity, he told him to sit down in the chair, assuring him, at the
same time, that he had nothing to fear. As he had atoned for his guilt
by making a confession, the chair would hold him up as it would anybody
else. Julius tremblingly obeyed, and when he found that the chair really
did support him, he gained courage, and with a little questioning told
the whole story pretty nearly as we have told it, with this difference:
He omitted some important items which we have been obliged to explain in
order to make the narrative clear to the reader. It was a very nice
scheme, Jack told himself, but he had not yet got the game as completely
in his own hands as he determined to have it.

"Julius," said he impressively, "do you know what will happen to you if
you fail to prove the truth of this most remarkable tale? You'll be sold
down South before the week is over. A darkey who has been as carefully
brought up as you have wouldn't last long in the cotton fields."

"But, Marse Jack," said Julius earnestly, "I kin prove dat I ain't tole
you nuffin but the gospel truth. I kin fotch you de pin; but you musn't
luff de oberseer whop me."

"He shall not put a hand on you," Jack assured him. "Keep away from the
quarter, take no more reports to him, and I will stand between you and
all harm."

As he said this he unlocked the door, and the darkey disappeared like a
flash. He was gone about half an hour, and when he returned he handed
Jack the breastpin, which was wrapped in a piece of newspaper. The
overseer being away in the field and his cabin unlocked, it was a matter
of no difficulty for the darkey to rummage his bureau drawers until he
found the object of which he was in search. Whether or not Hanson ever
discovered that he had been robbed of the "charm" that gave him such
power over Julius, Jack never knew. If he did, he never said a word
about it while he remained on that plantation.

But this was not the only good work Jack Gray did duri