ain--one could not hope for things to happen in duplicate.

"Dollops! Dollops!" he exclaimed, with a shake of the head. "Where is
your training in Apache quarters gone to, I'd like to know? Letting a
mere woman elude you, as though she had been Margot, Queen of the
Apaches, herself. And doing the ventriloquial trick so successfully upon
you, too! And at the very crux of the case, just when I'd found the clue
of all others which was likely to establish the truth of the whole
appalling affair! I'm disappointed. But it can't be helped, so put away
your crestfallen countenance, and come back to the house with me. We'll
have to wait until evening now, and see what comes to pass to-night. Did
the lady actually see you by any chance?"

"Don't know, sir." Dollops's voice was dejected. "Suppose she must 'er
done, by the way she slipped the leash on me, so ter speak. Why, sir?"

"Because, my young jackanapes, if that is the case, the scarcer you make
yourself the better," returned Cleek rapidly. "For it's no use your
allying yourself to me in her ladyship's presence, for the fat would be
in the fire with a vengeance. And now, about that other affair.... You
did what I told you? And what did your bit of private 'detecting' bring
forth, may I ask?"

For a second Dollops's glum face lit up, and his eyes shone. Here at
least he had found something with which actually to help. There was a
hint of triumph in his tones.

"Got 'em 'id in the shrubs, sir," he returned enthusiastically. "Done up
in brahn paper, they are, and ready for examination on sight. 'Untin'
boots, Mr. Cleek, sir--gent's 'untin'-boots, and that thick wiv mud as
ter look like blessed gardings too. Fit fer growin' a crop of taties in,
I swear, sir. An' fahnd 'em 'idden in a bush er laurels as large as
life."

"Whew! Is that all, then? Nothing under-ground?"

"No, sir. Not a blinkin' thing."

"Um. Pity. You must show me the hunting-boots, Dollops; they may prove a
clue--though just how they would be connected with this particular case
remains to be seen. Very muddy, eh? Any name inside?"

Dollops nodded.

He looked hastily from side to side to see that no one was listening.
Then he bent toward Cleek with a mysterious manner and spoke in a bated
voice.

"Yessir. Belongs to a gen'leman as is sweet on the young leddy we come
along wiv yesterday from Lunnon," he replied weightily. "Or so they tell
me up at the Three Fishers. Name of Macdonald--Captain Angus Mac