an," said Jack, "and indeed I have such an opinion of it
that I am willing to pay you for your time."

"Pay me?"

"Yes."

"Well, now, I ain't looking for any pay."

"Ten dollars would come in handy all the same, I reckon."

"Well, yes; you see, although I've been on this road for fifty years I
didn't save much. My daughter didn't marry well, and I've had two or
three families to take care of--yes, ten dollars will go a long way with
me."

"All right; I've got ten dollars' worth of information out of you
already."

Jack handed the old man a ten-dollar bill.

"What!" ejaculated Douglas, his eyes dilating, "do you mean that you
will pay me ten dollars for just the little I've said to you?"

"Certainly I will; our papers pay big prices for interesting stories."

"Well, I can tell you some interesting stories--yes, I can do that."

"I'd like to get the article as soon as I can, Mr. Douglas, and I'd be
willing to pay you for loss of time if you can get 'laid off' for a
day."

"Oh, I can do that any time--yes, I've been on the road so long they
favor me."

"Well, I'll tell you, I will be at your house to-morrow morning at ten
o'clock. You will have your memoranda all ready, and we will go over it.
You see, I want to write about the road forty or fifty years ago."

"I see--yes, I see--and I've got the data."

Jack had perceived that the old man was quite intelligent for his
station in life, and having arranged to meet him at his home in Newark,
Jack bade him good-day and returned to his lodgings.

CHAPTER IV.

A MOST WONDERFUL "SHADOW"--GOING OVER A RAILROAD
DIARY--AN INCIDENT THAT WAS SUGGESTIVE--A MARVELOUS
DISCOVERY--THE OLD TRUNK--ON THE TRACK OF A GENUINE
CLUE.

Our readers may think it strange that the detective should go out of his
way to listen to an old man's tales of a railroad, but Jack had become
possessed of an idea. His idea may have been "far-fetched," as they
say, but he believed he was building on a good logical basis; at any
rate he was sufficiently prepossessed in favor of his theory to
determine to make a fair test, and little did he dream how straight to
the mark he was going. He resolved, however, to go ahead without
knowing.

On the day following, at the time named, Jack appeared at the old man's
house, and found Mr. Douglas glad to welcome him. The ten dollars and a
prospect of more money made the man with the diary quite solicitous to
furnish all the information he cou