nt to
Turtle's office and posted him on the situation. The countryman was
anxious to leave town, but on various pretenses they held him for two
days, but as he stoutly affirmed that the lost money was his own they
were puzzled to solve the mystery; but their knowledge of human nature
was such that they felt certain that if they could only arrive at the
bottom the old gentleman would not be quite as white as he pretended to
be. He came from an obscure mountain town in East Tennessee, and while
they fancied a trip there might solve matters they feared to lose their
victim--for victim these human tigers determined the countryman should
be. The second day they resolved on decisive measures to get at the
truth, and at the same time secure some plunder, provided the
Tennesseean had any cash.

So far Turtle and Foster had not been seen by the victim. The detectives
asked the countryman to remain one more night to see if they could not
catch the men who had robbed him. That afternoon one of Turtle's staff
secured a room at the same hotel, and, seizing an opportunity, slipped
into the countryman's chamber and concealed some burglar tools under the
mattress of his bed and in his carpet bag. This once done, they marched
the "guy" along Clark street, and, as arranged, Turtle and one of his
staff met them, and shaking hands with the two detectives asked if they
were arresting their companion for a job. Upon their saying he was a
wealthy gentleman from the South, Turtle burst out laughing, and said he
knew him for an old-time burglar, and if they would search his house
they would find stolen goods, and ended by saying, "Bring him down to my
office and I will show you his picture." The detectives now changed
their tones and threatened to arrest him. He having, as the sequel will
show, a bad conscience, became frightened. Then they arrested him, and
announced that they were going to search his room at the hotel. This
they did, taking him along. Of course, they found what they had
previously hidden, very much to the terror of the countryman, who,
lashed by a bad conscience, began to think he was in a fix. The friends
of the hour before now became threatening bullies, promising to get him
ten years for the possession of burglar tools. They took him to Turtle's
office, and there stripping him they found to their disappointment that
he had no money, but found carefully folded up in an inner pocket a
postoffice receipt for a registered lett