to
this, and had remained several days, enjoying himself in much the same
manner that had marked his residence in the other cities along his
route, except that in Bismarck he had exposed himself to a greater
extent than at any other place. It seemed that as he got further west,
his fears of pursuit and detection grew less, and he became more bold
and open in his actions. Here he had not attempted concealment at all,
except as to his name, which he gave as Tom Moore, of Chicago; his
carousals were publicly known, and the lavish expenditure of his stolen
money was commented upon by many.

In a conversation with the proprietor of the hotel at which Duncan had
stopped, the detective learned that his stay in the city had been marked
by the most reckless dissipation and extravagance. So careless did he
appear in the display of his money, of which he appeared to have a large
amount, that the proprietor had taken it upon himself to warn him
against the danger to which such a course would expose him. The town was
infested with a gang of roughs and thieves, and he feared that if once
they became aware of Duncan's wealth, his life would be of comparatively
little value. Several of these characters had been seen about the hotel,
and the landlord had remonstrated seriously with Duncan about his folly.
To this Duncan had impudently replied that he could take care of
himself, and needed no advice. Finding it of no use, therefore, to
advise him, the landlord desisted in his efforts, and left him to follow
his own inclinations.

Manning also learned from his host that Duncan had associated quite
intimately while in the city, with a Jew clothing merchant, who was a
resident here, and who seemed to be an old acquaintance. The name of
this man was Jacob Gross, and ascertaining where his place of business
was located, Manning determined to give him a call.

When he entered the store of Mr. Gross, that gentleman was
engaged in waiting upon a customer. He was a perfect type of the
Israelite--sharp-featured, with prominent nose, keen, glittering eyes
and curly black hair. If any doubt of his race remained, the manner in
which he conducted his bargain with his unsuspecting customer would have
convinced any one of the presence of the veritable Jew.

Manning watched, with amused interest, the tact with which the Hebrew
clothier endeavored to convince his customer that a coat, much too large
for him, was "yust a fit and no mistake," and that t