him, and the
boy, keeping his back toward the new-comer, managed to walk out of the
opposite door without being observed.

Now the one question in the mind of the amateur detective was as to why
this man should be willing to travel with the show.

It did not require many minutes for him to arrive at a satisfactory
conclusion.

"He has got a lot of that counterfeit money with him, and by running
the company through a number of towns some distance from here can pass
it," Jet said to himself. "Now, what shall I do if he makes the trade?"

The proper thing seemed to be to send a letter at once, and, going to
his room, he wrote a full account of what he had heard, concluding by
saying:

"To-night I shall lay around his house trying to get a sight of the man
who is visiting there."

This done he went into the office once more, and there saw the manager,
who was highly elated.

"It is all arranged," he said. "The fines will be fixed in some way
to-morrow, and we shall start once more. We only lose to-night's
stand, and then go on with a backer who has plenty of money. Will you
tell the boys of our good luck, while I make arrangements for sending
the posters ahead?"

Jet promised to carry the tidings, and stopped only long enough to add
the following postscript to his letter:

"The trade has been made, and the constable will leave here to-morrow
with the company. I shall loaf near his house this evening, and walk
to the next town to send you a telegram if I learn anything."

This letter he mailed in time for the night train, and then visited the
jail, delivering news which the prisoners were not particularly glad to
hear, since it gave them no immediate prospect for money.

"We have made up our minds to tire the squire out," one of them said,
"and I don't take favorably to the idea of working to pay the fines
when there's no real need of it."

CHAPTER XX

A RECOGNITION

Jet did not spend much time trying to induce the prisoners to take
advantage of the constable's offer.

It suited his plans best to have them refuse, and, after giving the
information, he walked back to the hotel, as if the one desire of his
life was to get a good supper.

When the meal was finished the night had fully come, and he would have
set out at once to loiter around the constable's house but for the fact
that as yet he did not know where that gentleman lived.

While standing in the office trying to make up his