," was the
answer. "I have a list of them here. If you want to help, you can visit
one group of them while I visit another."

The senator's son was willing, and they started off without delay.
During the day Dave rode around to exactly twenty-two places, but at
each hostelry was met with the reply that no such person as Nicholas
Jasniff had registered there.

"One day wasted," he sighed, but altered his opinion when he rejoined
his chum.

"Jasniff was at the Hotel Silverin," said Roger. "But he left there a
little over two weeks ago."

"Did he leave any directions for forwarding mail?"

"Yes, here is the address." The senator's son drew a notebook from his
pocket. "43, Pulford Road, Noxham."

"Let us look up the place," went on Dave, eagerly, and got out his map
of London and its suburbs. It was in the northern end of the metropolis,
and they found a railway running in that direction.

"We can't go to-night very well, but we can try it the first thing in
the morning," said Dave; and so it was decided.

On arriving in the vicinity of 43, Pulford Road, the two youths found
the neighborhood anything but first-class. The houses were old and
dirty-looking and had about them a general air of neglect.

"What do you want?" demanded the tall and angular woman who answered
their summons at the door.

"Good-morning, madam," said Dave, politely. "I am looking for a young
gentleman named Nicholas Jasniff. I believe he boards here."

"Oh, so that's it," said the woman. She eyed Dave and Roger in a
suspicious manner. "Who told you he was boarding here?"

"We heard so down at our hotel."

"He isn't here--he went away last week--owing me one pound six," was the
spiteful answer. "I wish I had my hands on him. It's Kate Clever would
teach him a lesson, the scamp!"

"So he ran away owing you some board money?" said Roger.

"He did that."

"And you haven't any idea where he is?"

"I have and I haven't. Are you friends of his?"

"Not exactly, but we wish very much to find him."

"I am not the one to do him a favor--after him treating me so shabbily,"
said the woman, spitefully.

"You'll not be doing him a favor," returned Dave. "To tell you the
truth, I want to catch him for some other wrong he's been doing."

"Oh, that's it, is it?" The woman became more interested. "You are from
the States, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"He was from the States. He pretended that he wasn't, but I knew
differently. He got letters from