a child who lived with him, and of its being
known to Grosket that Rust had often employed these two men in matters
requiring great energy and few scruples, that had induced him thus early
to visit their haunt, to ascertain the truth of his suspicions; and to
endeavor, if possible, to ferret out the plans of their employer. The
replies of Jones, short and abrupt as they were, convinced him that his
suspicions respecting Craig were correct; but who could the other man be?

Engrossed with his own thoughts, he appeared to forget where he was and
who was present; for he commenced walking up and down the room; then
stopped; folded his arms, and talked to himself in low, broken sentences.
Again he walked to the far end of the room and stopped there.

Jones, in the mean time, to avoid farther questioning, seated himself; and
leaning his elbows on his knees, hid his face in his hand. He was
disturbed, however, by feeling himself shaken roughly by the shoulder.
'What you've just been telling me, is a lie!' said Grosket, sternly. 'You
should know me well enough not to run the risk of trifling with me. I want
the truth and nothing else. Where were _you_ last night?'

Jones looked up at him and then answered in a sullen tone: 'I've told you
once; I was here.'

Grosket went to a dark corner of the room and brought back Jones'
great-coat, completely saturated with water. 'This room scarcely leaks
enough to do that,' said he, throwing it on the floor in front of Jones.
'Ha! what's that in the pocket?'

He thrust in his hand and drew out a pistol. The hammer was down, the cap
exploded, and the inside of the muzzle blackened by burnt powder.

'Fired off!' said he. 'You told the truth. The man who went with Craig
_did_ look like you. I know the rest. Tim Craig is dead, and you shot
him.'

An expression of strange meaning crossed the face of the burglar as he
returned the steady look of his visiter without making any reply. But
Grosket was not yet done with him; for he said in a slow, savage tone:
'Now mark me well. If you lie in what you tell me, I'll hang you. Who
employed you to do this job?'

Jones eyed him for a moment, and then turned away impatiently and said, 'I
don't know what you're talking about. Don't worry me. I'm sick and half
crazy. Get away, will ye!'

'_This_ to me! to _me!_' exclaimed the other, stepping back, his eyes
flashing fire; 'you forget yourself.'

Jones rose up, his red hair hanging like ropes about