hole thing straightened out."

"Good," nodded Kiddie; "then sit down an' give me your theory, from
beginnin' to end."

Isa Blagg appeared to consider it preposterous to appeal for an
explanation to a mere boy. Nevertheless, when Rube stated his case the
sheriff was constrained to agree with it in every particular.

CHAPTER XXII

RUBE CARTER'S THEORY--AND KIDDIE'S

"To begin with, then," said Rube, "Nick Undrell knew about your
valuables--knew that you kept 'em here in your cabin; and he coveted
them. He'd made up his mind weeks ago to get hold of 'em. He admitted
as much to you yourself, an' he put you off suspectin' him by makin'
out that he'd started on a new trail by givin' up drink an' gamblin'
and thievin'. That's where he was artful. Then he knew that you'd
gone away on a campin'-out trip. We've bin told as he's bin spyin'
around here an' tryin' to make friends with the dog.

"Naturally, he didn't know just when we should be back. Anyhow, he
reckoned that last night would be safe, there bein' no moonlight. In
case he should be heard movin' through the bush, he took the loan of
our spare canoe an' dropped along silent by water. I'm figurin' that
he calculated on the dog knowin' him an' not barkin'. But he wanted
ter make sure, an' he crept up towards the kennel.

"Sheila was free; she wasn't chained up or locked in; an' she met him.
Whether she fawned on him or attacked him, an' so got that thread of
yaller wool on her claw don't greatly signify, though I guess she
attacked him, an' he shot her dead, going up to her afterwards t' make
sure, an' leavin' his footprint."

Kiddie nodded in satisfaction at the boy's narrative.

"And then?" he said.

"Then Nick made a bee-line for the cabin, broke the pane of glass,
opened the winder, an' crawled in. Here he collected all the valuables
he c'd lay his hands on--money, trinkets, jewels--hundreds and hundreds
of dollars' worth, an' packed the lot into the gunny sack that he found
in that there corner."

"Ah, I didn't remember that gunny sack," said Kiddie. "I had wondered
how the things were carried away. Well?"

"Well," continued Rube, "after that, he went through the sittin'-room
t' escape by the front door. He looked around the room an' caught
sight of the cigarettes and tobacco. Before decidin' which ter take,
he thought he'd try one of the cigarettes, so he smoked one, leavin'
the scent of it hangin' in the air. I reckon he enjoyed