that he was not finished, we dealt half a dozen more
stabs, and ran, as fast as our legs could carry us, to a gambling
saloon, where we endeavored to forget our disappointment and terror by
imbibing deeply of liquor.

"A little before daylight we stole back to the tent, thinking that we
would raise an alarm in case he was dead; but we discovered that the old
fellow had crept from his tent to a store kept by two Yankees. We
tracked him by his blood, and feared that we were lost, but Follet--"

"Follet was the name of your companion, hey?" Fred asked.

Jackson hesitated for a moment, and then continued,--

"I may as well own that it was, 'cos I'm with friends who won't betray
me. Follet said that he would visit the store, and by cross-examining
the Yankees, find out what they meant to do, and whether the old man had
made any revelations. He did so, and while there managed to drop a
knife, which I had bought from them a week or two before, and which I
took care to blood up, and then went before the commissioner, and boldly
accused them of murdering his uncle.

"The dodge succeeded badly; the d----d fool of a commissioner let the
store keepers off on bail, and shoved Follet in jail, to be held as a
witness. But he's a good and true one, and has not once alluded to me."

"Is that all?" asked the inspector.

"That's all," replied Jackson, emptying his glass.

"Well, now, let me see your hands," Mr. Brown said.

Jackson held out his hands, which Mr. Brown grasped firmly, and then I
heard two sharp "clicks," and to my surprise, and the consternation of
our companion, a pair of stout handcuffs were on his wrists, and he was
a prisoner.

CHAPTER LVII.

MORE OF THE SAME SORT.

The securing of Jackson was so sudden and unexpected that no one in the
room besides our party had noticed what was going on, and even the
prisoner seemed not to realize for some moments that his tongue had
revealed secrets which were likely to cost him imprisonment for life. He
appeared to imagine that the handcuffing was an excellent joke, and a
taint smile overspread his face; but after finding that no one returned
it, a deadly paleness chased the color from his lips, and he trembled
as though he was already arraigned before a tribunal for sentence.

"What is the meaning of this?" he stammered out, after moistening his
mouth, which seemed parched, with his tongue.

"It means," whispered the inspector, "that you are my prisoner, and