Soon the lads were again strolling along the street. The afternoon was passing, and presently the town, which was now thronged with visitors, would be in the full sway of the carnival.
Fenn was walking ahead of his chums, looking in the store windows, and taking care that he did not collide with persons in the crowd, and so injure his sore arm. The stout youth saw, just ahead of him, an establishment devoted to the sale of pets of various kinds. There were pigeons, white rats, puppies, gold fish, some monkeys and parrots, and scores of canary birds. As several specimens were on exhibition in the windows quite a crowd was gathered about watching the antics of a pair of monkeys. Fenn, always interested in such things, drew closer, motioning to his chums, who were walking slowly, to join him.
As he turned back toward the store he saw a man entering—a man, at the sight of whom, the stout lad started, and looked at him again, more sharply.
“I wonder if it can be—yes, it’s the same man—the mysterious man we’ve been after so long!” murmured Fenn. “He’s going in that store! I hope he didn’t see me.” He got behind a couple of men who were close to the window, and watched until he had seen the person he had observed close the door, after entering the store. Then Fenn turned to address his chums who were now at his side.
“What’s the matter?” asked Bart, laughing. “You look as if you had seen a ghost, Stumpy.”
“I’ve seen something more substantial than a ghost,” replied the lad, “I’ve seen the man who stole the diamond bracelet, fellows!”
“Where?” gasped Ned and Frank.
“Hush! Not so loud,” cautioned Fenn, for several persons were curiously observing the four lads. “He’s in that store,” went on the stout youth.
They could hardly believe him, but Fenn soon told them the circumstances, and repeated his belief in the positiveness of his identification. “I’m sure it was the same man,” he said.