CHAPTER XVII
A FAINT CLEW
"What's the trouble, Stirling?" inquired Silas Green, as Bart stood silently thinking out the problem set before him. "You seem sort of disappointed to find Wacker here. If you didn't think he was here, why did you come inquiring for him?"
"I knew he came here last night," said Bart. "Mrs. Wacker told me so."
"Do you want to see him?"
"No, I think not," answered Bart after a moment's reflection.
"Then is there anything else I can do for you, or tell you? You seem troubled. They say I'm a crabbed, treacherous old fellow. All the same, I would do a good turn for Robert Stirling's son!"
"Thank you," said Bart, feeling easier. "If you will, you might tell me who was with Lem Wacker last night."
"Two men—don't know them from Adam, never saw them before. Lem drove up with them in his rig about ten o'clock. They took the horse and wagon around to the side shed and came in, drank and talked a lot among themselves, and finally started playing cards in the little room yonder."