"Come into the house, please, Mr. Warfield. I won't detain you very long."
"We'll see he don't git away," said Shag.
Without noticing Dan Shag's speech, Mr. Warfield followed Little Snap into the house in silence.
As soon as they had entered the humble sitting-room, and Mr. Warfield had sunk into the proffered chair, the postboy said to his guest:
"What I am going to tell you, Mr. Warfield, is not so much in my defense as it is to show up a startling discovery I have made. If you will allow me, I will begin with an adventure I had on Eagle's Tracks, and tell you just how I came in late to-night."
"Go ahead, only make your story as short as you can."
Then Little Snap gave a succinct account of all that had befallen him after leaving Uncle Solitaire until he had effected his escape from the cave, often interrupted by his listener with startling exclamations and puzzling questions.
"You are romancing, boy! I cannot realize half you say. Why, from your talk I should say you had unearthed a band of plotters against the government."
"I do not know just what they meant, but I do know they are a gang of evil men, who would hesitate at no means to carry their ends."
"While I am surprised at what you have said, your statements are lacking in the elements that would make them valuable as evidence. You say you did not get the real drift of the talk between the four men, and that you recognized none of them."