"If Peter Polk has been getting ten to fifteen per cent. on all goods he has been buying for me he has robbed me of thousands of dollars," said Andrew Shalley.
"It will be a hard matter to prove some of the transactions, Mr. Shalley. I guess he knew how to cover up his footprints pretty well."
"Well, if I can only prove some of them it will be enough for my purpose," answered the steamboat owner.
Before he left that night he drew up a long document containing the main facts of the case, and had George Gaffney sign it and had Randy put his name down as a witness.
"What do you want me to do, Mr. Shalley?" asked our hero, after they had left the clerk's house.
"You can go back to the steamboat. I am going to hire a first-class private detective to investigate this matter thoroughly. When I expose Polk I want all the evidence on hand with which to convict him."
"He will want to know what I did."
"That is true." Andrew Shalley mused for a moment. "Randy, you mind your own business," he said suddenly and sharply. Then he began to chuckle. "Now you can go back and tell Polk that I told you to mind your own business."
"I will, sir," and our hero grinned broadly.
"I will also give you a line to Captain Hadley," pursued the steamboat owner. "That will help to keep you out of further trouble."