"But we want to find the thief." "I cannot help you do that. If the man is the one I think he may be, he did not steal the horses." "Why did he accuse you, then?" demanded one of the party. "Merely to satisfy a private grudge." "Then he ought to be found and punished; so why do you try to shield him?" "Because it is my private affair," replied Al, quietly. "And because I do not like your way of administering what you call justice. See how near you came to making a mistake to-night. But how did you run across the fellow who said I was the thief?" "I'll tell you," replied the spokesman, rather sheepishly. "A few of us were in a saloon in Boomville the early part of the evening. We had indulged in a few drinks, and we must have talked a little louder than we realized, for this fellow overheard us telling how we were going to start a search for the horse thief to-night and string him up if we found him. He came and told us that he could lead us to him. Well, he talked as if he knew what he was saying, and---- Well, you know the rest." "So," said Al, "you took the word of a barroom loafer, or worse, on a matter of so much importance as that." "We were excited and had drunk a little too much." "Well, it seems to me that you had better leave the future management of the business to the proper authorities," suggested Al. "Maybe you're right," admitted the man he addressed. "Well, you won't say anything about this night's affair to anyone?" "I shall say nothing that can harm you. The thing shall not be made public through me." "We'll take your word for that. And now, get into the wagon, and you shall be driven home." CHAPTER X. AN INTERVIEW WITH THE MAYOR. Al's ride home after his queer adventure was an uneventful one. He was glad enough to reach the solitude of his own room. Although his body was tired, his mind seemed abnormally active, and for at least two hours he lay tossing sleeplessly on his bed, reviewing not only the exciting events of the day, but much of his past life. We have thus far said nothing of our hero's past, nor shall we now; we will let him tell the story himself, as he did the next morning when he visited the mayor's office. Ten o'clock was the time Mr. Anderson had appointed for their interview, but Al was off hand a little before that hour. Mr. Wattles had told him that he must leave Boomville for the next town at noon, and he knew he had no time to waste. The mayor received him cordially. "I'm delighted to see you, my dear young friend," was his greeting, as he grasped the boy's hand. "We had a grand success last night, did we not? And it was all due to your efforts. If it had not been for your persistency Mrs. Anderson would not have appeared." "Then you are not sorry that she played, sir?" questioned Al, somewhat surprised at the mayor's enthusiasm. "Sorry? Not a bit of it! Why, it was one of the grandest triumphs in the history of the American stage."