"Thank you, sir." Dean would have been more grateful if he had believed what Mr. Kirby was saying, but, young and inexperienced though he was, he did not take much stock in the sudden interest shown in him. He had not noticed that Mr. Kirby felt any particular solicitude about him in New York, though there were plenty of scrapes that he might have got into there. Peter Kirby went back into the saloon, and soon after Dean followed. He again sought the book table. "Well," said Dan, pleasantly, "have you found out the robber?" Dean shook his head. "Do you know, or did you hear, whether the stolen watch was in a box?" he asked. "Yes, I heard Mr. Margrave say that it was in a white pasteboard box. Have you found the box?" "No," answered Dean. He did not feel at liberty to tell what he had seen, but it confirmed him in the idea that his employer, Peter Kirby, was the robber of the stateroom. At ten o'clock Mr. Kirby came up to him. "It is ten o'clock," he said. "I think you had better go to bed." "All right, sir." Kirby led the way into the stateroom. "I shall give you the top berth," he said. "You are younger, and can climb up there more easily than I." "I shall be satisfied with either," said Dean. Both went to bed and Dean was soon asleep. Towards morning he thought it must be when he woke up. The light was burning, and peeping out from behind the curtains he saw that Kirby was standing in the stateroom with something in his hand which he was examining with evident satisfaction. Dean's heart gave a sudden bound, when he recognized this object as a beautiful gold watch of small pattern. He laid back his head on the pillow, but the slight noise attracted the attention of Kirby, who looked up to where his boy companion was lying. "Pshaw! he's fast asleep!" he heard Kirby mutter, "but I must be cautious, as, if he saw this watch, he might suspect something." CHAPTER XX. MR. KIRBY WRITES A LETTER FOR EFFECT. Any lingering doubts Dean might have were of course dissipated by the sight of the watch. It was evident that his employer was a professional thief and pickpocket. The question arose, ought he or ought he not to expose and denounce him? Should he do so he would find himself adrift, without money or situation. Moreover, he would lose the chance of proving Kirby the accomplice of Squire Bates in the robbery of his uncle. On the whole, he decided to wait, and conceal from Kirby the knowledge that he had acquired concerning him.