"Here," said Abraham, "are his saddlebags and hat, with a name on the former that is doubtless his." "He must be a strange thief indeed to leave behind him such telling witnesses as these," said the deacon. "Ah," said the parson, "I fear there is still more mystery in this matter." While the people were speechmaking and changing their opinions, the two officers who were the first to arrive and hear Abraham's story had been prowling over the farm. Just at this point they bore a man through the crowd and laid him on the floor where the deacon and parson had lain. He was gagged and corded after about the same fashion as they had been. "Ah," said one, "the stranger has been playing gagging-binding master to another weakling." "No, my man," said Abraham, "that is the stranger himself." At this the mob seized the bound man and yelled: "Confess, confess! You shall confess!" They pulled him in and out of the closet. They lowered him into the cistern and hauled him out again and again. At times a hundred voices were bawling: "Confess, confess! You shall confess!" During all this confusion the parson was the only person who noticed that the poor fellow was still gagged. "How can he confess," said the parson, "when he is gagged as daintily as a parson in a closet?" They removed the gag, but not the cords. "Gentlemen," said he, "if you are as ready to give me justice as I am to confess the truth in this matter, my part of the mystery will soon be cleared up and I can enjoy myself here with my uncle and aunt." "Claiming kin again, Abraham," said Ruth. "Look out for your life next time." "Strangle the hypocrite," said one. "Give the impudent whelp a bath in the mill-pond," said another. "No," said the parson, "let him confess." "Gentlemen," said he, "I am innocent. If I stole the bag of money, why should I leave my saddlebags behind, with my name on them, and one side of which is full of money?" The saddlebags were now examined by the crowd, and the stranger's statements found to be true. "Then," said he, "why should I encumber myself this way? In fact, how could I? It would be impossible." This somewhat appeased the crowd, until someone suggested that maybe he took the bag of money outside to hide it, intending to come back and get his own property; but as daylight overtook him he hired someone to gag and cord him in that way. On hearing this one man grabbed the prisoner by the foot and started to drag him to the cistern again. In so doing one boot was pulled off, out of which fell a picture. "Here, Abraham," said Ruth, handing him the picture, "this may be all you will ever get for your bag of money." Abraham took the picture and looked at it closely. "Now, gentlemen," said the stranger, "a few more points, and I will have this mystery clear." "You had better clear it quickly," said the crowd. "Don't be too hard," said the parson. "Let him confess."