‘And begin by searching the police,’ said Brown. ‘Half the thefts and robberies are committed by them.’ Mr. Vandewater arrived soon after, and was also surprised to find his store robbed without the rupture of a single fastening. He advised an immediate search of the premises, as the robbers might have left something behind them that would have led to their detection. Some persons who had gone into the loft to search, soon came running down with the intelligence that a man was up stairs, fast asleep. All ran up at once, and there Monteagle discovered, between two bales, the bulky form of the Irishman, Jamie. He was snoring melodiously, and seemed to have no idea that the sun was already up. Mr. Vandewater uttered an exclamation of joy and surprise, for he thought discovery of the whole affair was now certain. Monteagle shook the sleeping man with his foot. Jamie slowly opened his eyes, and on perceiving there were persons present, said hastily—‘How—what—is time, Mr. Brown? Is it time?’ As Mr. Brown was not present, the by-standers were puzzled by these singular words. ‘What do you want with Mr. Brown?’ said Vandewater sternly. The Irishman rubbed his eyes, and perceiving in whose presence he stood, answered, ‘Why, Jim Brown, to be sure, the eating-house man, he was to call me up in time to go down the Bay.’ ‘Indeed! and so you slept here, did you?’ said Mr. Vandewater sternly. ‘But how did you get in?’ ‘How did I get in, is it? Och, and wasn’t I working for Jim all day, and took a little of the mountain dew, and comed in here in the afternoon—and where is it, sure, that I am? Can you tell me at all, at all?’ ‘Who is this Jim Brown?’ said Vandewater turning to Charley. ‘Can you lead me to him?’ asked Vandewater, quickly. ‘Och, faith, and it’s I can do that, same,’ put in Jamie. ‘I’ll take you to him, right off, jist, if you’ll show the way out of this—what do yees call it? A church is it?’ The Irishman affected such blind stupidity that Vandewater was inclined to believe that his being in the store on the night of the robbery was altogether accidental—that he had blundered in while drunk and got asleep. Nevertheless, he said to Monteagle, ‘Keep that fellow in custody till I return.’ As Mr. Vandewater went out with Charley, he descried Mr. Brown, his partner, examining the fastenings, and he observed that the face of the latter was very pale. ‘Poor fellow,’ thought Vandewater to himself, ‘he takes this matter hard.’ On arriving at the shop of Jim Brown, that worthy was found at home, although he had just returned from some expedition, and was covered with dust. Charley introduced Mr. Vandewater. Jim hung down his head a moment as if brushing the dirt from his leggings. ‘I want to ask you, Mr. Brown, if you have contemplated an excursion lately?’ ‘Sir?’ said Jim with a stare. ‘He don’t savez—give me leave, sir,’ put in Charley. ‘Jim, we want to know if you have had any business out of town, lately?’