“Well, you understood what brought me from Colorado. Business is business with me. I knew Cereal, and took advantage of a former meeting to call, when he asked me to drop in. I’m not in the habit of wearing these duds, you see; and privately, between you and the gate post, Mr. Craig, I rented out this suit from a costumer; but my life has taken me among all classes of men, and I’m pretty much at home wherever I chance to go. Quite a swell gathering here, and I reckon there’ll be a dandy spread to top off with. What d’ye think of him any way?” with a crook of his thumb over his shoulder. “Do you mean our host?” “The deuce, no! It’s John.” “He makes a fine looking gentleman.” “Correct, Mr. Craig! Now I’ve had a long experience, and you can bet I’ve seen some strange ones in my day, but I give you my word for it I’ve never set eyes on so smooth a customer. Why, he’d fool the keenest of ’em. His face bears the stamp of honesty. Reckon that’s how he came to have such a good chance to rake in so big a pile.” “Colonel, have you ever known mistakes to occur in such things?” Bob Rocket turns his eagle eye upon the other. “Certainly I have--why?” “Might it not be possible under these circumstances?” “Hardly! You saw the picture yourself, and you can see he owns to the name of Phœnix--at least they call him John.” “Of course I know little or nothing about the many secrets of your business. My only guide is the reading of character on the face, and I admit that is very deceptive.” “Yes, you have much to learn, sir. It’s been a business with me to study human nature since I was knee high to a duck. I’d be glad, for the old gentleman’s sake, if his boy turned out innocent, but there’s about one chance in fifty of its happening.” “Speaking of Phœnix reminds me of something. It had slipped my mind before. There’s a young fellow in Chicago from your region who seems to know him.” “That information might be valuable to me, under certain conditions. Who is he?” “Bless me, the only name I heard him give was Happy Jack!” “Not very much to the point.” “He is stopping at the Sherman House. I met him last night on the Midway under peculiar circumstances,” and Aleck proceeds to relate the adventure near the western exit, when the Turk and his hired myrmidons attempted to carry off a daughter of Chicago. “Come, I’m interested in Happy Jack. From the words he dropped while in that stupid state it’s plain he’s a Western man; a miner, I reckon. Knows John Phœnix, does he--I may yet have to call upon him to identify my man, so that I can get the necessary requisition papers. I’ll just make a note of the fact--always jot ’em down--memory might confuse things. There, that settles it beyond all question. Folks must think we’re making a trade. Such things are allowable in the house of a big plunger like Cereal, eh?”