"I had passed it in the afternoon, and from what Marshall said to Jenner, I know'd it was the Turnpike House. Well, sir, I scrambled a lot, and got mixed---- I don't know where I got. Then I heard a scuffle and a cry, and saw in the mist two men fighting." "Marshall and Job," thought Heron; then aloud, "Go on!" "I thought as someone else might be after the red book, so I was going to run forward when one cove he slipped away, and after groaning awful the other he went too. He was shaken a lot by the fight. I stayed where I was for a time, then I creeps forward and lights a match." "What did you do that for?" "I wanted to see if in the fight the red book had been dropped. How was I to know that one of them wasn't Jenner in spite of his going on to the Turnpike! When I casts a light," he resumed. "I saw something glittering on the ground. It was a broken link, and I examined it by another match. There was two links. One piece was a champagne bottle, just as you said, sir, and the other was my pin with the girl; I thought they were pretty and saw they were gold, so I puts them into my coat pocket." "How did you lose them, then?" Geoffrey asked, thinking this explanation perfectly feasible. "I only lost one--the champagne bottle," said Jerry quite gravely, "'cause there was a hole in my pocket I know'd nothing of. The other I took home and got made into a pin. I never know'd till you spoke where I lost the one! Was it under the Turnpike window?" he inquired. "It was found there," assented Heron. Jerry scratched his head. "I must have shook it out when I was looking in at the window," he muttered. "Oh, you did look in at the window, then?" "Of course I did, sir. Wasn't I follering Jenner? After I picked up the links I went straight to the Turnpike but didn't get there for a long time through having mistook the way. I see a light in the window, and I sneaks up to it through the bushes. The window was open and Jenner he was leaning against it. On a table, under the window, I saw a knife, and the red pocket-book with the bill. Jenner was talking to himself and cursing some child----" "Poor Neil," muttered Heron. "I waited a bit to steal the book, when I heard Jenner give a yell, and saw a kid come into the room looking frightful; he ran at Jenner who gave a skip and dodged him. The child's eyes was like diamonds, and fixed; I never seed anything like the looks of him in my born days. Jenner he screeched again and pitched himself at the child to fall on top of him--leastways it looked like it. But I didn't wait; I saw my chance, and grabbing the pocket-book I ran like a deer, I did. Just as I got a little way off a cove jumped out on me and collared my throat singing out for the red book. I wouldn't give it up, and shoved it deeper into my pocket; but he held me down with one hand and dug it out with the other. My heart!" sighed Jerry rubbing his hand, "didn't the master give me beans for not having that pocket-book!"