YOURS WITH ALL MY HEART 



loose in the drawer. Of course, they are of 

 no value compared with the real jewels." 



'Yes, that's just it, madam," said the 

 little man, whose keen eyes were searching 

 the grass, where Skippum and I were pranc- 

 ing around and snuffing out the fallen treas- 

 ures, and he gathered up some old-time 

 studs, made from silver coin. 



'Y r ou notice they spilled the poorest part 

 of their booty, in every case. They held the 

 mouth of the real jewel-bag right side up 

 with care. That sort of men, making a bolt 

 for liberty, don't wait long to sort out and 

 scatter baubles like these, to set folks on 

 their track. But the one who did scatter 

 these trinkets here has left too big a hole 

 in the grindstone a blind man can see 

 through that." 



But I smelled tracks, and fresh ones, too, 

 and Skippum took up the same trail. We 

 both snuffed and ran about in our busy 

 little way, then started forward, and the 

 watchful man began to walk carefully and 

 softly behind us, motioning, as he went, for 

 Mr. and Mrs. Wakeman to remain behind. 

 We led the way most to the deep shadows 

 of the grove, where night was falling, com- 



123 



