"Ain't that plain?"
"Not to me," asserted Jem.
"Why, unhitch the animal, and make it on horseback."
"Me?" hooted Jem. "Why, I never rode a horse twice in my life, and then without a saddle--not much."
"Well, unhitch, anyway; it isn't far to the town. Let the livery stable man come back after the wagon here and give you a new rig."
"There's no other way to do that I can make out," agreed Jem. "Yes, that's just what we'll do."
Frank became interested in watching them unhitch the horse from the wagon.
They finally started off, Jem leading the horse. Frank was about to go about his business, when a casual remark of Dan acted like a magnet in attracting his attention away from his former purpose.
"I say, Jem," he observed in a somewhat anxious tone, "you are sure we can settle the bracelet business right away?"
"Yes, right away," assented Jem.
"Cash?"
"Ready money, sure."
"Hope you will. I want my share so I can get away from these diggings and the crowd into some new district and among new people."
"Oho! Going to turn respectable, are you?" jeered Jem.
"I'm going to try," announced Dan manfully. "I'm afraid of Brady. He's the kind of a man who goes from bad to worse. He will be sure to get you in trouble if you stick with him long enough."
"Well, as long as he pays the bills as he agrees I'm his man," said Jem.
"I'm not, and I'll cut loose just as soon as I get my share of the plunder."
That little talk decided Frank that he would not return to the academy at once. He resolved to play the detective, for a little time at least.
Frank believed that what he had done would result in the upsetting of all the plans Brady had set on foot regarding Ned Foreman.
He felt certain that when he related the circumstances of the case to Professor Elliott, the latter would speedily devise a way to protect Ned and ferret out the object of the lawyer, Grimm, and also Brady, in securing some kind of guardianship over the orphan boy.
About the bracelet, however, that was a different affair. From what Frank had just heard he was convinced that Jem had this now in his possession.
"Yes," mused Frank, as almost involuntarily he followed Jem and Dan at a safe distance, "that little box the lawyer gave Jem surely contains the bracelet stolen from Lemuel Mace, back at Tipton. It's sure, too, from what these men just said, that Jem is going to dispose of it right away. Why, if that's so, all trace of it would be lost, and good-by to my chances of ever convicting the real thieves. This man Dan, the best of the lot, is going to disappear, and, of course, Brady and Jem will never admit they stole the bracelet. I sort of feel that if I let these men slip me now I'll never be able to clear myself of the charge of stealing Mace's jewelry."
Frank was so impressed with these ideas that he trailed on after the two men. He did not know that it would do much good, but that bracelet was a kind of a lodestone, and he felt that he would give a good deal to get it into his possession.
The little procession covered about three slow miles, arriving finally at a little sleepy town. Frank had never been there before. Jem led the horse down the main street of the place, and finally turned into a vacant lot, at the rear of which stood a livery stable. A lantern was burning just beyond the wide open door of the place.
Frank lined a board fence that bounded one side of the livery stable yard.
When he got opposite the open doorway where Jem had halted, he posted himself at a crack in the fence, where he could see and hear what was going on.
"Hi, there, somebody--wake up!" bawled Jem loudly.
A sleepy-eyed hostler made his appearance in a few minutes. There was a lengthy explanation as to the broken wagon. Jem seemed to make this all satisfactory in a money way. Then he told the hostler that he must have a light single rig, and the man took the horse into the stable, while Jem and Dan remained outside.
"Going on alone, are you?" inquired the latter.
"It's best," replied Jem. "You see, I've got one place in view I want to visit. You know--Staggers."
"Yes, I've heard of him," nodded Dan. "He's a mighty close one, though. Get the full value, Jem."
"I will, never fear."
"What shall I do?"
"Oh, go up to the old hut and snooze until I come back."
"I hope that will be soon."
"I won't be any longer than I can help."
"What are you doing?"
Jem was acting strangely, and the peering Frank was surprised and interested. Jem was going through a puzzling pantomime. He would touch his head in various places in a whimsical manner, then pause and appear undecided as to what he would do next.
"It's funny," he remarked, after silently going through these apparently meaningless gestures for some moments.
"What's that?" inquired Dan.
"I can't get it."
"Can't get what?"
"The high sign."
"Oho!"
"You know what I mean?"
"Yes, indeed. Brady told us that Staggers will have no dealings with any one not having the high sign."
"Exactly. Brady said it was L.E.H."
"I remember that."
"But I've forgotten part of it. Let's see, L. is lip. I know that--you touch your lip. Then E. Is it eye or ear?"
"Ear," cried Dan. "Say, I'm sure Brady said ear."
"All right. And the last? Oh, of course--hand. You touch your lip, then your ear, and then put out your hand," and Jem went rapidly through these maneuvers. "As to the grip, it's easy--slip the forefinger up the wrist.