Page:Under three flags; a story of mystery (IA underthreeflagss00tayliala).pdf/74

 and marked as near as possible the spot where he had stood. The river at that point is deep, and I fear that the bottom is muddy, as the stream makes a sharp bend and spreads into a broad lagoon, with little or no current."

"You intend to go a-fishing?" queries Ashley.

"At daylight, if we can get a boat of some sort."

"And if our search is rewarded by the finding of a revolver—the revolver—what then?"

"Then I think we shall have a case against Cyrus Felton stronger than we shall make out against any one else. I can see by your face that you are only half convinced of that fact," continues Barker. "You are more inclined to suspect the younger Felton than the elder, eh?"

"Well," argues the newspaper man, "in the case of Ralph Felton there is a motive, an evil temper, and what is usually regarded as confession of guilt—flight."

"Good. Let us look over young Felton's case," says the detective. "Ralph Felton, we know, is possessed of an evil temper and a disposition to bullyrag a young lady who is sensible enough not to love him. We know also that he gambles with traveling men who put up here, and drinks more or less. As the good people of this town regard Ralph as a model young man, his indulgence in cards and wine on the quiet shows a broad streak of deception in his character.

"His inclinations toward gayety were not cultivated in his native town. Previous to a twelvemonth ago four or five years of his life were spent in New York, Chicago and other cities. His occupation during a share of that time was that of representative and selling agent for the granite company in which his father is the principal stock owner. He was apparently wild and reckless, for a year ago he returned to Raymond and through the efforts of his father was given the position of bookkeeper in the bank, a position which does not usually pay much. It would appear that the elder Felton had enacted the role of the prodigal's father.

"While Ralph Felton was 'down country' he fell in