scroll—is a most valuable piece of evidence! As soon as I heard of it———"
He bent nearer to his companion, and for a minute or two I failed to catch what he was saying. Out of my eye-corners, however, I could see that the younger man was listening, attentively and approvingly; from time to time he nodded his head as if in assent. Eventually he spoke.
"And you say that Pawley, in his opinion, took him to be of about that age?" he asked.
"That, of course, has to be considered."
"Pawley is an observant fellow," remarked the elder man. "I have employed Pawley on several occasions, and with excellent results. I can trust Pawley's estimate of the age. It fits in exactly!"
The younger man regarded his cigar thoughtfully for a while.
"Odd!" he said at last. "Very odd! But I should say it is so!"
"I don't think there's any doubt of it," answered the white-whiskered person. "At any rate, I am not going to travel all this way, and back again, without making sure. I shall
