partridges.  They were having their first trip down into the shadows of life.  Bob was working at his desk, and he got up and went out without a word.  The grand jury was in session then, and the next morning Bob went before them and confessed that he stole the money.  He said he lost it in a poker game.  In fifteen minutes they had found a true bill and sent me the warrant to arrest the man with whom I’d been closer than a thousand brothers for many a year.

“I did it, and then I said to Bob, pointing:  ’There’s my house, and here’s my office, and up there’s Maine, and out that way is California, and over there is Florida—­and that’s your range ’til court meets.  You’re in my charge, and I take the responsibility.  You be here when you’re wanted.’

“‘Thanks, Tom,’ he said, kind of carelessly; ’I was sort of hoping you wouldn’t lock me up.  Court meets next Monday, so, if you don’t object, I’ll just loaf around the office until then.  I’ve got one favour to ask, if it isn’t too much.  If you’d let the kids come out in the yard once in a while and have a romp I’d like it.’

“‘Why not?’ I answered him.  ’They’re welcome, and so are you.  And come to my house, the same as ever.’  You see, Mr. Nettlewick, you can’t make a friend of a thief, but neither can you make a thief of a friend, all at once.”

The examiner made no answer.  At that moment was heard the shrill whistle of a locomotive pulling into the depot.  That was the train on the little, narrow-gauge road that struck into San Rosario from the south.  The major cocked his ear and listened for a moment, and looked at his watch.  The narrow-gauge was in on time—­10.35.  The major continued: 

“So Bob hung around the office, reading the papers and smoking.  I put another deputy to work in his place, and after a while, the first excitement of the case wore off.

“One day when we were alone in the office Bob came over to where I was sitting.  He was looking sort of grim and blue—­the same look he used to get when he’d been up watching for Indians all night or herd-riding.

“‘Tom,’ says he, ’it’s harder than standing off redskins; it’s harder than lying in the lava desert forty miles from water; but I’m going to stick it out to the end.  You know that’s been my style.  But if you’d tip me the smallest kind of a sign—­if you’d just say, “Bob I understand,” why, it would make it lots easier.’

“I was surprised.  ‘I don’t know what you mean, Bob,’ I said.  ’Of course, you know that I’d do anything under the sun to help you that I could.  But you’ve got me guessing.’

“‘All right, Tom,’ was all he said, and he went back to his newspaper and lit another cigar.

“It was the night before court met when I found out what he meant.  I went to bed that night with that same old, light-headed, nervous feeling come back upon me.  I dropped off to sleep about midnight.  When I awoke I was standing half dressed in one of the court-house corridors.  Bob was holding one of my arms, our family doctor the other, and Alice was shaking me and half crying.  She had sent for the doctor without my knowing it, and when he came they had found me out of bed and missing, and had begun a search.