“It’s no use, Tod,” said Manning, with a quiet smile.  “I’ve got the drop on you, and you might as well cave.  Throw your pistols on the ground.”

Mechanically Duncan did as he was directed, and then turning to Manning, he inquired in a low, suppressed tone: 

“What do you want me for?”

“For the Geneva bank robbery,” answered Manning.  “You have led me a pretty long chase, but you see I have caught you at last.”

“If you had been one hour later,” said the other, doggedly, “you never would have taken me.  Once on my horse, I would have defied you, and I would have killed you like a dog.”

“Well, well,” answered Manning, “we won’t talk about what you might have done.  I’ve got you, and that’s enough for me.”

At this juncture the marshal made his appearance, and offering his assistance, the crestfallen young burglar was quietly led away to the jail, where he was searched, and fifteen hundred dollars in money was found upon his person, besides an excellent and valuable gold watch.  Without waiting for any further results, Manning rushed to the telegraph office, in order to apprise me of his success.  He could not repress a pardonable feeling of pride in the victory he had accomplished.  His search was ended, his man was a prisoner, and shortly afterward there came clicking over the wires to Chicago, the following message: 

     “I have him, fifteen hundred dollars in money, a gold watch,
     horse and rifle.  Will sell horse for what I can get, and leave
     here, with prisoner, for Chicago, in the morning.”

CHAPTER XXIV.

The Burglar Returns to Chicago—­Revelations by the Way—­The Missing Five Thousand Dollars.

As I had received no tidings of John Manning since his departure from Minneapolis, it may be imagined that I was considerably relieved when his brief but comprehensive telegram from Butte City was received.  So long a time had elapsed since he had been able to transmit me any definite information about his movements, that I had begun to grow alarmed, not only for the successful termination of his pursuit, but for his personal safety.  Now, however, all my fears were set at rest; the daring and ambitious detective was safe and well, and in addition to this he had succeeded in capturing the fugitive, who was now in his custody.  The chase had been a long and fatiguing one, but victory had crowned our efforts, and the entire quartette of criminals were now in the hands of the officers of the law, and would be held to answer for their crimes.  The pursuit of Duncan had been most admirably carried out by my trusted operative, and Manning was deserving of unstinted credit for the sagacious mind and untiring spirit he displayed.  So thoroughly determined had he been to secure his prisoner, that no consideration of personal comfort, or even necessary rest, had been allowed to interfere with his movements.  With more than a month elapsing between the commission of the crime and the commencement of the chase, and traveling over a country thinly settled and semi-barbarous, I regarded the victory which he had achieved as one deserving of the highest encomiums, and reflecting great credit upon his skill, determination and pertinacity.