horses, men of all parties agreed that Charley Mansell should be run for
Congress on an independent ticket.

But the sheriff declined the honor, and, declaring that he had heard of
the serious illness of his father, insisted upon resigning and leaving
the country. Like an affectionate son, he purchased some dress-goods,
which he said might please his mother, and then he departed, leaving the
whole town in sorrow.

There was one man at Bunkerville who did not suffer so severely as he
might have done by the sheriff's departure, had not his mind been full
of strange thoughts. Pete Williamson began to regard his brother with
suspicion, and there seemed some ground for his feeling. Jim was
unnaturally quiet and abstracted; he had been a great deal with the
sheriff before that official's departure, and yet did not seem to be on
as free and pleasant terms with him as before. So Pete slowly gathered a
conviction that the sheriff was on the track of a large reward from the
bank injured by the counterfeiter; that Jim was to have a share for his
services on the eventful night; that there was some disagreement between
them on the subject, and that Jim was trying the unbrotherly trick of
keeping his luck a secret from the brother who had resolved to
fraternally share anything he might have obtained by the chase. Finally,
when Pete charged his brother with the unkindness alluded to, and Jim
looked dreadfully confused, Pete's suspicions were fully confirmed.

The next morning Jim and his horse were absent, ascertaining which fact,
the irate Peter started in pursuit. For several days he traced his
brother, and finally learned that he was at a hotel on the Iowa border.
The landlord said that he couldn't be seen; he, and a handsome young
fellow, with a big trunk, and a tall, thin man, and ex-Judge Bates,