"You said ye saw Ruby Brand slinking down the market-gate, and that's
he's off to sea?"

"Ay, and twa or three more folk saw him as weel as me."

"Weel, let's tak' up a siller spoon, or somethin', an' put it in the
auld wife's garden, an' they'll think it was him that did it."

"No' that bad!" said Swankie, with a chuckle.

A silver fork and a pair of sugar-tongs bearing old Mrs. Stewart's
initials were accordingly selected for this purpose, and placed in
the little garden in the front of Widow Brand's cottage.

Here they were found in the morning by Captain Ogilvy, who examined
them for at least half-an-hour in a state of the utmost perplexity.
While he was thus engaged one of the detectives of the town happened
to pass, apparently in some haste.

"Hallo! shipmate," shouted the captain.

"Well?" responded the detective.

"Did ye ever see silver forks an' sugar-tongs growin' in a garden
before?"

"Eh?" exclaimed the other, entering the garden hastily; "let me see.
Oho! this may throw some light on the matter. Did you find them
here?"