"Paul, there are only four here. Two more have gone!" he said.

"Yet you came up here and counted them; you are positive of that?"
demanded Paul.

"I counted them, and there were six. Five times I did it, to be sure; yet
you saw that there were only four just now?"

"You came up here after you saw Karl off on the train?" persisted his
chum.

"Yes, after I returned from the station. But what makes you ask that?
Tell me why you are grinning so, Paul? I know I'm awfully dull just now,
but who could blame me under the circumstances? Please speak up!" Jack
insisted.

"Why, don't you see, this clears Karl completely. Six here while he was
riding away on the train this morning; and two taken when he is fifty
miles away! Don't that satisfy you it wasn't your brother, after all,
Jack?"

And Jack dropped down in that chair, letting his head fall in his hands,
while a great joy overspread his face.




CHAPTER XVIII

CARLO DOES HIS TURN