fact that illustrates over and over again, in the experience of
man, the seminal truth that in a mercenary and physical as well as
in a high and spiritual, sense there is neither wisdom nor profit
outside of the limits of absolute integrity and unflinching
uprightness.

The detective laid aside the papers with a light heart, knowing
that at last he was complete master of the situation. Below Camden
on the infested route the post-office was kept in a store at two
points only, and in one of those no thimbles were sold. The clew
pointed unerringly to Raven's Nest as the spot where alone the
requisite conditions to account for the imprint on the violated
seal were to be found. Thither the officer accordingly went; and
the moment his eye rested on Michael Mahoney, Jr., he recognized
the heaven-branded features of a thief.

Returning to Sioux City, he telegraphed to another agent, who had a
large number of the cases growing out of the robberies, to come on
at once. The two men took stations, one on each side of Raven's
Nest, and in thirty hours they arrested the youthful criminal, who
in the interval stole four decoy letters, and paid a portion of the
contents to one of the officers who was testing him.

Mr. Furay collected from the thief and his relatives the full
amount stolen from the mails during the entire continuance of the
depredations, restoring the money to the rightful owners dollar for
dollar. Young Mahoney made a written confession, supplemented by
three or four codicils relating to items which, to use his own
language, "at first did not to me occur." He was tried the
following February, and sentenced to the penitentiary for the term