About the bracelet, however, that was a different affair. From what Frank
had just heard he was convinced that Jem had this now in his possession.

"Yes," mused Frank, as almost involuntarily he followed Jem and Dan at a
safe distance, "that little box the lawyer gave Jem surely contains the
bracelet stolen from Lemuel Mace, back at Tipton. It's sure, too, from what
these men just said, that Jem is going to dispose of it right away. Why, if
that's so, all trace of it would be lost, and good-by to my chances of ever
convicting the real thieves. This man Dan, the best of the lot, is going to
disappear, and, of course, Brady and Jem will never admit they stole the
bracelet. I sort of feel that if I let these men slip me now I'll never be
able to clear myself of the charge of stealing Mace's jewelry."

Frank was so impressed with these ideas that he trailed on after the two
men. He did not know that it would do much good, but that bracelet was a
kind of a lodestone, and he felt that he would give a good deal to get it
into his possession.

The little procession covered about three slow miles, arriving finally at a
little sleepy town. Frank had never been there before. Jem led the horse
down the main street of the place, and finally turned into a vacant lot, at
the rear of which stood a livery stable. A lantern was burning just beyond
the wide open door of the place.

Frank lined a board fence that bounded one side of the livery stable yard.
When he got opposite the open doorway where Jem had halted, he posted
himself at a crack in the fence, where he could see and hear what was going
on.

"Hi, there, somebody--wake up!" bawled Jem loudly.