“That being the case,” added Jack, between the puffs at his pipe, “why you’ll have to wait till they come back.  That may be inside of five minutes, and not for an hour; maybe,” added Jack in the game exasperating manner, “that nothing will be seen of ’em till daylight.  You see that since they have been cheated out of their work they have plenty of time to loaf through the country.”

“Any man who is too lazy to work can find time to turn his hand to dishonest tricks,” said the superintendent, meaning that the words should not be misunderstood.

“Sometimes the tricks that you call dishonest pay better than working for a superintendent who wants all the wages himself,” was the impudent reply of Jack Hansell.

“That is the excuse of the man who is bad at heart and who prefers wrong to right.  Our state prisons are full of that sort of people.”

“Yes—­and there are a good many people that ought to be in prison that ain’t there.”

“I am sure no one is better qualified than you to speak on that matter.”

“Except yourself.”

It struck Harvey just then that he was doing an unworthy thing in holding such a conversation with any man.  If he had anything of the kind to say, he ought to speak it openly.  He now did so.

“There is not a particle of doubt, Jack Hansell, that you and your brother and Hugh O’Hara are engaged in business that ought to place you all behind the bars.”

“If you think it safe to talk that way before Tom and Hugh you will now have the chance.”

“I will be glad to tell them to their faces what I have told you.”

“All right; there they come.”

Footsteps and voices in such low tones were heard outside that it was clear the men brought important news with them.  And such indeed proved to be the case.

CHAPTER IV.

The search by Hugh and Tom.

Never did one person do another a greater injustice than did Harvey Bradley when he believed that either Hugh O’Hara or any one else had aught to do with the absence of his little sister Dollie.  No men had a hand in the sad business, nor could any one have been led to harm a hair of her head.  Had Harvey asked for help, no one in the village would have held back from doing all that could be done to restore the child to her friends.

The first news that came to Hugh O’Hara’s cabin of the loss of the child was brought by Jack Hansell, who went thither on a far different errand.  After a long talk on business, he gave the tidings, adding: 

“I met him at the creek, but thought I wouldn’t tell him, for it would do no good.  I kept my eyes open for the gal, but seen nothing of her.”

Hugh jerked the pipe from his mouth.

“What’s that you are saying?  The little girl lost?”

“That’s it; she’s been missing since noon; they think she come up the path and got lost in the mountains.”