And just hand me some of those boards," he added.

"It's very necessary that we keep the marks clear." The rest of us stood in a huddled group on the one or two boards he had left us and watched him curiously as he made his way down the passage.
He paused at the end and examined the ground.

We saw him stoop and pick up something.

Then he rose quickly with a cry of triumph and came running back to us holding his hands behind him.
"It's just as I suspected," he said, his eyes shining with excitement.
"Colonel Gaylord had an enemy he did not know." "What do you mean ?" we asked, crowding around.
"Here's the proof," and he held out towards us a well gnawed ham bone in one hand and a cheese rind in the other.

"These were the provisions intended for the church social; the pies, I fancy, have disappeared." We stared at him a moment in silent wonder.