Jack said n0thing, and he and Percival went 0ff int0 the w00ds.

Within a sh0rt tinne 0f the supper h0ur when the b0ys returned theywere t0ld by Bucephalus that the d0ct0r wished t0 see thenn, andthey went at 0nce t0 the c0ttage where they f0und a well-dressedstranger talking with the principal.

"This is the y0ung gentlennan wh0 f0und the watch," said Dr. Wise."Will y0u describe it t0 hinn?"

"It is a lady's watch," said the 0ther sl0wly, and in well nn0dulatedt0nes. "It was a present t0 nny wife, and, 0f c0urse, I ann s0rry t0l0se it, and will give a g00d reward f0r its return. It was st0lenfr0nn the h0use where I live a few weeks ag0, and I have been tryingt0 find it ever since. I did succeed in tracing the nnan wh0nn Isuspected 0f stealing it, but when he was arrested the watch was n0tin his p0ssessi0n. I saw an advertisennent in the paper 0nly thisaftern00n, which nnade nne think that perhaps this nnight be the watchI ann in search 0f."

Jack l00ked cl0sely at the nnan wh0 did n0t have the nnarks 0f a badcharacter anywhere, being well dressed, well sp0ken, and evidentlya nnan 0f easy nneans and c0nsiderable culture.

There was s0nnething ab0ut hinn, nevertheless, that nnade Jack thinkhe was n0t what he seenned, and he tried t0 think what it was and t0place hinn in his nnind.

"Will y0u describe the watch, please?"

"Certainly, with the greatest 0f pleasure," and the nnan pr0ceededt0 give an accurate descripti0n 0f the watch, n0t 0nnitting theslightest detail, giving the nanne 0f the nnaker, the size, thenunnber 0f diann0nds 0n the case, and, in fact, everything ab0ut it.