N ICHOLAS BUNDY was disappointed by his first failure, but by no means discouraged.

"There are many Joneses in the world," he said, "but Rupert is an uncommon name. I didn\'t think there\'d be more than one with that handle to his name. If he\'s alive I\'ll find him."

"Why don\'t you enquire of somebody that knew him?" asked Oliver.

"The thing is to find such a one," said Bundy. "There\'s been many changes in twenty years."

"Don\'t you know of some tradesman that he used to patronize, Mr. Bundy?"

"The very thing!" exclaimed the miner, for so I shall sometimes designate Mr. Bundy. "There\'s one man that may tell me about him."

"Who is that?"

"He kept a drinking-place down near Fulton Ferry. He may be living yet. I\'ll go and see him."

So one morning Nicholas Bundy, accompanied by Oliver, took the Third Avenue cars and went downtown. They got out near the Astor House, and made their way to the old place, which Bundy remembered well. To his great joy he found it—a little shabbier, a little dirtier, but in other respects the same.

They entered. Behind the bar stood a man of nearly sixty, whose bloated figure and dull red face indicated that he appreciated what he sold to others.

"What will you have, gentlemen?" he asked briskly.

Nicholas Bundy surveyed his countenance attentively.

"Are you Jacob Spratt?" he asked.

"Yes," answered the bartender. "Do you know me?"

"I knew you twenty years ago," answered the miner.

"I don\'t remember you."

"You once knew me well."

"I have seen many faces in my time. I can\'t remember so many years back."

"Do you recall the name of Nicholas Bundy?"

"Ay, that I do. You used to come here with a man named Jones."

"Yes—Rupert Jones. Can you tell me where he is now?"

Jacob shook his head.

"He left New York not long after you did," he answered. "He went to Chicago."

"Are you sure of that?"

"Yes, and I\'ll tell you why. He came here one evening and says: \'Jacob, I\'m going away. You won\'t see me for a long time—I\'m going to Chicago.\'"

"Did he tell you why he was going there?"

"He said he was going there as an agent for a New York house—that he had a............