When he noted that the judge's shoes were extremely dusty, this suspicion shaped itself definitely.

He was convinced that on the strength of his prospective fee the judge had gone to Belle Plain, for what purpose Mr.Mahaffy knew only too well.
"It took you some time to get up that abstract, didn't it, Price ?" he presently said, with artful indirection.
"I shall go on with that in the morning, Solomon; my interest was dissipated this evening," rejoined the judge.
"Looks as though you had devoted a good part of your time to pedestrianism," suggested Mahaffy.
"Quite right, so I did, Solomon." "Were you at Belle Plain ?" demanded Mahaffy harshly and with a black scowl.

The judge had agreed to keep away from Belle Plain.
"No, Solomon, you forget our pact." "Well, I am glad you remembered it." They finished supper, the dishes were cleared away and the candles lighted, when the judge produced a mysterious leather-covered case.

This he placed upon the table and opened, and Mahaffy and Hannibal, who had drawn near, saw with much astonishment that it held a handsome pair of dueling pistols, together with all their necessary paraphernalia.
"Where did you get 'em, Judge ?--Oh, ain't they beautiful!" cried Hannibal, circling about the table in his excitement.
"My dear lad, they were purchased only a few hours ago," said the judge quietly, as he began to load them.
"For Heaven's sake, Price, do be careful!" warned Mahaffy, who had a horror of pistols that extended to no other species of firearm.
"I shall observe all proper caution, Solomon," the judge assured him sweetly.
"Judge, may I try 'em some day ?" asked Hannibal.
"Yes, my boy, that's part of a gentleman's education." "Well, look out you don't shoot him before his education begins," snapped Mahaffy.
"Where did you buy 'em ?" Hannibal was dodging about the judge, the better to follow the operation of loading.
"At the gunsmith's, dear lad.

It occurred to me that we required small arms.