He ain't the one that done that Lima, Ohio, job and carried off them eight hundred dollars' worth of stamps--" "But what _did_ he do ?" "Well, I got a clew to another past of his--" "What is it?
Let's have it!" Billy was still not to be driven faster than a detective story should move.
We heard, and dimly saw, him engaged with a metallic object which he drew from under his coat.

We were silent.

Then we heard him say:-- "My lamp's went out--_darn_ these matches!" At last he seemed to light something.

He unfolded a bit of paper before us and triumphantly across its surface he directed the rays of a bull's-eye lantern.

This was his climax.