\"WilliamPortersentencedtothreeyears\'imprisonmentforgivingsheltertogangofrobbers。Evidencewantingtoshowhetookanyactualpartintheircrimes。\"
ThesheriffhadbeeninandoutseveraltimesduringthefivehoursthatVincent\'ssearchhadtakenup。WhenhereturnedagainVincentpointedouttheentryhehadfound。
\"Ishouldnotbeatallsurprisedifthat\'sourman，\"thesheriffsaid。
\"IknowoldPorterwell，forheisstillaliveandbearsaprettybadreputationstill，thoughwehaveneverbeenabletobringhimtobook。Irememberallthecircumstancesofthataffair，forIservedupontheposse。WhilePorterwasinprisonhishousewaskeptforhimbyamarrieddaughterandherhusband。Therewasastrongsuspicionthatthemanwasoneofthegangtoo，butwecouldn\'tproveit。Theyhavelivedthereeversince。Theyhavegotfiveorsixfieldhands，andaresaidtobewelloff。Wehavenodoubttheyhavegotastillsomewhereintheswamps，butwehaveneverbeenabletofindit。Iwillsendamanoffto-morrowtomakeinquirieswhetheranystrangerhasarrivedtherelately。Ofcourse，Pearsonwillnothavekeptthatname，andhewillnothaveappearedasJohnPorter，forhewouldbearrestedonafreshwarrantatonceforhisshareinthatformerbusiness。Ithink，CaptainWingfield，youhadbetterregisteratthehotelhereundersomeothername。Idon\'tsupposethathehasanyfearofbeingtrackedhere；stillitisjustpossiblehisfathermayhavegotsomebodyhereandatFlorencetokeeptheireyesopenandlethimknowifthereareanyinquiriesbeingmadebystrangersaboutamissingnegress。Onecannotbetoocareful。Ifhegottheleasthint，hissonandthewomanwouldbehiddenawayintheswampsbeforewecouldgetthere，andtherewouldbenosayingwhenwecouldfindhim。\"
Vincenttookthesheriff\'sadvice，andenteredhisnameinthehotelbookasMr。Vincent。Lateintheeveningthesheriffcameroundtohim。