Unless，however，anagentcultivatesatasteforthoroughnesseventodetailsandtriflesthatmightatfirstviewappearutterlyinsignificant，hewillneversucceedininterpretingthehieroglyphics。
Atintervalsoftwoorthreeweeks，beginninginthesummerof1871，registeredpackagespassingtoandfrofromChicagotoatownintheinteriorofDakotaTerritory，whichforconveniencewillbecalledWellington，——thoughthatwasnotitsname，——werereportedtothedepartmentasrifled。Astheseasonworeon，thecomplaintsincreasedinfrequency。Undertheoldmethodofdoingbusinessatheadquarters，whichoftenamountedpracticallytoadistributionofthecasesaboutequally“amongtheboys，“theagentstationedatChicagoreceivedmostofthematfirst；thenapartweresenttoanagentinIowa；andasthenumbermultiplied，Furay，atOmaha，wasfavoredwithanoccasionalsprinkling。Underthepresentmoreperfectsystem，greatcareistakentogrouptogetherallthecomplaintsgrowingoutofeachseriesofdepredations，tolocatetheseatoftroublebycomparisonscarefullymadeinthedepartmentitself，andtogiveeverythingbearingonthesubjecttotheofficerspecificallychargedwiththeinvestigation。
MarchcamearoundbeforeMr。Furayfoundtimetogivepersonalattentiontothisparticularthief。HethenpassedovertheroutetoWellington，eightymilesbystagecoachfromthenearestrailroadstation，withtenintermediateoffices。AllthepackagesremainedovernightatSiouxCity，Iowa，afactsufficientlyimportanttoinviteclosescrutiny；butthedetectivesoonbecamesatisfiedthathemustlookelsewherefortherobber。Hissuspicionswerenextdirectedtoanotheroffice，wherealsothemailslayovernight；
butthepostmasterboreacountenancesoopenandhonestthathetoowaseliminatedfromtheproblem。
HecontinuedontoWellington，skirmishingalongtheline，andobservingthefacesofthepostmasters；butthesestudiesinphysiognomythrewnolightonthemystery，astheofficialsofthedepartmentontheroute，thoughfarremovedfromcentralsupervision，seemedtobeallthattheiraffectionateuncleatWashingtoncouldwish。Onthereturntripthedetectivewasequallyobservantandequallyperplexed。AtthatseasonthestagestoppedforthenightatHannibal；butthere，likewise，thepostmastersharedthehonestlooksthatseemedtoprevailthrougheasternDakota。