Old wiring in a junction box - Electrical help with outlets not working?

When I have a situation with unlabeled wires, I make a wiring diagram and do most of my trouble shooting there. Just remember that every outlet has to have a power feed and a common. Draw a diagram with all the outlets on it and take your checker and identify each wire, then label the wire and mark it on the diagram. Most likely one pair of the wires in the box go back to the power panel or some other source of power with hot and neutral. You have to have a hot and a neutral going to each outlet. A short with ac will give the same results as one with dc, spark, flash, darkness, in that order. If after labeling all the wires, you still cannot figure it out, call an electrician.