"With a joyful cry he exultingly held up a large wallet before his excited companions."
An audible sigh of relief escaped them all as they looked. Robert took out his pocket-handkerchief, and the coins, dirt and all, were deposited within it. Surely success was certain now—and soon, by carefully digging away the surrounding earth, the detective was enabled to place his hands beneath the stone. Then, with a joyful cry, he withdrew a large wallet, and held it up exultingly before his excited companions.
Ah, yes, victory was assured now, and, after carefully searching around the stone to discover if anything else had been hidden there, the wallet was placed in the handkerchief along with the coins, and they prepared to leave the place.
The earth was replaced, the bark and tin were piled upon the top of it, and after they had finished, nothing in the appearance of things would indicate that midnight workers had been there, or that the murdered man's treasure had been discovered and removed.
The overwrought nerves of the worker and watchers were strengthened by a long draught of prime "Eau de vie," which had been brought along by the considerate Paul, and after making sure that everything was as they had found it, they left the barn and proceeded toward the railroad.
It was necessary now to get rid of the lantern and the spade. To retain them would be hazardous—they might be stopped upon the road, and the possession of a dark lantern and a wallet of money would be strong evidences of something else than a detective operation, and besides this, secrecy was all-important at the present time.
Passing a ravine some distance from the scene of their operations, Robert threw the lantern away, and it dropped to the bottom with a noise that was echoed upon the quiet air; further on, the spade was disposed of, and then, disencumbered, the trio walked to Stamford, about eight miles distant, where they boarded a train and returned to New York, well pleased with the result of their night's work.
It was six o'clock when they arrived. They proceeded at once to the Windsor Hotel, where the German Consul resided, and, awakening that gentleman, Robert sent up his card, when they were admitted to his parlor and the package was exhibited to his astonished gaze.
To count the contents of this enclosure was now the next duty to be performed, and in the presence of all the parties the labor was at once commenced. The gold pieces were found to amount to one hundred marks—consisting of three twenty-mark and four ten-mark pieces—and it was noticed that one of them had a hole drilled through it. The wallet next received attention. It was discovered to be a pocket-book enclosed in a canvas wrapper, securely sewed together and fastened with sealing-wax.