"I think we will stop with this," said the youthful magician. "Of course it would be very pleasant for us both to go on piling up money like this, but the audience would get tired, and my first duty is to carry out this performance and amuse them, as advertised."
He placed the hat on a small table, but the farmer's long arm shot out, and his fingers clutched the coveted receptacle of all that money.
A moment later Josiah was staring in open-mouthed dismay into the hat, which was——
Empty!
"Great smoke!"
The farmer managed to gasp forth the words.
"What is the matter, sir?" quietly asked Frank, without looking toward the man.
"It—it's gone!"
"What's gone?"
"The money!"