Reaching in and taking out the cash box, the first thing that attracted his attention were the letters on the cover.
“Hello! Riverton National Bank!” he exclaimed. “Then they did get something from the bank after all. What is this? Bunch of registered mail for the little post-office down here. Well, it was lucky I was thrown down the bank after all.”
Putting back the contents of the bag and securing it with the cord, Jack now made his way toward the end of the bridge, looking up and down and listening attentively.
“If I am seen with this in my possession some one will be sure to say that I stole it and yet I must get it either to the station or up to the Academy. It will be a considerable tug to get it up the hill and perhaps I had better hide it till I can come after it with a car or a wagon. That’s the best thing to do.”
He was looking for a place among the bushes or under the bridge to hide the bag when he heard the sound of a car coming toward him and got behind a tree so as not to be observed.
Then, peering out, he saw the car and recognized it as the little runabout belonging to Dick and saw young Percival himself at the wheel.
“Hello, Dick, come here, I want to see you,” he called, stepping out and beginning to climb the bank.
“Hello! That’s you, is it? And all right, of course? I was very much afraid that I would have——”
“To do what?” for Percival suddenly stopped.
“To carry your remains back to the Academy. They told me you had fallen down the bank and I scarcely expected to see you alive again. As quick as I could I got out the car and came down here to look for you.”