“It must have lots of gold in it; shall I help you carry it?”
“No, I can manage it; but what shall we do with the thing? It won’t do to take it home, for our folks might find it.”
“We’ll bury it under that stump back of our barn.”
“Is that a good place?”
“There aint any better in the world, for nobody wouldn’t think of looking there for it.”
“I seen our dog Bowser pawing under the stump the other day.”
“But he wasn’t pawing for money; we’ll hide it there till we’re ready to use it.”
The two moved off, when they heard another cry from the house behind them. They recognized it as the voice of Mrs. Wagstaff, who had arrived on the scene with her husband, and was probably overcome at sight of the woful plight of her boy.
CHAPTER III—A STARTLING OCCURRENCE
Mr. Wagstaff, on receiving word at the Town Hall from the janitor who brought the message of the terrified servant to him, forgot, in his excitement, to tell his wife of the fearful news, and rushed out-of-doors without a word.