"Don't believe there was anything in that yarn, after all," he muttered, as they went up the stairs to the third room.
"I don't see why he should lie about it, after he confessed," remarked Frank thoughtfully. "Dad told us that he admitted not being able to get away with the stuff."
"Then where did he hide it?" demanded Applegate. "If he wasn't lying, the stuff must be around here some place."
"Perhaps he hid it a little more carefully than we imagine," put in Joe.
"Haven't we hunted carefully enough?" Hurd Applegate snapped.
In the third room their search was again in vain. They even inspected the window ledges and tapped the floors and ceiling in the faint hope of finding some secret cupboard that was unknown to them.
But the loot was not found.
When at last they emerged through the trapdoor in the roof, out on top of the rear tower, and found it to be bare and empty, Applegate could not disguise his chagrin.
"Wild-goose chase!" he snorted. "Adelia was right. I've been made a fool of."
"You don't think we would make up a story like that, do you, Mr. Applegate?" Frank asked.