"The pan," said the witch, being careful not to turn so as to hide the pan, but, placing it on a taboret inside the tent, "remains in sight of all. One at a time ye may try to pick the coin out of the pan—one at a time. That all may have an equal chance, I will declare that as soon as one candidate gets the coin another gold piece will be deposited in the pan for the next person attempting the feat."
"Why, how silly!" cried Trix Severn, from the background. "If you want to give us each a counterfeit five dollars, why not hand it to us?"
"If such exchange is desired, our master, Mr. Poole, stands ready to exchange each coin secured by the neophytes for a perfectly good, new, five-dollar bill," proceeded the witch.
"There's your chance, Trix!" laughed one of the boys.
"Oh! he's only fooling," replied the hotel-keeper's daughter. She loved money.
"Each and every one who wishes may try," went on the witch. "But there is a condition."
"Oh!" muttered Trix. "Thought there was some string hitched to it."
"And you're right, there, Trix," murmured Eva Larry.
"Silence!" cried somebody.
"A condition," went on the Hallowe'en Witch. "That condition will be whispered in the ear of each candidate who tries to seize the coin."