“We might as well. You see we don’t want you to go up and tell Jonas and Caleb about this thing, for they might make us trouble.”
“I’ll promise you that I shall not go near Jonas and Caleb. I want to get as far away from Manchester as I can. You might give me something to eat, any way.”
“Well, I will see what my pardner says about it. If you keep still—”
“Why, your partner has gone away,” said Nat.
“I mean when he comes back. It won’t take you long to stay here a week. Now if you keep still—”
“Are you going to keep me a whole week without anything to eat?” asked Nat, in surprise. “I can’t possibly live as long as that.”
“Maybe my pardner has not gone yet, and I can speak to him. Now if you keep still, that dog would not pester you; but if you get up and go to roaming around, he’ll pin you. Then you won’t tell me where the money is—humph!”
This was another evidence that the man had not been near the place where the money was supposed to be hidden. He came pretty near letting the cat out of the bag that time. Nat did not say a word in reply. He wanted the man to believe that he put faith in his story.
“Well, good-by. I shall not be in here before to-morrow morning; and if you have anything to say to me—”
“What have I got to say? You have found the money, and what more do you want?”