“Is it in there?” cried Matt, excitedly.
“Yes; clear down to the bottom, clost up under the roots of the tree,” said Jake, faintly. “Now, mam, untie my hands an’ give me a blink of that bread, can’t ye?”
The woman, who was not quite so heartless as her husband, thought she might safely comply with the request. Jake could not have got up a trot to save his life; but he had strength enough to eat, and the way Rube’s bread and cold fried bacon disappeared before his attacks was astonishing. He ate until his mother called a halt and reminded him that if he kept on there wouldn’t be anything left over for supper.
Meanwhile Matt was working industriously, almost frantically, expecting every moment that the stick with which he was making the leaves fly in all directions would strike one of the valises. In a very short space of time the ground about the roots of the tree was as bare as the back of his hand, but nothing was to be seen of the money. Having taken the sharp edge off his appetite, Jake began showing some interest in the proceedings, and the longer his father worked, the wider his eyes opened.
“You don’t seem to throw out nothing, pap,” said he, at last.
“I know I don’t,” answered Matt. “But you will seem to feel something if I don’t find it directly, for I’ll lick ye good fashion.”
“As sure’s you live an’ breathe, pap, I hid it there, clost under the roots of that tree,” said Jake, who was almost overwhelmed with astonishment. “I can’t for the life of me think what’s went with it.”
“Mebbe you can after you’ve had a hickory laid over your back a few times,” replied Matt. “I’ve heard tell that a good lickin’ goes a long ways in stirrin’ up a boy’s ideas.”
Just then a new actor appeared upon the scene. It was Sam Coyle, who had been left in camp to watch over things during the absence of his father and mother. While dozing over the fire he heard and recognized his father’s voice, and came out to see what he was doing. He took care to pass the tree in which the valises were hidden, and to look among the branches to make sure that they were still there.
“Hallo, Jakey,” said he, in a surprised tone. “Where did you drop down from? What be you lookin’ for, pap?”