If it had been provided with a combination lock, Arthur would have set to work upon it at once; but as it was an old-fashioned article, requiring a key to open it, he could do nothing.
Thinking it possible that his father might have left the key in the room, he began looking for it in the bookcases, under the lounge, along the edge of the carpet—in every place, in fact, that seemed to offer the least chance for concealment, but his search was in vain.
“It is in his pocket, most likely,” said Arthur, as he unlocked the door, sat down in one of the easy chairs, and opened a book, which he had taken at random down from one of the shelves. “I’ll just hang around the rest of the day, and satisfy myself on that point. That key is the only thing that stands in my way. If I can get my hands on that, the rest will be easy enough, for I know how to open the safe.”
Arthur turned his chair about so that he could not see the river when he happened to glance out of the window—somehow, he could not bear the sight of it now—and tried to amuse himself by looking at the engravings in the book he held in his hand; but the excitement and suspense which had taken the place of his fears were too much for him, and sometimes he would spring to his feet and rush about the room like some caged wild animal.
But he was quiet enough when his father returned about dinner-time, and came into the office, accompanied by the superintendent.
Some argument had arisen between them regarding the business of the ranch, and, in order to settle it, they had to refer to the books that were in the safe.
Arthur saw his father take the key from his pocket and insert it in the lock, and took particular notice to the way he twirled the knob.
When the door swung open and the interior of the safe was disclosed to his view, Arthur was not a little astonished.
One of the shelves was piled full of greenbacks, and on the shelf under it were four large tin boxes, which were filled to the brim with bright, shining gold pieces.
As he did not care to stay there and listen to a discussion about matters of which he knew nothing and cared less, Arthur put away his book and went out into the hall.