"Do you think he is honest?"
The two boys looked surprised; that question had never occurred to them.
"What makes you ask?" inquired James.
"Only that he has in his possession a sum of money belonging to my uncle."
"Did he tell you so? did you see it?" were the questions quickly asked.
"I met him at my uncle's cabin. My uncle owed me a small sum, and instead of paying me himself, he asked this boy to pay me. The boy took the money from his pocket, and handed it to me."
Both boys were surprised.
"I didn't know he had anything to do with the hermit," said Tom. "Did you, James?"
"No; but then I don't trouble myself about Mark Manning's affairs."
Lyman Taylor regarded James shrewdly, he had no difficulty in detecting the boy's dislike towards Mark.