Here he attacked the boy on his weak side. Humpy was fond of money. He had already scraped together about twenty dollars from the meagre pay he received, and had it carefully secreted.
"Of course I do," he answered. "How'm I to do it?"
"I'll tell you. That tin box contained property of value. It doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Mr. Turner, the banker. I was trying to recover it when you got me to come in here this morning. Now what I want to say, is this. Get that tin box for me, and help me to get away with it, and it'll be worth fifty dollars to you."
Fifty dollars! Humpy's eyes sparkled when he heard the sum named; but prudence came to his aid, fortified by suspicion.
"Who's a-goin' to pay it?" he asked.
"Mr. Turner."
"S'posin' he don't?"
"Then I will."
"Where'd you raise the money?"
"I'm not rich, but I'm worth a good deal more than that. I'd rather pay it out of my own pocket than not get back that box."