“All right, but take it easy and stop as soon as you begin to feel tired,” Bob cautioned.
“I took the money,” he began slowly, looking at Rex, “but I want you to believe that I’m not so bad as you must think. It started the year before I went to work for your father. I was cashier in a bank in Waterville, and a large sum of money disappeared. No, I didn’t take it, but I knew that they suspected me and I was unable to prove that I was innocent. They never found out who took it, and after a time I resigned. At the time a big half-breed by the name of Jacques Harbaugh was janitor of the bank. He never liked me, as I had to reprimand him many times for poor work. Although Jacques is a half-breed, he is a pretty sharp fellow.”
Here Stebbins paused and the boys urged him to rest before telling more, but in a few minutes he insisted that he was strong enough to proceed.
“Well, I was happy in Philadelphia, and had nearly forgotten all about the matter, when suddenly, about three months ago, I met Jacques on Chestnut Street. He knew me at once. As a matter of fact, he had been hunting for me for some days. To make a long story short, he had found or made up a bit of evidence which seemed to prove conclusively that I had stolen that money so many years ago. I realize now that I was weak, but at that time I was scared so that I hardly knew what I was doing. Jacques promised that he would keep still about it, provided I paid him a large sum of money. Otherwise he declared that he would go back to Waterville and give me away. The sum, fifty thousand dollars, was entirely beyond my means, and I told him so. But he had learned in some way of my position and hinted that I could get the money all right. Finally I yielded, and it was arranged that we should meet up here, a place we both knew about.”
“But the amount you took was a good deal more than fifty thousand,” Rex interrupted.
“I know it, but as I had the chance, I thought I might as well take all I could get. As well be hanged for an old sheep as a lamb, you know. But I’ve got the money safe, and if possible, you shall have every cent of it back. You see, I got here first and had a day to think things over and made up my mind that I would give the money back and let Jacques do his worst. So I hid it in a place where no one can ever find it. I had just finished when Jacques and two other men arrived. I told them that I didn’t have the money and that they could do what they pleased about it. Of course, he was furious and insisted that I was lying and that I had the money. They have kept me here ever since and have done all sorts of things to make me tell where it is, but I made up my mind that I wouldn’t even if they killed me. If you hadn’t come just about when you did I’m afraid it would have been—”
Before he was able to finish the sentence the back door opened and Kernertok stole softly in.
“Men coming,” he announced. “Be here heap soon.”
“How far away are they?” Bob asked.
“Mebby quarter mile, no more.”