They dashed out, proud to bear so important a message. They could not find him, but an hour later they heard him, coming from the stable. He at once went into the house. They rushed into the chamber, where they found the door of the closet open.
"Balla, come in here," called their mother from within. "Have you got them safe?" she asked.
"Yes'm; jes' as safe as they kin be. I want to be 'bout here when they come, or I'd go down an' stay whar they is."
"What is it?" asked the boys.
"Where is the best place to put that?" she said, pointing to a large, strong box in which, they knew, the finest silver was kept; indeed, all excepting what was used every day on the table.
"Well, I declar', Mistis, that's hard to tell," said the old driver, "without it's in the stable."
"They may burn that down."
"That's so; you might bury it under the floor of the smoke-house?"
"I have heard that they always look for silver there," said the boys' mother. "How would it do to bury it in the garden?"
"That's the very place I was gwine name," said Balla, with flattering approval. "They can't burn that down, and if they gwine dig for it then they'll have to dig a long time before they git over that big garden." He stooped and lifted up one end of the box to test its weight.