"Yes," and, lighting one, the Jew came forward and communicated the flame to the candle.
"Now," said Barney, "let's see if they have found your little boodle," and the two hurried into the inner vault.
A single glance was sufficient to inform Jake of his heavy loss, and a more unhappy Jew never cut a throat or relieved a poor widow of her hard earnings.
"Oh, Father Abraham!" he groaned, "I vos a ruined man. Vot schall I do? Oh, holy Moses! schust help me to catch dot tamned Old Spicer, und I vill not ask uv you one odder favor so long as I live.
"Great Aaron! all der hard earnings uv a life-time gone. I vos schust ready to lay me town und die. Yes, dere vos no use living any more."
"It is mighty hard, Jake, to lose all your honest earnings in this way," said Barney. "But cheer up, my boy; you've escaped with a whole skin, and we may live to get even with Old Spicer yet."
"I vould schust like to r-r-r-ring his tamned neck!" hissed Jake. "I vould schust like to trink his l-l-l-life blood!"
"You would like that, eh?"
"So 'elp me gracious, dot vould make me feel happy."
"Well, we will lay low for him one of these days, but just now we must see Sadie, and after we have seen her we must be off to New York."