Part 22 (1/2)
”I guess you're right. We must be prudent. If we could only get away with the whole sum it would make us comfortable for a year or two.”
”How much is there?”
”Well, there are eight thousand dollars in government bonds, and five Union Pacific bonds of a thousand dollars each. They're safe as governments.”
”Thirteen thousand dollars!” said Temple, in a tone of gratification.
”Yes, and more, for the bonds are all at premium. However, we must lay back for a reward. It won't do to negotiate them.”
While this conversation had been going on Temple indicated the spot which he thought suitable, and, with a spade which he carried, had commenced excavating a hole sufficiently large for the purpose.
He dug to a depth of about eighteen inches, the box being eight inches in height, and carefully deposited it in the cavity.
Then both replaced a part of the earth, and carried away the remainder to the distance of a hundred feet or so. Finally they brought a quant.i.ty of leaves and covered the spot.
”There,” said Temple, with a look of satisfaction; ”it's safe enough now. It'll take a smart detective to find it, I reckon.”
”You're right there, Ralph,” said his companion. ”It would be a bad sort of joke if we couldn't find it ourselves,” he added, after a pause.
”I can find it, never you fear!” said Temple. ”I know these woods as well as anybody, and shan't forget the spot.”
”All the same, I wish I had some of that money now. I'm almost dead broke.”
”So am I; but I can let you have enough to get back to the city.”
”And suppose,” said Vernon, with an uneasy look, ”you should take a fancy to remove that box while I am away?”
”Don't be afraid. Ralph Temple isn't that kind of a man. He'll stand by his pard and treat him fair.”
”It would be a rough trick to play on me, Ralph,” said Vernon, apparently not quite free from uneasiness.
”So it would; but there is no danger. Even if I did couldn't you expose the whole thing, and have me arrested?”
”So I could,” returned Vernon, more rea.s.sured by this consideration than by his faith in Temple's fair dealing.
”Well, if you're all ready, we may as well vanish. You can stay with me to-night, and go to the city in the morning. Watch the papers, and see if there is anything that promises advantage to us.”
”All right.”
The two men moved off, much to Harry's relief. He was in momentary dread of a sneeze, and this would betray his whereabouts to Temple and his partner.
What these two desperate men would have done to him, had they discovered him, it was not easy to guess; but, under the influence of vexation and alarm, they might have brought upon him worse trouble than any he had yet experienced.
Such, indeed, was likely, from what he knew of Ralph Temple. He was generally considered a disreputable character, and the villagers were ignorant as to how he made his living.
From time to time he came to the village store provided with money; but where it came from no one knew, as he was not known to do anything, except to roam the fields and woods with his gun. Sometimes he disappeared for a week or a fortnight at a time, but where he went, unless to the city, no one knew.
Harry conjectured, from what he had just seen, that Temple was in league with wicked men in the city, with whom he was engaged in violations of the law, and in this surmise he was correct.
He understood a little better now Ralph Temple's object in selecting as his abode this lonely and out-of-the-way place.