The contemplation of this possibility so raised Martin's spirits, that,
in spite of the disappointment he had experienced in finding the booty
so far below what he had anticipated, he became quite cheerful,
especially after Smith produced a bottle of whiskey, and asked him to
help himself,--an invitation which he did not have occasion to repeat.

CHAPTER XVIII.

RUFUS ENTRAPPED.

"Now," said Rufus to himself on the morning succeeding the robbery,
"I've got a week to recover that box. How shall I go about it?"

This was a question easier asked than answered. Martin being the thief,
the first thing, of course, was to find him; and Rufus had considerable
hopes of encountering him in the street some day. Should this be the
case, he might point him out to a policeman, and have him arrested at
once; but this would not recover the box. Probably it was concealed at
Martin's boarding-house, and this it was that Rufus was anxious to find.
He decided, therefore, whenever he got on the track of his step-father,
to follow him cautiously until he ascertained where he lodged.

He walked the street with his eyes about him all day, but did not catch
a glimpse of Martin. The fact was, the latter was at Newark, having been
sent there by his employers with a supply of counterfeit money to
dispose of, so that our hero's search was of course fruitless, and so he
was obliged to report to Mr. Turner the next morning.

"Probably he is in hiding," said his employer. "I don't think you have
much chance of meeting him for a few days to come."

"I should like to try," said Rufus. "He won't be content to hide long."

"I have notified the banks and railroad companies of the robbery," said
Mr. Turner; "so that it will be impossible to sell the shares. After a
while, should we fail to recover them, they will grant us duplicate
certificates. I have advertised, also, the numbers of the bonds; and, if
an attempt is made to dispose of them, the thief will find himself in
trouble. So the loss is reduced to four hundred dollars."

"That is too much to lose," said Rufus.

"That is true; but we are lucky to get off so cheap."

"I hope to get back some of that," said our hero, stoutly.

"Did it ever strike you that there might be some risk encountering this
man? If he is driven to bay he may become dangerous."

"I don't think of the danger, Mr. Turner," said Rufus. "I lost that box,
and it is my duty to recover it if I can, danger or no da