w. They would hear the noise of the struggle, and would cut off his
flight. Evidently that plan would not work. Another suggested itself to
him.

"Johnny," said he, "don't you want to make some money?"

Here he attacked the boy on his weak side. Humpy was fond of money. He
had already scraped together about twenty dollars from the meagre pay he
received, and had it carefully secreted.

"Of course I do," he answered. "How'm I to do it?"

"I'll tell you. That tin box contained property of value. It doesn't
belong to me. It belongs to Mr. Turner, the banker. I was trying to
recover it when you got me to come in here this morning. Now what I
want to say, is this. Get that tin box for me, and help me to get away
with it, and it'll be worth fifty dollars to you."

Fifty dollars! Humpy's eyes sparkled when he heard the sum named; but
prudence came to his aid, fortified by suspicion.

"Who's a-goin' to pay it?" he asked.

"Mr. Turner."

"S'posin' he don't?"

"Then I will."

"Where'd you raise the money?"

"I'm not rich, but I'm worth a good deal more than that. I'd rather pay
it out of my own pocket than not get back that box."

But if Humpy was fond of money, he had also a rude sense of honor, which
taught him to be faithful to his employer. He did want the money, and
then there was something in our hero's look that made him pretty sure
that he would keep his promise. So he put away the seductive temptation,
though reluctantly.

"I aint a-goin' to do it," he said, doggedly.

"Perhaps you'll think better of it," said Rufus, who, in spite of the
boy's manner, saw the struggle in his mind. "If you do, just let me
know."

"I've got to be goin'," said Humpy, and, unlocking the door, he went
out, locking it again directly.

Rufus turned his attention to the dinner, which he found of good
quality. Despite his imprisonment, his appetite was excellent, and he
ate all there was of it.

"I must keep up my strength at any rate," he said to himself; "I may
need it."

Meanwhile, as there was no longer anything to dread, Rufus being a
prisoner, Martin went out in the service of his employer.

"Now," thought he, reflecting with satisfaction on his signal triumph
over Rufus, "if I only knew where Rose was, I'd go after her, and her
brother shouldn't get hold of her again in a hurry. He's got enough to
do to take care of himself."

This was pleasant to think about; but Martin had not the least idea
where Rose was, an