n. "If you think I'm going to
be defrauded out of my money in this way, you're very much mistaken!"

Without paying any further attention to the threats of the banker, Sandy
stepped over to Elmer's side and pointed up the deserted shaft.

"There's where the robbers went," he said, "and they doubtless took
Carson's money with them. I don't understand why Will didn't stop them."

"Will and George probably released their friends and went away,"
complained Elmer. "I don't think they showed very good judgment in doing
that, either. The result is that the money has now disappeared entirely.
A short time ago, Uncle might have reclaimed it."

"We don't know whether the money has gone beyond recall or not," replied
Sandy. "I don't believe Will and George ever left the old shaft
unguarded. They are still somewhere in this vicinity!"

Carson now blustered up to Sandy and pointed an accusing finger into the
lad's face. Sandy regarded him with indifference.

"Now that your story of the robbers has been disproved," Carson shouted,
"you may as well tell me who took my money. If I had not the courage to
make this investigation in person, that cheap story of the robbers would
have held good for all time!"

"That's a horse on me, all right!" admitted Sandy. "I don't know where
the robbers are, unless they went up through that old shaft, and it
doesn't seem as if the boys would permit that!"

"Too thin! Entirely too thin!" declared Carson. "A moment ago you tried
to tell me that the money wasn't hidden near Tunnel Six at all, but was
hidden back there near the cross-cutting."

"We had good reason to believe it was hidden there!" replied Sandy. "We
found a burned ten-dollar banknote there just after a dynamite explosion
had taken place."

"That would naturally lead to the supposition that the money had been
hidden there!" Mr. Buck exclaimed.

"Come to think of it," Sandy went on, "I believe that was one of
Ventner's tricks. I believe he blew down those pillars and burned the
banknote for the express purpose of making us search two or three weeks
in the wrong place. I guess we have under-estimated that fellow's
ability. He's a keener man than I supposed!"

"I don't quite see the point to that," Elmer suggested. "When you say
that Ventner probably caused you to dig in the wrong place, you admit
that he must have known something about the right place. Now, how could
he have known anything about where to look for that money?"

"