usand dollars in the banks. He had saved money all his
life, denying himself and his wife almost the necessities of life.

"Do you suppose anybody else could have come in and taken the box?"
said Songbird.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, did anybody come in after that fellow left?"

"How should I know?--I was down cellar."

"Did you hear anybody?"

"I heard something. Maybe it was somebody, or maybe it was my sheep.
They come up to the house sometimes."

"I see."

"But what do you know about this?" demanded Hiram Duff, turning to Sam.
"You said you might help me to git the money back."

"I'll tell you," said Sam, and related how his brother had disappeared
and how the blow on the head seemed to have affected him.

"That's it! That's him! That's the man!" cried the old miser. "He
did it! You catch him and git my money back!" he went on, excitedly.

"I'll certainly do my best to find him, Mr. Duff," answered Sam. "And
if he really took your box you shall have what you lost back."

"Is he crazy, do you think?"

"He wouldn't do such a thing if he was in his right mind."

"Tom Rover is as honest as the day is long," declared Songbird. "If he
really took your box he didn't know what he was doing."

"Well, he certainly did act queer," agreed Hiram Duff. "But that ain't
here nor there. I want my box back, with all that's in it, and I'm
going to have it. I guess I had better go to town and tell the police
about this."

CHAPTER XIII

THE WESTERN EXPRESS

The old miser was very much excited and began to pace the floor of his
cottage.

"Yes, I better tell the police, that's what I better do," he muttered.

"There won't be any necessity to tell the police--if it was really my
brother who did it," said Sam.

"Why not, I'd like to know?" challenged Hiram Duff. "He ain't no
better'n other folks."

"If he took the box, I and my family will see to it that you are repaid
for your loss, Mr. Duff," answered the youngest Rover.

"Humph! Do you guarantee that?" demanded the old miser, suspiciously.

"Yes."

"And you can take his word for it, sir," added Songbird. "The Rovers
are well-known and wealthy, and they will do exactly as they promise.

"I've heard that name before. Didn't you have some trouble with the
railroad company?" asked Hiram Duff. "About a busted-up flying
machine?"

"Yes," replied Sam.

"And got the best of that skinflint lawyer, Belright Fogg?"

"We made Mr. Fogg p