his
mother, who, though still an invalid, could not rest for anxiety, and
had exchanged her bed for an easy-chair by the stove. 'It is nailed
and screwed up still, as tight as ever, unless I am mistaken.'

Before the mother could reply, the door was suddenly opened from
without, and Master Prieme, fully armed, entered the room.

'Where is Juechziger?' he said instantly. 'He is to come at once to the
Burgomaster.'

'He went out a little while ago,' replied Conrad, 'and did not leave
word where he was going.'

'What! you here, boy!' cried Prieme, in evident surprise. 'Ha! And
how did you get out of the Swedes' hands and into the town again? How
about that safe-conduct and that precious buried box? The whole thing
looked very suspicious, very suspicious indeed.'

Conrad found himself in a great difficulty. Should he make a clean
breast of it, and perhaps get his step-father into dreadful trouble?
He at first hesitated, and then stammered--

'Well--the--the Swedes--let me go in three days.'

'And the box? What about that?'

'Oh--well,' stammered Conrad, incapable of telling a lie, 'the box? I
got that too.'

'Dug it out of the cellar?'

'No; not that. The Swedes dug it up, and gave it me; and then'--

'That's false!' cried Prieme. 'Sooner get blood out of a post than a
box worth keeping out of the clutches of a Swede. What was in it?'

'I'm sure I don't know. It was nailed up so tight; and my step-father
wouldn't let me even peep into it. I don't think it has ever been
opened.'

'Just like Juechziger! a regular downright skinflint! And how did you
get into the town again? Who let you in across the moat and through
the gate?'

Conrad was by this time nearer crying than laughing. He looked
imploringly at his questioner, remained silent, and then, when further
pressed, stammered out--

'Along the Muenzbach--under the water-tower.'

'That's sheer nonsense!' cried Prieme again. 'Three gratings of the
toughest hammered iron are firmly fixed across the way. Don't lie to
me, boy, or I'll break every bone in your body.'

'But I did, indeed I did,' persisted Conrad. 'In all the gratings one
bar was eaten away by rust or something, so that I could easily push
them on one side and creep through.'

Prieme turned pale. 'Merciful heaven!' he cried; 'this means
treachery. Quick to give the alarm! Perhaps we may even yet save the
city.'

'Oh, please do be reasonable, Master Prieme!' pleaded C