and also a small bag of buckskin. When Joe
opened the bag he found it contained exactly a hundred dollars in gold.

"That's a nice find," said Ned. "Anyway, you are a hundred dollars
richer than you were."

Joe began to peruse the half-burnt documents but could make little or
nothing out of them. He saw his own name and also that of a certain
William A. Bodley, and an estate in Iowa was mentioned.

"What do you find, Joe?"

"I can't tell you, Ned. The papers are too badly burnt."

"Let me look at them."

Our hero was willing, and the two boys spent an hour in trying to
decipher the documents.

"It is certainly a puzzle," said the rich boy. "Why not let my father
look over them?"

Joe was willing, and after wrapping up the documents with care, and
pocketing the hundred dollars in gold, Joe led the way back to the
boat. The wreck of the blue box was left behind, for it was rusty and
worthless.

That evening Mr. Talmadge, Ned and Joe spent two hours in going over the
documents and trying to supply the parts which had been rotted or burnt
away. They were only successful in part.

"I do not wish to say much about this, Joe," said Ned's father. "But
it would seem from these papers that you are the son of one William
A. Bodley, who at one time owned a farm in Iowa, in the township of
Millville. Did you ever hear Hiram Bodley speak of this?"

"Never."

"We might write to the authorities at Millville and see what they have
to say."

"I wish you'd do it. They may pay more attention to you than to a boy."

"I'll write at once."

"Father, hadn't Joe better stay here until we get a reply?" put in Ned.

"He may do so and welcome," answered Mr. Talmadge.

The letter was dispatched the next day and our hero waited anxiously for
the reply. It came five days later and was as follows:

"Your letter of inquiry received. There was a William A. Bodley in this
township twelve years ago. He sold his farm to a man named Augustus
Greggs and then disappeared. Before he sold out he lost his wife and
several children by sickness. Nobody here seems to know what became of
him.

"Joseph Korn."

"That is short and to the point," said Mr. Talmadge, "but it is
not satisfying. It does not state if this William A. Bodley had any
relatives so far as known."

"I guess the authorities did not want to bother about the matter," said
Joe.

"Why don't you visit Millville, Joe?" questioned Ned.

"I was thinking I could do that. It w