in silent amazement, both being startled by the same
suspicion. Cautious as he thought he had been, Marcy had not succeeded
in removing the money from the cellar to a new hiding-place without
being seen. Julius knew all about it.

"What for dey make all dem sharp corners on dar?" asked the boy,
pointing to the gold piece. "What for dey don't make 'em roun' like all
de res'?"

"Where are the rest?" demanded Marcy. "Hand them out."

Julius obeyed, but this time he produced a twenty-dollar piece.

"Go on. Pull out some more," said Marcy.

"Dat's all," replied the boy. "When de bag bus' you and ole Morris pick
up all but two, and dere dey is."

Marcy remembered now, although he might never have thought of it again,
how startled he was when one of the little bags in which his mother's
treasure was packed became untied in his hand, and the gold pieces
rattled down upon the hard floor of the cellar. The coachman, who was
working with him, was prompt to extinguish the lantern, while Marcy
alternately groped for the money and sat up on his knees and listened
for the sound of footsteps on the floor overhead. It seemed to him that
all in the house ought to have been aroused by the racket, but when he
became satisfied that such was not the case, the lantern was again
lighted and the work went on. He thought he had picked up all the
pieces, but it seemed he hadn't. And where was the boy Julius when this
happened? That was a point that could be cleared up at some future time;
but just now Marcy wanted to talk about something else.

"Where were you when those robbers came into the house?" he inquired.
"Were you in bed!"

"Oh, no, sar; I wasn't in bed," replied Julius.

"Where were you?"

"I was out dar," said the boy, giving his head a circular nod, so as to
include nearly all the points of the compass at once.

"Out where?"

"Jest out dar in de bresh."

"Julius," said Marcy, getting upon his feet, "are you going to answer me
or not?"

"Oh, yes sar," exclaimed the boy, backing off a step or two. "I going
answer ebery question you ax me. I was jest out in de gyarden."

"What were you doing out there at that time of night?"

"Nuffin, sar."

"Did you see the robbers come into the house?"

"Yes, sar; I done seed 'em come in."

"Then what did you do?"

"I jest went 'round out dar."

"And did you see those other masked men, who came in and rescued us from
the power of the robbers?"

"Yes, sar, I seed dem too,"