, but he took it with him. Guess he carries it with him
everywhere he goes. I wonder if we couldn't manage in some way to break
the lock. My, but I tell you we could get a big haul! I wonder if we
hadn't better try it some day when the old folks go to town?"

"Hooray, that's just it!" shouted the smaller boys in the same breath.

And John asked quickly: "When will they go to town again? This is only
Wednesday."

"It won't be long, I'm sure," Will answered reassuringly. "They'll go
either Friday or Saturday sure. But we'll have to get busy and think out
a way to break that lock. My, but won't the old man be mad when he finds
out about it! We'll have to act just as if we couldn't see how on earth
such a thing could have happened."

"Yes; and we'll have to hide the tobacco good, or Pa might find it,"
chimed in Charley.

"Hey, Will," John exclaimed in a hurried undertone--for all the boys had
learned to speak low when mentioning their plans--"if we could take the
hinges off from the back of the chest, we wouldn't have to break the
lock at all."

"Why, John, that's just it! How in the world did you think of that
scheme?" Will exclaimed, as he slapped his little cousin on the back. "I
say, my boy, you had better look out or you'll be a man before your big
cousin! It doesn't matter, you know, about the height, if you have the
sense."

Now, John (although so young) was quite ingenious; and he often
suggested ideas that, for their shrewdness, were far beyond his years.
For such he was always praised by Will, and was encouraged to make other
plans.

Being encouraged by his cousin's praise, the child's brain became even
more active, and he said, "If we just cut a little piece from each plug,
Uncle won't be so apt to miss the tobacco."

"That's just it again!" emphatically assented Will. "I declare, John,
you surprise me! And now, we must have everything all ready so that
the minute they leave we can get busy. Let's see, what'll we need?
A screw-driver--and will we need a hammer?"

"We'll need a real sharp knife to cut the tobacco," John suggested.

"I'll get the things ready," Charley volunteered; and so they planned
and waited for the time to come when they could carry out their scheme.

The time came on the following Saturday. Early in the morning the uncle
and aunt drove away in the "buckboard," and were on their way to the
city where they were to do their trading. All three of the boys had been
unusually anxious