r him."

When the transfer was effected, the boys laughed with glee.

"Do you know, Obed," said Harry. "I shall be rather disappointed now if
the thief doesn't come."

"I can get along without him," said Obed dryly.

"But it'll be such a good joke, Obed."

"I don't care so much about jokes as I did when I was your age, Harry. I
used to be a great feller for jokes when I was along in my teens. Did I
ever tell you the joke I played on the schoolmaster?

"Well, I was attendin' the district school the winter I was sixteen, and
I expect I was rather troublesome, though there wasn't anything
downright bad about me. But I remember one day when I stuck a bent pin
in the chair the master usually sot in, and I shan't forget till my
dyin' day how quick he riz up when he sot down on it."

Obed chuckled at the recollection, and so did the boys. Their sympathies
ought to have been with the schoolmaster, but I am sorry to say that did
not prevent their enjoying the joke.

"Were you found out?" asked Jack.

"Not exactly, but I think the master always suspected me. At any rate he
was always cuffin' me and pullin' my hair. I didn't mind the fust so
much as the last. So one day I got my mother to cut my hair close to my
head. When I went to school the master gave me a queer look. He knew
what made me have my hair cut. The next time I got into mischief he
called me up, and instead of pullin' my hair he pulled my ears till I
hollered. 'Now go home and get your ears cut off,' he said, but I
didn't."

"It seems to me the joke was on you that time, Obed."

"I've surmised as much myself," said Obed, laughing quietly. "But I'm
tired, boys, and I believe I shall have to go off to sleep, nugget or no
nugget."

"All right! Good-night, Obed."

"Good-night, boys."

CHAPTER XXV.

THE MIDNIGHT ROBBERY.

The thief had little difficulty in entering the cabin. No one in the
mining settlement thought of locking the outer door or closing the
windows. In many cases the doors were left ajar; in some cases there
were none. It was not necessary, therefore, to become a housebreaker.
Entrance then was the least difficulty.

The tramp, however, was not quite easy in his mind. He didn't care for
the two boys, but he glanced with apprehension at the reclining figure
of the tall gaunt Yankee, who was thin but wiry, and possessed of more
than ordinary physical strength.

"If he should tackle me," thought the midnight visitor with a shudde