What would Smith
probably have done with it? For it seemed unlikely he would have taken it
away with him. Might he not, after removing the money, have hidden it in
the cellar? Jack determined to search there; and accordingly, at noon,
hastening through his lunch, he descended and began a systematic hunt
amid the odds and ends filling the basement.

The first noon-hour's search brought no result. The second day, returning
to the task somewhat dispiritedly, Jack began overhauling a pile of old
cross-pieces. There was a squeak, and a rat shot out.

In a moment Jack was in hot pursuit with a stick. The rat ran toward the
old furnace, and disappeared. At the spot an instant after, Jack found a
hole in the brick foundation, and thrust the stick into it. The stick
caught, he pulled, and several bricks fell out.

Dropping to his knees, Jack peered into the opening. A cry broke from
him, and thrusting in a hand he grasped something, and drew it forth.

It was the lost cash-box!

Uttering a shout of triumph, Jack leaped to his feet and started on a run
for the stair. But suddenly he halted. After all, was he absolutely sure
it was Smith who had placed it there? Would the producing of the box
prove it?

The question, which had not before occurred to Jack, startled him.

As he stood thinking, half consciously he tried the cover of the box. To
his surprise it gave. He opened it. And the box almost fell from his
hands.

It still contained the money! And apparently untouched!

But in a moment Jack thought he understood. Smith, or whoever it was, had
left it as a clever means of saving themselves from the worst in the
event of being found out, intending to return for it if the excitement
blew safely over.

Then why not wait and catch them at it?

Good. But how?

Jack's inventive genius soon furnished the answer. "That's it! Great!" he
said to himself delightedly. "I'll get down and do it early in the
morning. And now I'll stick this back in the hole and fix the bricks up
again."

Seven o'clock the following morning found Jack carrying out his plan.
First conveying to the cellar from the battery room two gravity-jars, he
placed them in a dark corner behind the furnace. Next, finding an old
lightning-arrester, he opened up the hiding-place, and arranged the
arrester beneath the cash-box in such a way that on the box being moved
the arrester arm would be released, fly back, and make a contact. Then,
having carefully close