le at any time to be arrested for complicity in more than one
questionable transaction.

In his lonely hut he knew nothing of the developments in the last
robbery--whether any reward had been offered as yet. This was
necessarily left in the hands of Vernon, while he remained to guard the
hidden treasure.

A state of suspense is all the harder to bear when a man has nothing
else to divert his thoughts, and this was the case with Temple.

"What if the box should be discovered?" was the thought that haunted
him.

Finally, though he had once before visited the hiding-place of the tin
box, he decided to go again, and started at such a time that he arrived
about an hour after Harry and the detectives had unearthed and removed
it.

Meanwhile, it becomes necessary to state that Philip Ross, whose
curiosity was excited by the continued absence of Harry, made up his
mind once more to visit the wood to see if he could discover any traces
of his victim.

"He's hiding in the wood so as to make an excitement," thought Philip.
"He'll make a great fuss about what we did to him."

In fact, Philip was getting a little anxious about the results of his
high-handed treatment of Harry. He was not sure but Harry might have him
arrested, and this excited his fears. He admitted to himself,
reluctantly, that tying a boy hand and foot, and leaving him all night
in the forest, was rather more than a joke.

He called at the hotel for Congreve, but was told that he had gone to
ride.

After a little hesitation, he decided to go to the wood alone, carrying
with him, by way of precaution, a stout cane which belonged to his
father, to defend himself with in case Harry should be lying in wait and
make an attack upon him.

On his way he had occasion to pass by the locality of the hidden
treasure, though, of course, he knew nothing about this.

Just at the spot he heard a tramping in the fallen leaves, and, looking
up hastily, saw Ralph Temple approaching.

Now, Temple, as we know, was a man of questionable reputation, and,
moreover, once already he and Congreve had had an angry altercation with
him. It is not much wonder, therefore, that Philip's heart beat with
fear at the prospect of meeting this man alone, so far from help.

He could not get away without attracting attention, and, therefore, as
the best thing under the circumstances, hid himself behind the broad
trunk of a stately oak tree, and in fear and trembling waited for the
unw