. "I am
listening, but I don't catch your meaning."

"I could easy find half a dozen fellers right around here who would be
up and doing mighty sudden if I should say that much in their private
ears," continued the captain. "But mebbe that plan wouldn't work. I
can't tell till I hear what Shelby thinks about it. But if it don't
work, we might put the Richmond officers onto them."

"What good would that do? If there is money in Mrs. Gray's house the
Richmond authorities have no right to touch it."

"Aint they, now!" chuckled Beardsley. "Don't the law say that we-uns
mustn't pay no debts to the Yankees, but must turn the money over to the
fellers at Richmond?"

"But I am afraid Mrs. Gray doesn't owe any money to the Yankees."

"What's the odds whether you think so or not?" said the captain
earnestly. "We can hint that she does, can't we? And can't we hint
furder, that instead of turning that money over, like the law says she
must do, she is keeping it hid for her own use!"

"Then why not make a sure thing of it by putting the government officers
on the scent the first thing?"

"Because they won't divide, the officers won't. Don't you see? The other
fellers will."

Tom Allison was astonished now, and no mistake. For a minute or two he
looked hard at Beardsley, but he couldn't speak.

"What do you stare at me that-a-way for?" demanded the captain. "I don't
see nothing so very amazing in what I said. Didn't you tell me a minute
ago that you would like mighty well to have the handling of some of that
there money?"

"Of course I did, and I say so yet; but I wouldn't dare touch it if it
was got in that way. Don't misunderstand me now," said Allison, when he
saw Beardsley gather up his reins and change his riding-whip to his
right hand as if he were about to go on and leave Tom behind. "If you
think it would be quite safe----"

"What other way is there to get it?" snarled Beardsley. "I wasn't
joking. These here aint no times for joking, and I meant every word I
said. Why aint it safe? The folks in the settlement are mostly our
friends, and even if they knew that some of the money went into our
pockets, they wouldn't say nothing about it."

"They would know it, and my father would say something to me, I bet you.
But mind you," said Tom, as the two turned their horses toward the
hitching-rack that stood across the street from the post-office, "if you
and your friends think it can be done, I say go ahead and good luc