and designated the
hiding-place of the money as being under the flooring of the first
stall that you met on entering.

It was with great difficulty that Summers retained his composure as
he received this information, but he succeeded in controlling his
emotions, and took the paper from the hands of his companion with a
calmness which displayed the wonderful control which he exercised
over himself.

"There are some marks upon these bills," said Bucholz with a laugh,
"and if Mr. Olmstead was to see them he would know what they mean."

"Ah, yes," replied Sommers. "They are the numbers which Mr. Schulte
put upon them, but," he added, confidently, "I will soon fix that, a
little acid will take that all out and nobody will know anything
about it."

The prisoner laughed, gleefully, and slapping his companion upon the
back, exclaimed:

"Ah, Sommers, you are a devil of a fellow! and I can trust your skill
in anything."

He then informed Sommers that he did not know how much money was in
the pocketbook; that he had taken some fifty and one-hundred-dollar
bills out of it, but that fearing to have so much money about him he
had replaced a large portion of what he had previously taken.

The time was now approaching for visitors to leave the prison, and
Sommers arose to go. Bucholz arose also, as if some new idea had
occurred to him, or he had formed some new resolve; he said:

"While you are there you may as well get--" then he stopped abruptly,
and changing his mind, he added: "But never mind, that is too--high
up."

Sommers felt confident that his companion was withholding something
from him, and he was resolved that before he had finished, he would
arrive at the whole of the mystery, but he had gained enough for one
day and he was compelled to be satisfied.

Before leaving Bucholz for that day he informed him that he would
take the money to New York and endeavor to get the marks out of the
bills; that he would then throw the empty pocket-book in some place,
where it would be found, and that would be a good thing for him upon
the trial.

Bucholz caught greedily at this suggestion, and laughed loudly at the
prospect of blinding the eyes of justice by the operation of this
clever trick.

Leaving him in this excellent good humor, Sommers took his departure
from the jail, and, in a jubilant frame of mind, returned to the
town.

CHAPTER XXVI.

_Edward Sommers as the Detective._--_A Visit to the Barn, and Part