n into another, and
making up his mind each time that that was a poor spot to hide things.
"He may miss it before he has gone a great ways, and I don't want him to
know that he has left that much behind. Just as soon as he goes away
I'll take it out and examine it."

Tom, who was not so badly frightened as some boys would have been, made
his way toward the door and finally went out, but could hear no signs of
the robbers. He removed some sticks from the pile of wood he had cut and
there placed the bag, covering it over as if nothing had been disturbed,
and then struck up a lively whistle and started down the path. The
robbers were not in sight, but there was Elam's horse just quenching his
thirst at the brook, and that proved that his companion had not been
stolen afoot, anyway.

"I'll be perfectly safe if I try to find the rifle now," said Tom, as he
began beating around through the bushes. "By George! I hope they haven't
carried the gun off with them. They couldn't, for their packs were too
heavy."

Here was a new apprehension, and it started Tom to work with increased
speed; and it was only after an hour's steady search that he found the
gun hidden where nobody would have thought of looking for it. It was
uninjured, and this made it plain that the only object the robbers had
in view was to rob Elam.

"They've got just sixteen skins or I'm mistaken," said Tom, shouldering
his recovered rifle and retracing his steps to camp. "Sixteen skins at
forty-five dollars would be worth seven hundred dollars and better.
That's quite a nice little sum to rake out before dinner. Now, my next
care is to examine that bag."

Arriving at the wood-pile, the bag was taken out and carried into the
cabin. Tom caught it by the bottom and emptied its contents on the
table, first taking care, however, to place his rifle across his knees,
where it could be seized in case of emergency. He was surprised at the
contents of the little bag. In the first place there was some money
tightly wrapped up in folds of buckskin, and when Tom unfolded it to see
how much there was, two yellow-boys rolled out.

"Hurrah! Here's something to pay for the stolen skins," said Tom, and,
hastily putting the money into his pocket, he caught up his rifle and
hastened out of doors to listen for some sounds of the returning
robbers. Everything was silent. The men were gone, and Tom had nothing
to do but to examine the bag in peace.

"I am glad they didn't do any