between two beams one day, when I slipped and fell. I rattled some
loose boards where I had lifted some up to have a place to hide. I
hurt myself, too, and I guess I groaned. The fall made me lame for a
while."

"That accounts for your limp," said Sandy. "How did you come to go to
the cabin?"

"Oh, I wanted some place to stay near your barn, and as no one used
the cabin, I took up my quarters there. Before that I often used to
sleep in a secret place in your old barn. But I didn't mean any harm.
Of course I didn't want it known who I was, for if it was learned
that I had been Mr. Apgar's keeper in the asylum everybody would have
guessed my object. So I ran whenever I saw anybody from Oak Farm. But
you finally caught me. I'm not sorry, for I was getting tired of the
game. And so you found the hidden box? Well, I wish it could have
been me."

"Did you steal that dog, too?' asked Sandy.

"No, I did not. I found him wandering about and took a notion to him.
I guess maybe he had been stolen, but I didn't do it. If I had known
who he belonged to I might have got a reward from them."

"The owner is known," Sandy said, "and she may reward you. I feel so
happy that I don't wish anybody bad luck. Now Squire, I suppose the
foreclosure is off; ain't it? I've got more than the four thousand
dollars."

"The old farm is safe, Sandy," the Squire answered, "and I'm glad of
it, for your sake. You may have thought me hard and grasping, but I
had to do the business for my clients. Now we'll have to decide what
to do with this man. I reckon we can let him go, seeing that he
didn't really do anything except take the auto, and I guess the
doctor won't press that charge."

This proved to be the case, and that day Monk Freck was released.
Mrs. Delamont was to over-joyed to get her dog back that she gave
Freck a substantial reward, for the former asylum keeper had been
kind to Rex III, and insisted that he had found him after the dog had
gotten away from the real thief.

CHAPTER XXV

THE FIRE FILM

"All ready now, Russ!"

"All ready, Mr. Pertell."

"Then start off. Be ready with the torch there, Sandy, and touch off
the pile of hay and straw inside the barn when I give the word. Then
come out for the bucket brigade."

"Yes, sir."

It was the day after the finding of the money box, for there had been
so much excitement attending that episode, that Mr. Pertell thought
it wise to postpone the fire scene. But now all was