n ordering Mr. Jeems to arrest
us, and throw us in the village lockup."

"Luck still seems to hang out with us," ventured Jerry; "and you know
they say it's a heap better to be born lucky than rich. Money may fly
away, but so long as luck stands back of you it's easy to get
everything you want."

"But all the same that mystery of the golden cup bothers me," said
Frank.

"Yes, that's a fact," added Jerry. "How in the wide world could it
ever have come into this cabin, when we know it wasn't here a few days
ago?"

"Mr. Dennison admits it was safe in his house until about the day
before yesterday," continued Frank; and then he cast a sly look out of
the tail of his eye in the direction of Jerry.

Truth to tell, Frank was just a trifle uneasy concerning that member
of the little party. There was a shadow of a reason why he should
feel that way, too. He could only too easily remember how impulsive
Jerry had hinted that he felt a great temptation to try to find out
what the secret of the hermit's house was. At the time he expressed
this longing Frank had taken him severely to task; and Jerry had
promised faithfully to forego all effort to pry into matters that were
none of his concern.

Jerry as a rule could be depended on. When he gave his word about
anything it was as good as his bond, and Jerry was proud to declare
that.

Frank could not bring himself to believe there could be anything in
this sudden thought. Even if Jerry had crept out in the night-time
while his chums were fast asleep, how could the boy possibly have made
his way along the trail to the hermit's place, have entered the house
and carried off the valuable cup, to hide it under the cabin floor?

No wonder Frank decided that such an explanation of the mystery was
impossible. Even if they never learned the truth he could not bring
himself to suspect any of his chums of doing such a monstrous thing.

To the surprise and also the consternation of Frank, he found that
Jerry had noticed his manner, and he immediately accused the other.

"I can guess easily enough what you're thinking, Frank," asserted
Jerry, with offended dignity marked in his manner; "but 'tisn't so, I
tell you. I never set eyes on that old cup before he snatched it up
out of that hole."

"No need of your saying that, Jerry," declared Frank, "because I
believe you are as innocent as I can be myself. I only happened to
remember that you talked of wanting to sneak up there and spy ar