Harry Castlemon

“ We are pretty near strapped and almost ready to go home."
"Well, I won't be hard on you," said Matt. "I am the accommodatin'est feller yon ever see. Go home, ask your pap for the money, an' come back an' hand it to me. That's fair, ain't it? Mount Airy is a hundred miles from Injun Lake. You oughter go an' come back in ten days. I'll give you that long. What do you say?"
"I'll think about it," replied Tom, whose sole object just then was to get out of hearing of Matt Coyle's voice. As he spoke he placed one blade of his paddle against the bottom and shoved his canoe out into deep water. ”

“ Well, they ain't got no business to have so much money an' so many fine things, "While me an' my family is so poor that we don't know where our next pair of shoes is comin' from."
Highly pleased with the result of his interview with Tom Bigden, Matt shoved the canvas canoe into the water and pulled slowly toward the outlet, once more passing directly over Jake's silver mine. Perhaps the sunken treasure had some occult influence upon him, for he straightway dismissed Tom from his mind, and thought about Jake and the robbers and the six thousand dollars. ”

“ The question was: How much more had his father learned? Did he know any thing about the silver mine? Jake didn't believe he did, else he would have been more jubilant. A man who knew where he could put his hand on six thousand dollars at any moment would not look as sober as Matt Coyle did.
"I didn't get nothin' for dumpin' on 'em out, pap," replied Jake, after a little pause. "That was somethin' I couldn't help. The night was dark, an' I didn't see the snag till I was clost onto it." ”

“ There's been a reward of a hundred dollars offered for them two guns—fifty dollars apiece—an' I want it."
"Then why don't you give up the guns and claim it?"
"Now, jest listen at the fule!" exclaimed Matt. "I dassent, 'cause there's been a reward of a hundred more dollars offered for the man that stole them guns. That's me. I can't go up to Injun Lake to take them guns back to the men that owns 'em, an' I'm afeared to send the boys, 'cause they would be took up the same as I would. See?" ”

“ He's a mighty smart boy, but he'll find that he can't fool his pap."
The hours passed slowly away, and finally the woods were shrouded in almost impenetrable darkness. The time for action was drawing near. I waited for it impatiently, because I was sure that the temporary ownership of those six thousand dollars would be decided before morning, and I felt some curiosity to know who was going to get them. While I was thinking about it, Jake Coyle glided up and laid hold of me. ”

“ I said I'd bust up guidin' an' the hotels along with it, an' I'm goin' to keep my word. I'll l'arn them 'ristocrats that I'm jest as good as they ever dare be, even if I ain't got no good clothes to wear. ”