Harry Castlemon

“ It was dark long before Sam and his father reached the cabin, and the only member of the family they found there was the old woman, Rube being at the hatchery on watch, and Jake having failed to " show up." That made Matt furious.
"Looks as if he meant to keep outen our way, find that money when he gets a good ready, an' take himself off," exclaimed the squatter. "It won't work, that plan won't. I ain't fooled the sheriff an' all his constables for years an' years to let myself be beat by one of my own boys at last, I bet you. ”

“ But he heard the heavy breathing of the sleepers, and, believing that his father was among them, he entered on tiptoe, stretched himself out on one of the beds beside his slumbering brother, and drew a long breath of relief. The night had been full of excitement, and the day was destined to bring more. ”

“ When Jake disappeared, apparently holding a direct course for Rube's cabin, Sam did not move. Impatient as he was to see the color of that money, he was too wary to imperil his chances by doing any thing hasty.
"I can stay right yer till I get so hungry I can't stay no longer," was his mental reflection; "but Jake's got to show up purty soon, 'cause if he don't, him an' pap'll have a furse. He told Jake, pap did, that he wanted him to stay where he could get his hands onto him; an' when pap talks that-a-way, he means business. ”

“ His absence alarmed Matt, who began to fear that Jake had fallen into the hands of the constables; but a few cautious questions propounded to Rube, when the latter came to breakfast, set his fears on that score at rest.
"No; the sheriff didn't ketch Jakey," said the watchman, "but he was clost after him, 'cause he knowed that Jakey was the chap who took the robbers over the lake and spilled the grip-sacks into the water. How did the sheriff find that out? The robbers told him, an' described Jake an' his canoe so well that all the guides knew in a minute who they would have to arrest. ”

“ I was lookin' for it when I heard Swan an' the rest of the guides comin'. I wisht Jakey would hurry up an' come."
"Say, pap," exclaimed Sam. "Let's me an' you hunt for the money all by ourselves. If we find it, we'll hold fast to it an' never give Jake a cent to pay him for bein' so stingy."
"I'd like mighty well if we could do it," answered Matt. "But I looked high an' low for it all last night, an' not a thing that was shaped like a grip-sack could I find. I'm jest done out with tiredness. ”

“ We've got to take to the woods now, an' live like we done before Rube opened his shanty to us. We're in danger long's we stay there, an' this night will be the last one we shall ever spend under his roof. But we've got to have some furnitur' to put into our shanty after we get it built, an' we'll try to get it of Rube. I shall make enough outen them guns to buy the furnitur', an' then if Jake will come to his senses an' give me the handlin' of that money we'll live like fightin' fowls ”

“ They're bound to nose out something there," said Matt, remembering that he must have made a good many wide and plain trails while he was roaming around looking for Jake's treasure, "an' if they find them two grip-sacks that you left there last night I wouldn't be in them ragged clothes of your'n, Jakey, for no money in this broad world. You are a purty chap to go an' find six thousand dollars an' hide it from your pap, I do think. Now scatter out an' make for that there cove as quick as it is safe. ”

“ When Jake disappeared, and Matt and his wife ran into the cabin to collect the few articles of value they possessed, previous to seeking safety in flight, Sam stood and communed thus with himself:
"Beats the world, an' I don't begin to see through it; but how did that Jake of our'n get them six thousand dollars that was stole outen the Irvin'ton bank? He's got 'em, 'cause pap said so; an' they're hid somewheres near the place where our old camp used to be. ”

“ I'm a rich man, an' nobody but me knows the first thing about it. As soon as it gets daylight, I'll come back an' hide the guns an' the money an' the canoe all together, in a better place, so't if pap gets a hint of what is goin' on, an' I have to dig out from home in the middle of the night, I shall know right where to find 'em without runnin' through the woods to hunt 'em up. Now, as soon as I can get Rube to buy me some shoes an' clothes an' powder an' lead, I'll go back to some of them swamps that I've heared pap tell about, an' trap on my own hook. ”

“ I didn't run as fur into the bresh as you boys an' the ole woman did, but got behind a log where I could see every thing that was done at the shanty. I seen the sheriff's men when they come outen the woods an' surrounded the house, an' purty quick along come Swan, watchin' over the two robbers an' carryin' a pistol in one hand an' Jake's canvas canoe in the other. They waked Rube up, an' he stood in the door an' talked to 'em as friendly as you please. He showed 'em where we hid the two skiffs we stole from Swan's party on the day they burned our camp at this here cove ”