"We might put him back under the barn after we've taken the money from him," suggested Charlie Davis.
"He may have matches with him," said Anak, "and in that case he might set the barn on fire out of revenge. He's an ugly customer, that Carden, and is capable of anything."
"No, no, let him go!" said Tarbox, alarmed at the suggestion of losing his barn by fire. "Take the money from him and send him off."
"No, no; we won't let him off so easy," said Anak. "There's another matter we must inquire into. We must find out whether he is the man that threw the rock at Robert's horse to-night. If so, he must be punished for that."
Meanwhile, and this conversation took a much briefer time than may be imagined, Carden had ascended the ladder, emerged through the trap-door, which he had left open when he went down, and, with his ill-gotten booty stowed away in his pockets, had reached the small door by which he entered. He came out quite unconscious of danger, when he felt a strong hand at his collar, and his startled look fell upon the giant and his two companions.
"What's all this?" he asked, in affected bravado. "Let go of me, Anak."
"You villain!" exclaimed the farmer, furiously; "give me back my money."
"Your money, old potato digger!" returned Carden. "Who's got your money?"
"It's a lie. How could I get hold of your money?"
"What have you been doing in the barn?" asked Anak.
"Lying down on the hay, if you must know," returned Carden. "I got turned out of my boarding-place because I couldn't pay my board, and I thought Old Turnip-Top here wouldn't mind my getting a free bed lying on his hay."
"That's a lie," said Tarbox, in excitement; "you've got my money in your pocket—three or four hundred dollars."
"Where did I get hold of it? Do you keep money in your barn?" sneered the canvas man.
"Carden, it's no use pretending ignorance; you found out that our friend here had money concealed under the barn floor—Charlie saw you spying this afternoon—and you thought to-night would be a good chance to secure it."
"So that boy blabbed about me, did he?" said Carden, with an evil glance at Charlie. "He'd best look out, or I'll serve him as I did—"
Here he stopped short; but Charlie finished his sentence for him.