"A thousand dollars!" answered Dunham in a spiritless way. Dean and Mr. Gould looked at each other in amazement. The same thought came to each. That the carpenter could have had in his possession a thousand dollars seemed preposterous. His mind must suddenly have gone astray. "Did you say a thousand dollars, neighbor Dunham?" asked Mr. Gould. "Yes," said poor Adin, bursting into tears. "A man sprang at me when I was riding through the woods, jumped into the buggy and searched my pockets. I think I must have fainted away. When I came to the horse was gone, and I was lying under a tree by the roadside." This story, though strictly correct, seemed a wild dream to Mr. Gould and Dean. "How did you happen to have a thousand dollars with you? Was it yours?" asked Mr. Gould, almost with a smile. "I received it to-day at Rockmount, for the land I sold the hotel people." "Have you any idea who robbed you of the money?" "It was Squire Bates. I knew him by his teeth." "Dean," said Mr. Gould, in a low voice, "your uncle is as crazy as a bedbug! What can have put such notions into his head?" CHAPTER VII. DEAN FINDS A CLEW. Dean was inclined to agree with his companion. The story told by his uncle was so preposterous that it could be explained only on the hypothesis that the speaker's mind was unbalanced. "Did you fall out of the wagon, neighbor Dunham?" asked Mr. Gould. "I don't know. I must have fainted." "If you had fallen out you would have been hurt. Are you bruised anywhere?" "No, I don't feel hurt." "It's queer, Dean," said Mr. Gould, with a puzzled look. "I can't make it out." "I think the robber must have taken me out of the buggy, and set me down under the tree." "After taking your thousand dollars?" "Yes, it is hard that I should lose it. I was countin' on what I would do with it. I thought I would pay off the mortgage on my house." "Who holds the mortgage?" "Squire Bates." Again Dean and Mr. Gould exchanged looks. Neither put any confidence in the story told by the victim. Adin Dunham was invited to take a seat in the buggy, Dean resigning his place and sitting behind. So they reached home. "Go in, Dean, and tell your aunt what has happened, so that she needn't be frightened when she sees your uncle," said Mr. Gould. Dean obeyed instructions. "Aunt," said Dean, "you are not to be frightened, but uncle met with an accident. He isn't hurt!" he added, noticing the quick look of alarm, "but he says he has been robbed." "Robbed! Has he lost the thousand dollars?" exclaimed Mrs. Dunham in a trembling voice. "Did he really have a thousand dollars?" said Dean. "I thought he might be under a delusion." "Then he says he has lost it?" "Yes." "Heaven help us to bear this terrible blow!" ejaculated Mrs. Dunham, sinking into a chair. "I wish he had taken you with him." "I wish so, too. I don't believe one robber would have been a match for us both."