The boys met at the place of rendezvous at the time appointed. They then proceeded to the stable. They got into the shed, and there struck a light, and lighted a short candle which one of the boys had in his pocket. Rodolphus held this candle, while Gilpin, who was taller and stronger than either of the other boys, bored the hole in the door, in the place which Rodolphus indicated. When the hole was bored, the boys inserted an iron rod into it, and running this rod under the hasp, they pried the hasp up and unfastened the door. They opened the door, and then, to their great joy, found themselves all safe in the office. [Illustration: THUS] They put the dark lantern down upon the table, and covered it with its screen, and then listened, perfectly whist, a minute or two, to be sure that nobody was coming. "You go and watch at the shed-door," said Gilpin to Rodolphus, "while we open the desk." So Rodolphus went to the shed-door. He peeped out, and looked up and down the village-street, but all was still. Presently he heard a sort of splitting sound within the office, which he knew was made by the forcing open of the lid of the desk. Very soon afterward the boys came out, in a hurried manner----Griff had the lantern and Gilpin the box. "Have you got it?" said Rodolphus. "Yes," said Griff. "Let's see," said Rodolphus. Griff held out the box to Rodolphus. It was very heavy and they could hear the sound of the money within. All three of the boys seemed almost wild with trepidation and excitement. Griff however immediately began to hurry them away, pulling the box from them and saying, "Come, come, boys, we must not stay fooling here." "Wait a minute till I hide the tools again?" said Rodolphus, "and then we'll run." Rodolphus hid the tools behind the wood-pile, in the shed, where they had been before, and then the boys sallied forth into the street. They crept along stealthily in the shadows of the houses and in the most dark and obscure places, until they came to the tavern, where they were to turn down the lane to the corn-barn. As soon as they got safely to this lane, they felt relieved, and they walked on in a more unconcerned manner; and when at length they got fairly in under the corn-barn they felt perfectly secure. "There," said Griff, "was not that well done?" "Yes," said Rodolphus, "and now all that we have got to do is to get the box open." "We can break it open with stones," said Griff. "No," said Gilpin, "that will make too much noise. We will bury it under this straw for a few days, and open it somehow or other by-and-by, when they have given up looking for the box. You can get the real key of it for us, Rodolphus, can't you?" "How can I get it?" asked Rodolphus. "Oh, you can contrive some way to get it from old Kerber, I've no doubt. At any rate the best thing is to bury it now." [Illustration: THE CORN-BARN.]