“I’m going to tell the whole truth if I’m killed for it,” replied Wade, as he stepped down into the standing-room, and seated himself opposite Capt. Trustleton. “Mind you do! and don’t tell me Matthew took the money,” said Swikes. “I shall tell you he did, for that’s the truth,” replied Wade. Beginning back at the flogging the female Swikes had given him, he related all that occurred up to the arrival of the two fathers of the runaways. When he came to speak of the money which Matt was counting in the cuddy, Swikes was all attention; for he was thinking whether or not he should ever see it again. “You saw Matthew put the wallet under the floor, did you?” asked Swikes, greatly excited, as he glanced at the cuddy, hoping soon to be told that it was still there. “Yes, sir: that’s what I said,” continued Wade. “It’s all a lie, father!” exclaimed Matt. “Don’t you say any thing till Brooks has finished,” said Capt. Trustleton sternly. “Go on, Brooks.” “Matt didn’t know I was in the boat. He was back to me, and I sat on this seat where I am now,” Wade proceeded. “When he had divided the money into two piles, he put them in different pockets of the wallet. Pretty soon he pulled away the hay under where he had been sitting, and took up one of the narrow boards. You see where that one is gone,” and Wade pointed to the opening in the floor. “I looked in the hole on this side, and I saw him put the wallet in there. When he had done it, he lay down, and went to sleep.” “But where is the wallet now? Is it in that hole?” demanded Swikes impatiently, as he rose from his seat to look for the missing treasure. “No, sir: it is not there now, for I took it out while both of them were asleep; and here it is,” replied Wade, taking the wallet from his pocket, and giving it to the owner. “I knew he had it!” incautiously exclaimed Lon. “Oh! you did?” said Capt. Trustleton. “How did you know he had it?” “I meant that I knew he stole it,” replied Lon, seeing he had been guilty of a slip of the tongue. “No, sir: that was not what he meant,” added Wade. “I will tell you what he meant before I get through. When we got to this place, Lon told me they had concluded not to stop here to get any thing to eat; but I said I had concluded to stop. Then they went into the cuddy, and staid there half an hour or longer. I saw them pulling away the hay, and I knew they were looking for the money. As I was bound to stop here, I made up my mind that they went for the money, meaning to take a train to New York, and get rid of me. Then they came out of the cabin, and Lon pitched into me: Matt tried to help him. We were at it when you came, but I had got the best of it.” “Matt didn’t help me as he agreed to do,” said Lon, putting his foot into it again; for he seemed to believe it was necessary to explain to his father why he had lost the battle. “Then Matthew agreed to help you?” added the captain. “What did he agree to help you do, my son?”