Quickly the slide responded to his efforts and was pulled back. Then hastily John lifted Fred and in a moment the active lad was inside the barn. In accordance with Fred's suggestion John remained outside. In spite of his height it was difficult for him to enter the barn as he had assisted his friend to do. "Let me know what you find," he whispered as Fred disappeared from sight. Silence followed the suggestion, but John was easily able to understand how busy Fred at once became. The barn itself was small, covering not more than thirty feet square. On the ground floor, Fred discovered a small cart, two cramped stalls and an open piano box, which also stood on the floor. Apparently nothing alive was in the little building. In one corner stood a ladder which led to an opening in the loft above. Quickly deciding to begin his search at the top Fred ascended the ladder. He discovered only a little hay on the floor above and with a pitch-fork, which was conveniently near, he hastily began to scatter it. There was nothing, however, to indicate that the musty hay had recently been disturbed and when a few minutes had elapsed Fred was convinced that nothing had been concealed in the loft. Retracing his way to the floor below he was astonished to behold his friend already busily engaged in the search. "How did you get in, Jack?" he whispered. "Crawled in, the same as you did. Only I didn't have any one to give me a boost." "You didn't need any boost with those long legs of yours," responded Fred. "Sometimes I think it wouldn't be so bad if more of us were built on your plan. Makes me think of a hickory nut stuck on two knitting needles." "Don't stop for complimentary remarks," retorted John good-naturedly. "What we want is to find that little box. You begin on one side and I'll go on the other and we'll examine the four sides to see if there are any more sliding panels." A hasty inspection, however, failed to reveal any concealed shelves. Next the boys inspected the floor. Several of the boards were loose, but the search was still unrewarded. "I'm going up the ladder," suggested John. "I've been up there," said Fred. "There isn't anything up there. I know there isn't. There isn't much hay and what there is is old and musty. I turned it all over with the pitch-fork. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack," he added somewhat disconsolately. "It doesn't make any difference," said John. "We're going ahead with our search. I think Mr. Button knew what he was talking about." Diligently the boys continued their efforts, working rapidly and doing their utmost to discover the small box which Mr. Button had described, or find a place where it might be concealed. All their efforts in the stalls, however, were as unavailing as had been those in the other parts of the barn. "I tell you," said Fred, as the boys stopped for a moment, "there isn't any such thing here. It's what I tell you, like looking for a needle in a haystack."