“They saw us coming and have run away,” declared Pep. “Mister, I want you to help me further and I will pay you for it.” “What doing?” inquired the man. “As I told you, those men had stolen a lot of valuables. They were in a little tin box. Just as we were passing over the bridge here I saw my chance to outwit them. I flung the box into the river.” “What!” exclaimed the farmer. “Sounds like a fairy story,” remarked his son skeptically. “You find some more help, so if those fellows show themselves we can beat them off or arrest them,” observed Pep, “and I will prove what I have told you and pay you well for your trouble.” “Jabez, go and wake up the two hired men,” directed his father. “I’m a pretty good swimmer and diver,” said Pep, after the boy had gone on his errand. “Is the water very deep?” “Six or eight feet.” “Then the rake will help me,” said Pep, proceeding to disrobe. He was stripped of his outer garments by the time the boy Jabez had returned with two sleepy-looking men. He was in the water at once. First he probed with the rake. Then he made a close estimate of the spot where the box was likely to have landed and took a dive. Pep came to shore and rested for a few minutes. Then he resumed his labors. After a long time under water his head bobbed up. He uttered a shout of satisfaction and waved aloft the tin box, its dripping covering about it. “All right,” he hailed. “A good deal in it, I suppose?” spoke the farmer, curiously regarding it. “Yes, there is,” replied Pep. “Hold it, please, mister, till I get my clothes on. I want you to take me to Seaside Park right away--two of you and the shotgun. If you’ll do it you can charge your own price.” “That’s fair,” nodded the farmer. He got the rig in the barn ready and told the two hired men they could go back to their beds. They seemed, however, to have roused from their sleepiness. Pep had told of a big fire in town, and that had influenced them to accompany the crowd, “just for the fun of the thing,” as they expressed it. Jabez drove, Pep holding the rescued box, the farmer between them with his shotgun ready for action. They saw nothing, however, of the robbers. The latter seemed to have decamped. If they were lurking in the vicinity, the sight of superior numbers kept them from making any demonstration. As they got nearer to the town the glare of the distant fire was noted, and young Jabez whipped up the horse and made good time. The building on fire was pretty well consumed, but the fire department had saved adjoining structures. Pep directed Jabez to drive to the Wonderland by the rear route. He noticed that the living rooms were lighted up. “Wait here for a minute,” directed Pep to those in the wagon, dashing up the steps of the playhouse with his precious box. CHAPTER XXII A BIG REWARD