"It certainly was a good hiding place," agreed Mr. Pertell. "It was lucky he did not shut himself up and die in here, or you would never have known where to look for him. He must have left his money box here one day, closed the place up and then came his unfortunate loss of mind, after he was hurt. He forgot all about where he had left the wealth, and of course he couldn't tell anyone. Well, I'm glad you've got it back." "So am I!" chuckled Sandy. "Now if we only had some explanation as to why that queer chap was always hanging about this farm we'd be all right." "Maybe he knew your Uncle Isaac," suggested Ruth. "No, that man's a stranger around here," declared Sandy. After some little further talk about the queer find, Mr. Pertell again suggested that the taking of the picture be resumed. Sandy seemed to hang back and the manager asked him: "Do you want to give up your part in it, now that you have your money again? Don't you want the barn burned?" "Oh, yes; it ain't that!" the young farmer hastened to assure the manager. "It's a good thing we didn't burn the barn before we found the money. I was only wishin' I could send word of it to Squire Blasdell, so he could call off the foreclosure. I hate to see them signs up." "Then you go and tell him the good news," suggested the manager, generously. "We've had so many delays on this thing that a little more won't hurt. Go tell the squire." So Sandy went off, and the players had an unexpected rest. CHAPTER XXIV EXPLANATIONS Sandy found Squire Blasdell having an interview with the strange prisoner. "I'm putting him on the grill, and trying to find out something about him, but it's hard work," the Squire said to the young farmer. "Yes, you might as well save your time," spoke the man. "I'll tell you nothing!" "I've got news for you, Squire," said Sandy, a little later when the constable had been called in to take the stranger back to his cell. "Looks like good news, by your face, Sandy," the lawyer replied. "You haven't been finding money for the mortgage; have you?" "That's just what I have, Squire!" Sandy cried. "We just found Uncle Isaac's money box!" "You did! 'Gosh all Hemlock' as the boys used to say. How was it?" "We found the money box--with a lot of cash and papers in a secret room in the old barn we're goin' to burn for movin' pictures. We found the money box, all right." There was a sound from the room where the prisoner sat. He started to his feet, and stepped to the grating which separated the cell from the apartment in which Sandy and the Squire were. "You say you found Isaac Apgar's hidden wealth?" he asked. "Yes--but what is that to you?" inquired the Squire. "A lot to me. The game is up now, and I'll confess everything. I've been keeping still, hoping I could get out and find that box myself. That's what my object has been in hanging around your farm," he went on. "I was looking for that box myself. I--I thought maybe I might get a reward if I located it."