When they reached the wharf upon which stood the store, they proceeded between the piles until all chance of their light being observed was destroyed. An auger was now produced, a hole bored in the planking, then a sharp well greased key-hole saw was introduced and in less than a quarter of an hour a hole sufficiently large to admit a man, was made. Belcher Kay easily raised himself by his muscular arms into the store; he then assisted Blodget up. The others remained in the boat. A very few moments sufficed for Blodget and his companion to saw the hoops of the mackerel barrels, and thus get possession of the boxes of gold. They were quickly lowered into the boat, and the thieves got safely off with their booty. ‘Vell if old Wandevater don’t svear in the morning, I hopes I may never see old Hingland again,’ cried the patriotic Briton as he saw the Golden ballast stowed in the bottom of the boat. ‘Pull for Mission creek,’ said Blodget, ‘they’ll give Sydney Valley an awful searching to-morrow.’ The robbers made good their escape, with the thirty thousand dollars in specie, that had been so ingeniously hidden as Mr. Vandewater supposed. Great was the surprise of the worthy merchant, when summoned, early in the morning, by the storekeeper and informed that the store had been entered.—‘But,’ said his informant, ‘they gained nothing by all their trouble, and out of spite destroyed the few barrels of mackerel that were brought to the store the other day.’ ‘Then they have got all the money.—Where’s Monteagle?’ cried Mr. Vandewater. ‘I tried to find him at his lodgings,’ said the man, ‘but he had not been at home all night, I was told.’ At this moment Brown, Mr. V’s partner, entered, and expressed great surprise at the fact of the money being in the store of which he had not been informed. ‘’Tis very remarkable that Monteagle should be out all night, the very time of the robbery. Was Monteagle aware of it being concealed in the barrels, and placed in the store?’ continued Brown interrogatively, to Vandewater. ‘He is the only person to whom I entrusted the matter. As it was funds with which the firm had nothing to do, I did not deem it necessary to trouble you about the affair. Indeed, it was Monteagle that suggested the mode and place of concealing the money,’ said Mr. Vandewater. ‘Why this is the most remarkable set of coincidences I ever heard of. A letter addressed to him, evidently brought by that fellow who afterwards stabbed a man—he proposes a way and place of hiding the money—the money is stolen, and on the very night of its being taken, he, Monteagle, is absent all night. Yet, he _may_ clear himself,’ said Brown. ‘It is too clear,’ said Mr. Vandewater sorrowfully. ‘I would have trusted that youth with my life, and feel at this moment far less regret for the loss of the money than losing all faith in the integrity of my fellow-men.’