"It shouldn't be hard to find the stuff, now that we have a general idea of where it is," Frank pointed out. "Probably he didn't hide it very carefully. The old tower has been unoccupied for a long time and it is rarely entered. The stuff would be as safe there as if he had hidden it miles away." Joe got up from his chair. "I think we ought to get busy and go search the old tower right away. Oh, boy! If we can only hand old Applegate his jewels and bonds this morning and clear Mr. Robinson. Let's start." "I'll leave it to you boys to make the search," said Mr. Hardy, with a smile. "I've no doubt the stuff will be easily recovered, and you can have the satisfaction of turning it over to Mr. Applegate. I guess you can get along without me in this case from now on." "We wouldn't have got very far if it hadn't been for you." "And I wouldn't have got very far if it hadn't been for you, so we're even," smiled Mr. Hardy. "Be on your way, then, and good luck to you." "We'll find it, never fear," promised Frank, putting on his cap. "I hope the Applegates don't throw us out when we ask to be allowed to look around in the old tower." "Just tell them you have a pretty good clue to where the bonds and jewels are hidden and they'll let you search to your heart's content," Mr. Hardy advised. "Come on then, Joe. We'll have that thousand dollar reward before the morning is over." Their father glanced at them shrewdly. "Don't count your chickens before they are hatched," he said. And then, as the boys hastened out of the den, he called after them: "Also, you might remember the old proverb that there is many a slip between the cup and the lip." But the Hardy boys scarcely heard him, so eager were they to begin searching the old tower and so confident were they that the mystery was about to be cleared up. CHAPTER XVII THE SEARCH OF THE TOWER When the Hardy boys reached Tower Mansion that morning the door was answered by Hurd Applegate himself. The tall, stooped gentleman peered at them through his thick-lensed glasses. In one hand he held a sheet of stamps, for it was his custom to devote the mornings to his collection. "Yes?" he said testily, for he was annoyed at being disturbed. "What do you boys want here at this hour of day?" "You remember us, don't you?" asked Frank politely. "We're Mr. Hardy's sons." "Fenton Hardy, the detective? Are you his boys?" "Yes, sir." "Well, what do you want?" "We'd like to take a look through the old tower, if you don't mind. We've got a new clue about the robbery you had here a while ago." "Want to look through the old tower? Of all the impudence! What do you want to look through the tower for? And what has that got to do with the robbery?" "We have evidence that leads us to believe the jewels and bonds were hidden in the tower by the thief."