"Maybe, maybe," he answered. "But I'm going to help them search the new tower, anyway." "Don't ask _me_ to brush the dust off your clothes when you come back, then. For that's all you'll get. Dust. Nothing more. The jewels and bonds are no more in the new tower than they are back in the safe right now." "All right, Adelia. Perhaps you're right. But it won't hurt to make a search, anyway. Come on, boys." With that, Hurd Applegate led the way down the hall and opened the door leading to a corridor that extended toward the new tower. Frank and Joe, tingling with excitement, followed. Although the new tower had been built just a few years back and although its rooms had been furnished, it had been seldom occupied, save on the rare occasions when the Applegates had visitors from the city. The new caretaker, employed to replace Robinson, was a lazy and slovenly fellow, who did not bother to extend his duties to the tower, knowing that the Applegates seldom went near that part of the mansion and realizing that any laxity in his duties in that respect would scarcely be discovered. It came as a surprise to Hurd Applegate, then, to find out that the new tower was dusty, that the windows had not been cleaned, that there were cobwebs on the ceilings. In the first room they found nothing, although they rummaged about in all the corners, looked beneath the table, behind the chairs--looked everywhere, in fact. Not until they were quite satisfied that the loot had not been hidden there, did they ascend the stairs to the next room, and there again their search was fruitless. Hurd Applegate, being a quick-tempered man, fell back into his old mood. The boys' story had convinced him, and he had been even more certain than they that the stolen bonds and jewels would indeed be found in the new tower. But when two of the tower rooms had been thoroughly searched without success, his disappointment increased. "Don't believe there was anything in that yarn, after all," he muttered, as they went up the stairs to the third room. "I don't see why he should lie about it, after he confessed," remarked Frank thoughtfully. "Dad told us that he admitted not being able to get away with the stuff." "Then where did he hide it?" demanded Applegate. "If he wasn't lying, the stuff must be around here some place." "Perhaps he hid it a little more carefully than we imagine," put in Joe. "Haven't we hunted carefully enough?" Hurd Applegate snapped. In the third room their search was again in vain. They even inspected the window ledges and tapped the floors and ceiling in the faint hope of finding some secret cupboard that was unknown to them. But the loot was not found. When at last they emerged through the trapdoor in the roof, out on top of the rear tower, and found it to be bare and empty, Applegate could not disguise his chagrin. "Wild-goose chase!" he snorted. "Adelia was right. I've been made a fool of."