"That's where the old man keeps his gold, likely," he muttered. "I hope it isn't locked." Usually the trunk would have been fastened, but the conversation which Ernest had had with old Peter so engrossed his mind as to make him less careful than usual. Tom Burns therefore had no difficulty in lifting the lid. With eager fingers he explored the contents, and was not long in discovering the box which contained the two gold coins. The discovery pleased and yet disappointed him. "Only ten dollars!" he muttered. "There ought to have been a pile of these yellow boys. Perhaps there are more somewhere." Meanwhile he slipped the two coins into his vest pocket It was not much, but it was more than he had had in his possession for months. He continued his search, but failed to discover any more money. He felt indignant. It seemed to him that he was badly used. That a miser should have but a paltry ten dollars in his trunk was very discreditable. "He must have some more somewhere," Burns reflected. It occurred to him that there might be hoards hidden under the floor, or in the immediate neighborhood of the cabin. But it was night, and there would be no profit in pursuing the search now. "To-morrow," he reflected, "the boy will be off making preparations for buryin' the old man, and then I can make another visit." He closed the lid of the trunk, and with a general glance to see if there was anything more worth taking, he rose to his feet and prepared to leave the room. Just at this moment Ernest, who was probably dreaming of the old man, spoke in his sleep. "Uncle Peter," he murmured. The tramp stood still, apprehensive that Ernest would open his eyes and detect his presence. But the boy did not speak again. "I had better get," soliloquized Burns. He got out of the window quietly, but as the boy stirred again, he hurried away with out stopping to shut it. When, a little after seven o'clock, Ernest woke up, the sun was streaming in at the open window, and the cool air entered with it. "How came the window up?" thought Ernest, wondering. "I am sure I didn't leave it open last night." There was nothing else to indicate that the cabin had been entered. But the more Ernest thought it over, the more convinced he was that there had been a visitor. What could have been his motive? With sudden suspicion, he went to the trunk and opened it. It was evident that things had been disturbed. His eyes sought out the box that contained the gold pieces. He opened it, and found that he had been robbed. "Who could have done it?" he asked himself. He could not think of any one. He was acquainted with every one in the little village, and he knew none that would be capable of theft. He never thought of the ill-looking tramp whom he had met in Joe Marks' store.