Tarbox saw that the giant was right. In spite of his agitation, he couldn't help remarking that Anak spoke English with remarkable ease—for a Norwegian, and he said so. Anak laughed. "Oh well," he said, "it's a good while since I was in Norway." "Don't speak so loud, you two," said Charlie Davis, whose eye was glued to the crevice. "He'll hear you." "The boy is right," said Anak. "Is he coming this way yet?" asked Tarbox, eagerly. "Not yet; he is sitting down, counting the money." Tarbox groaned. "I—I'd like to choke him—the thief!" he muttered. "Can't you find a better savings bank, friend Tarbox?" said Anak. "I'm afraid of savings banks. They break sometimes," answered the farmer. "At any rate the money would be safer there than here, and you would get interest for it besides. But for us, or rather for Charlie here, who watched that rascal this afternoon, you'd have had to bid a long good-by to your money." "He's got through counting it," said Charlie, who was still watching, "and he's putting it in his pocket." "I shall never see it again!" murmured Tarbox, sadly. "Oh, yes you will—we've got the man as secure as a rat in a rat-trap. He'll have to come out this way, won't he?" "Yes, he'll have to come up through the trap-door." "If he hadn't the money, it would be well to fasten down the trap-door, and keep him locked up there for the night. As it is, we shall have to secure him, and carry him to the station-house ourselves." "We might put him back under the barn after we've taken the money from him," suggested Charlie Davis. "He may have matches with him," said Anak, "and in that case he might set the barn on fire out of revenge. He's an ugly customer, that Carden, and is capable of anything." "No, no, let him go!" said Tarbox, alarmed at the suggestion of losing his barn by fire. "Take the money from him and send him off." "No, no; we won't let him off so easy," said Anak. "There's another matter we must inquire into. We must find out whether he is the man that threw the rock at Robert's horse to-night. If so, he must be punished for that." Meanwhile, and this conversation took a much briefer time than may be imagined, Carden had ascended the ladder, emerged through the trap-door, which he had left open when he went down, and, with his ill-gotten booty stowed away in his pockets, had reached the small door by which he entered. He came out quite unconscious of danger, when he felt a strong hand at his collar, and his startled look fell upon the giant and his two companions. "What's all this?" he asked, in affected bravado. "Let go of me, Anak." "You villain!" exclaimed the farmer, furiously; "give me back my money." "Your money, old potato digger!" returned Carden. "Who's got your money?" "You have." "It's a lie. How could I get hold of your money?" "What have you been doing in the barn?" asked Anak.