"I know that it was changed in the town by your friend; and I know that you and he went to buy it back, and paid far more than it was worth for it, and----" "And having got it back, there the thing ends," laughed Horace; but the man laughed also. "Oh, yes, you got it back; but not before I had photographed it! I have the negative here, a beautiful negative that will enlarge." Elgert regarded him in silent fury. "Well," he said, altering his tone, "what do you want for it? I suppose you are trying to make money?" "My book--the one you stole. If it is just as it was when I had it, you shall have this; if it is torn or damaged, then I take this to the police." "You are smarter than I thought," answered Elgert blandly; but oh, in his heart, how he determined that in some way he would make this man suffer! "Well, here is the book. You can see it is not harmed." The man snatched the book which the boy took from his pocket, and ran to the door to get all the light he could, as he eagerly glanced inside. "It is all right," he said. "Here is the negative." And he handed it to Elgert. "And now you go!"--this to the book. "You have caused me trouble enough. Go where no one can get at you!" And, in a fit of rage, he threw it into the river; and then he turned back to the boy. "Get it again, if you can!" he laughed. "My word is as good as yours, now; and while you have the negative, you have not got the prints I took from it. You are in my power now, Mr. Horace, and you had best be civil, or there will be trouble." And with that he turned and hurried off, leaving Horace Elgert alone, white with passion and fear. "I need not fear him," he muttered. "It only means paying enough, and I shall get them. This can go, the water will soon wash the film off." He skimmed the negative away, but it slipped from his fingers and fell into shallow water. He did not trouble; in less than an hour it would be washed clean away. Then Horace Elgert produced a book from his pocket, and this he, having tied a stone to it, also threw into the river; then, finally, he took that dreadful banknote from his pocket, and, striking a match, he set it alight and watched it burn to ashes. Then, hands in pockets, he sauntered off, and Tinkle and Green crept from their refuge. "We must get back," said Green. "We shall be late." "Get back be bothered!" rejoined Tinkle eagerly. "We are going to fish again. Be careful. Here, hold open your book--I see one in your pocket!" Tinkle carefully picked up all the grey, fluffy ash of that burnt banknote, and placed it between the leaves. "My father says that banknotes have a queer ash, and we may want to show this. Now let us see if we can get those things out of the river. That negative seemed to fall close in." "I see it!" cried Green, pointing into the water. "Look, there it is, out on that patch of white sand--see, there!"