The Haunted Mine

by Harry Castlemon

  CHAPTER V.

  CASPER THINKS OF SOMETHING.

  Julian stood with his hands in his pockets looking at Casper, andsomething that was very like a smile came into his face.

  "I know what you went in there with Mr. Wiggins for," said Casper; andhaving found his cap by that time, he jammed it spitefully on hishead, "and I just waited until you came out so that I could ask you. Idon't need to ask you. I tell you once for all----"

  "Well, why don't you go on?" asked Julian. "You will tell me once forall--what?"

  Casper had by this time turned and looked sternly at Julian, but therewas something about him which told him that he had gone far enough.

  "Go and get the police," said Julian. "Right here is where I dobusiness. Look here, Casper: you came into our room and stole thatbox out of our closet."

  "I never!" said Casper, evidently very much surprised. "So helpme----"

  "Don't swear, because you will only make a bad matter worse. I foundthe box in your trunk, just where you had left it. The way I have thematter arranged now, there's nobody knows that you took it; but you goto work and raise the police, and I will tell all I know. If you keepstill, I won't say one word."

  Casper backed toward the nearest chair and sat down. This conversationhad been carried on in whispers, and there was nobody, among the dozenpersons who were standing around, that had the least idea what theywere talking about. If Casper supposed that he was going to scareJulian into giving up the box, he failed utterly.

  "I won't give up that fortune," said he, to himself, when Julianturned away to go to his seat. "A hundred thousand dollars! I'll haveit, or I'll never sleep easy again."

  During the rest of the day Julian was as happy as he wanted to be. Thebox was now safe in the hands of Mr. Wiggins, and he would like tosee anybody get hold of it. Furthermore, Mr. Wiggins had told him toput two more advertisements in the papers, and, if Mr. Haberstro didnot show himself in answer to them, the money was his own.

  "I do hope he won't come," said Julian. "I don't believe in giving upthat fortune."

  The boy was glad when the day was done, and the moment he was safe onthe street he struck a trot which he never slackened until he ran upthe stairs to his room. Jack was there, as he expected him to be, andhe was going about his work of getting supper. He looked up as Juliancame in, and he saw at a glance that he had been successful.

  "I've got it!" shouted Julian; and, catching Jack by the arm, hewhirled him around two or three times. "It was in the trunk, just as Itold you it was. Mr. Wiggins has it now, and he will take care of it,too."

  "That's the best news I have heard in a long time," said Jack,throwing his leg over the table. "Did you tell Mr. Wiggins about theway Casper acted?"

  "No, I did not. Somehow, I couldn't bear to see the boy discharged. Isimply told Mr. Wiggins that it wasn't safe in our room."

  "Well, I don't know but that was the best way, after all," said Jack,looking reflectively at the floor. "But I tell you, if I had been inyour place I would have let it all out. Now tell me the whole thing."

  Julian pulled off his coat, and, while he assisted Jack in gettingsupper, told him all that passed between Mr. Wiggins and himself, notforgetting how the latter had promised to scold him at some futuretime for going to the express office and investing in "old horse."

  "I hope he will tell you some words that will set," said Jack. "All Ican say to you has no effect upon you."

  "I will never go near that express office again--never!" said Julian,earnestly.

  "I hope you will always bear that in mind."

  "I've had my luck, and if I live until my head is as white as ourpresident's I never shall have such good fortune again. I will getbricks the next time I buy."

  "You had better sit down and write out that advertisement for two moreinsertions, and after supper we'll take it down and put it in. IfHaberstro does not appear in answer to them the money is ours. That'sa little better fortune than I dared to hope for."

  Anybody could see that Jack was greatly excited over this news, but hetried not to show it. If he had gone wild over it, he would have gotJulian so stimulated that he would not have known which end he stoodon. He had to control himself and Julian, too. He ate his supperapparently as cool as he ever was, and after the room had been sweptup and the dishes washed he put on his coat and was ready to accompanyhis friend to the newspaper offices.

  "Remember now, Julian, we don't want any soda water to-night," saidJack. "If you want anything to drink, get it before you start."

  Julian promised that he would bear it in mind, and during the threehours that they were gone never asked for soda water or anythingelse.

  "Just wait until I get that fortune in my hands, and then I will haveall the soda water I want," said Julian to himself. "But, after all,Jack's way is the best. I don't know what I should do without him."

  In due time the boys were at home and in bed; and leaving them thereto enjoy a good night's rest, we will go back to Casper Nevins and seewhat he thought and what he did when he found that he had lost the boxhe had risked so much to gain. He was about as mad as a boy could holdwhen he ran down the stairs after his interview with them in theirroom, and he straightway began to rack his brain to see if he couldnot get that box for himself.

  "Of all the dunces I ever saw, those two fellows are the beat!" saidhe, as he took his way toward his room. "They have got the fortune intheir own hands; no one will say a word if they use it as though itwas their own; and yet they are going to advertise for the man to whomit was addressed. Did anybody ever hear of a fool notion like that? Iwas in hopes that I could get them to go partners with me, but underthe circumstances I did not like to propose it. Why didn't I happeninto that express office and bid on that box? Gee! What a fortune thatwould be!"

  Casper was almost beside himself with the thought, and he reached hisroom and cooked and ate his supper, still revolving some plan forobtaining possession of that box. He had suddenly taken it into hishead that he ought to go into partnership with the two boys in orderto assist them in spending their money, although there was not thefirst thing that he could think of that induced the belief. Julian hadalways been friendly with him,--much more so than any of the otherboys in the office,--although he confessed that he had not always beenfriendly with Julian.

  "Of course I have little spats with him, but Julian isn't a fellow toremember that," said Casper to himself. "I've had spats with everyboy, and some of them I don't want anything more to do with. ButJulian ought to take me into partnership with him, and I believe I'llask him. But first, can't I get that box for my own? That is an ideaworth thinking of."

  It was an idea that had suddenly come into Casper's head, and he didnot think any more about the partnership business just then. Of coursetheir advertising for Haberstro knocked all that in the head; but thenif he had the box he could do as he pleased with it. The next day, atthe office, he did say something about partnership, but Julian laughedat him. He said that he and Jack could easily spend all that money,and more too, if they had it. It was made in a joking way, and Julianhad not thought to speak to Jack about it.

  "It is no use trying you on," said Casper to himself, getting mad in aminute. "You can spend all that money yourselves, can you? I'll betyou don't. There must be some keys in the city that will fit yourdoor, and I am going to have one."

  From that time forward Casper had but just one object in view, andthat was to get the box. He spent three days in trying the differentkeys which he had purchased to fit the lock, and one time he camenear getting himself into difficulty. He was out a great deal longerthan he ought to have been with a message, and when he got to theoffice Mr. Wiggins took him to task for it.

  "How is this, Casper?" said he. "You have been gone three-quarters ofan hour longer than you ought to have been."

  "I went just as soon as I could," replied Casper, who was not abovetelling a lie. "The man wasn't at his place of business, and so I wentto his home."

  "Then you are excu
sable. It seems strange that he should be at home atthis hour."

  Casper did not say anything, but he was satisfied that he was well outof that scrape. He had not been to the man's home at all. He wastrying the lock on Julian's door.

  Although he made two attempts without getting in, he succeeded on thethird. The door came open for him, and after searching around the roomin vain for the box, he looked into the closet.

  "Aha! I've got you at last!" said he, as he drew the clothing asideand laid hold of the object of his search. "Now I wish I had my moneythat is due me from the telegraph office. To-morrow would see me on myway toward Denver."

  Hurriedly locking the door, Casper made the best of his way down thestairs and to his room, and put the box into his trunk. Then he brokeinto another run and went to the office, where he arrived in time toavoid a second reprimand.

  "Oh, you feel mighty well now," said Casper, watching Julian, who wastalking and laughing with some of the boys, "but I bet you you willfeel different in a little while. Now who am I going to get to hidethat box for me? None of the boys in here will do it, so I must goelsewhere."

  During the rest of the week Casper was as deeply interested inwatching the persons who came there as Julian was. He did notadvertise for Haberstro, because he did not want to give up the box.He was more than half inclined to go to Mr. Wiggins and tell him hewas going to leave when his month was out, but some way or other hedid not. Something compelled him to wait, and in three days more hefound out what it was. He was in the office waiting for a message todeliver, when Julian came in with a bundle wrapped up in a newspaperunder his arm. Casper was thunderstruck, for something told him thatJulian had played the same game that he had. He had been to his roomand got the box. His face grew as pale as death when he saw Mr.Wiggins follow Julian into the back room, and his first thought was toleave the office before he came out.

  "It is all up with me now," said he, rising to his feet and lookingaround for his cap, which, boy fashion, he had tossed somewhere, onentering the room. "He will tell Mr. Wiggins that I stole the box, andI will be discharged the first thing. I'll deny it," he added, growingdesperate. "I haven't seen his box. He did not find it in my room, butgot it somewhere else. I will make a fight on it as long as I can."

  So saying, Casper sat down to await Julian's return; but the boy cameout alone, and the antics he went through drove Casper frantic.

  "I've got the box," said Julian, when Casper asked him what he meantby that pantomime.

  The guilty boy was given plenty of opportunity to "deny it all," buthe gave it up in despair when he found that Julian was not to befrightened into giving up the box. The latter was perfectly willingthat the police should come there, but if they did, he would tell allCasper had done. He might get Julian in a scrape, but he would getinto a worse one himself. He was glad when Julian moved off to hischair and left him alone.

  "I guess it is the best way as it is," said Casper, getting upon hisfeet and looking out into the street. "If he sets the police ontome--good gracious, what should I do? So that plan has failed, and nowthe next thing is something else. I'll have that box, or die trying toget it."

  All that day, while he was in the office or carrying his telegraphicdispatches around the street, Casper thought of but one thing, andthat was, how was he going to get that box again? He did not have muchto say to anybody, and when six o'clock came he lost no time ingetting home. He had evidently determined upon something, for he ate avery scanty supper, changed his clothes, and hurried out again. Hischanging his uniform for a citizen's suit was something that wouldhave brought him his instant discharge if his company officers hadfound him in that fix. He could mingle with loafers about thepool-rooms, and no one could have told that he was any different fromanybody else. He could drink his beer, too, and no one would suspectthat he was going back on the pledge he made to the company. But,then, Casper was used to such things, and he thought nothing of it.More than that, he had an object to gain, and he had already pickedout the person whom he hoped to induce to enter into a scheme topossess that box.

  "Claus is the fellow I am going to try," said he, as he hurried alongtoward a pool-room which he often frequented. "He is a German, he iswell along in years, and I know he isn't above making a dime or twowhenever he gets the chance. Now for it. It is make or break."