"Forty dollars you make, in one evening," commented Hal.

"Twenty apiece, you mean, old fellow. You were with me in this."

"But I didn't have to do any of the talking, or anything else."

"Just the same, Hal, you know we're still partners."

"Whew!" said Hastings, uneasily. "I shall be nervous until we reach
Mr. Farnum's house and hand him the money. Hold up a minute, Jack,
while we're near houses."

"What's the game?" inquired Benson, as his chum leaped down into the
road and began to rummage about.

"These may be of some use to us in the buggy; just possibly," replied
Hal, returning with a half dozen stones, the size of hens' eggs, which
he placed on the seat between them. "It's the only form of arms we
have, Jack," he whispered, "and we're carrying a heap more money than
we could make good in a long time."

"We've got only a few miles to go," laughed Jack, easily. "Besides
who'd ever think of holding up boys? And no one but Mr. Forrester knows
that we have the cash."

In the first five miles that they drove from Waverly Center the boys
passed only two other horse-drawn vehicles and one automobile. Then,
suddenly, the keen ears of both boys heard a sound as of some human being
wailing in acute distress.