Teddy stared and stared about the treasure chamber. "But where is the
gold?" he said.

"There, right before your eyes," said the robber. "Don't you see it?"

"Why, that isn't gold. That's nothing but cheese," cried Teddy.

"Cheese! cheese!" cried the robber-magician, stamping his foot in a
rage; "I tell you it's gold."

"It isn't! it's cheese!" said Teddy. "Look! I have some just like it;
I'll show you," and running to the keg where he had left his trap he
pulled it out and held it up for the robber to see.

As soon as the robber-magician saw the cheese in the trap his fingers
began to work and his mouth to water. "Oh, what a fine rich piece of
gold!" he cried. "How do you get it out?"

"I don't know," said Teddy. "I don't think it comes out."

"There must be some way," cried the robber. "Let me see," and taking the
trap from Teddy he put it down on the floor and began to pick and pry at
the bars, but he could not get the cheese out, and the more he tried the
more eager he grew. "There's one way," he muttered to himself, looking
up at Teddy suspiciously from under his slouch hat.

"How is that?' asked Teddy.

"If one were only a rat one could get at it fast enough," said the