They threw off their coats, and one of them undid a bundle. He took from it
some bread, cheese, and a big black bottle, and the twain were soon
enjoying themselves. When they had finished eating they lay down in the
straw, smoking short, stubby pipes and chatting with one another.

"Now, then, look a-here, Jem," one of them remarked, "you wouldn't see me
tramping around in this kind of weather if it wasn't that there was a
chanct to get something out of it."

"Don't I tell you what's at the end of it, Dan?" retorted the other. "Don't
I say as how the governor pays the expenses right royal while we're here?
And then don't you know as how he's agreed to turn over the other half of
that card, when we helps him get his plans through about this young kid up
at the academy?"

"Say, that was a funny thing about that card," observed the man called Dan.

"No, 'twasn't," dissented Jem. "We got our hands on a fine piece of goods.
We had to hide it till there was no danger of its being looked for. The gov
and me therefore goes to a friend and we puts it in his strong safe. He is
told that we has a card torn up with writing on it, atween us. The
arrangement is made that he doesn't let go the property till we both
presents them there pieces of card together. So you see, the gov can't get
the property and run off with it. No more can I. Now, then, the gov says I
can have the property entire if we help him on his present business here."

"Say," spoke up the interested Dan, "is the property pretty fine?"

"I'd call it good for a thousand dollars."