“Is it an old safe?”

“I don’t think so—­ in fact, the safe man led me to believe it was one of the newer kinds.  It is about five feet square, and the walls are almost a foot thick.  Oh, it is some safe, I can tell you that!”

“But it was not safe in this instance,” retorted Tom, who, no matter how serious the situation, was bound to have his little joke.

“You said Pelter and Japson had gone for good,” continued Sam.  “Is there nobody else around attached to the old firm?”

“I took on their old office boy, a lad named Bob Marsh.  You’ll remember him,” returned the oldest Rover.  “He said he wanted work the worst way, so I thought I would give him a chance.”

“Maybe he got the combination, and gave it to Pelter or Japson.”

“I don’t think so, Sam.  The boy is rather forward in his manner, but I think he is perfectly honest.”

“Yes, but somebody opened that safe and took the box of bonds,” put in Tom.

“I know that, Tom, and we’ve got to get those bonds back, or it will be a very serious piece of business for us,” answered the oldest Rover boy, soberly.

“Was anything else taken, Dick?” questioned Sam.

“Not a thing.  And that’s queer, too, because I had a number of private papers in the safe, and also our new set of books.”

“Then that would go to show that all the thief was after were the bonds,” came from Tom.  “You say they were in a new japanned box that was locked?”

“Yes, but the lock didn’t amount to much.  I think it could easily be opened.”

“Sixty thousand dollars is a lot of money to lose,” mused Sam.  “Dick, that will put us in something of a hole, won’t it?”

“It may.  But don’t let us think about that, Sam.  Let us try to get the bonds back,” returned his oldest brother, earnestly.

CHAPTER XVIII

 At the offices

After that the three Rovers and Dick’s wife talked the matter over for fully an hour.  Dick gave Sam and Tom all the particulars he could think of, and answered innumerable questions.  But try their best, not one of the party could venture a solution of the mystery.

“I think you had better go to bed,” said Dora, at last.  “You can go down to the offices the first thing in the morning, and make up your minds what to do next;” and this advice was followed.

“No use of talking, this is a fierce loss!” was Tom’s comment, when he and Sam were retiring.

“Yes, and Dick feels pretty bad over it,” returned the youngest Rover.  “I am afraid he imagines that we think he is to blame.”

“Maybe, but I don’t blame him, Sam.  That might have happened to you or me just as well as to him.”

It must be admitted that the boys did not sleep very soundly that night.  For a long time each lay awake, speculating over the mystery, and wondering what had become of the bonds.