“I’m going to be as considerate of ye, King,” observed Kelly, “as I can. No harm is intended to ye--if there was I wouldn’t be helpin’. But ye’ve got to stay here for a while, an’ orders is that ye’re to remain quiet. The garage is more or less of a public place, an’ yer confinement is to be private. If people happened to be below ye might yell. That wouldn’t do, now, would it? I’m going to tie this piece of cloth over yer mouth jest to make sure ye don’t say anythin’ so loud it can be heard downstairs.” “Wait a minute, Kelly,” said Matt. “Do you know anything about my chum, Joe McGlory?” “Never a thing. He’s the boy who came with ye in that runabout?” “Yes.” “Well, he’s not known to me at all. You’re the lad that gave us that chase, and Levitt says you’re a thief. Ye don’t look it, now, but orders is to hold ye, an’ that’s what I’m doin’.” “You’re helping Colonel Billings and Levitt carry out a big swindling game by this work, Kelly.” “So? Well, lad, I can’t look out for other people. Number One--which is Kelly, d’ye mind--is enough fer me to take care of.” “If I’m a thief, why doesn’t Levitt take me to Hempstead and have me locked up by the police?” “Levitt doesn’t want to disgrace ye by such a move. Bein’ locked up by the police gives a lad a bad record. Ye’re far an’ away better off with me here. We’re to be together three days, and----” “Three days!” “The same--no more, no less. We’re going to get along like old cronies, if ye only behave. Now for the gag.” Matt submitted while the cloth was put in place. Barely had Kelly finished when a car was heard puffing into the big room below. Kelly jumped to a round opening in the floor, near one end of the room. It was a stovepipe hole, but the pipe was missing. “One of the members, my lad,” said Kelly, turning away from his observation of the room underneath and speaking in a guarded voice. “I’ll have to go and look after the car. But ye won’t get lonesome against the time I come back. Ye’ve plenty to think of, I take it, an’ that will use up yer time.” Kelly went out, slamming the door, and Matt could hear him hurrying down the stairs. Three days! Matt was to be kept in the garage for three days! That, no doubt, was to prevent him from interfering with the colonel’s plans in New York. The colonel had won McGlory over, and there would be no interference from him. But perhaps, even without that “private report,” Matt could do something with the syndicate. It might be that he could save the cowboy in spite of himself. Matt had noticed, while he and the cowboy were in the clubhouse talking with the colonel, that the trickster from Arizona had a powerful influence over McGlory. The colonel had made good use of that influence, and had succeeded in turning the cowboy against his best friend.