"Ye've got to git out of my clutches first," hissed Franz Francoise, "and yer chances fer that are slim!" As the young ruffian bent close to him, Vernet, for the first time, fully realized his danger. But his cry for help was smothered by the hands of his captor, and in another moment he was gagged by the expeditious fingers of the old woman, and his head and face closely muffled in a dirty cloth from the nearest pallet. "There," said Mamma, rising from her knees with a grin of triumph, "we've got him fast. Open the door, old man, he's going into the closet for--" "For a little while," put in Franz, significantly. Into a rear room, across this, and into the dark hole, which Mamma had dignified by the name of closet, they carried their luckless prisoner, bound beyond hope of self-deliverance, gagged almost to suffocation, his eyes blinded to any ray of light, his ears muffled to any sound that might penetrate his dungeon. CHAPTER XXX. FRANZ FRANCOISE'S GENERALSHIP. When the three had returned to the outer room, Papa turned anxiously toward his hopeful son. "Franz, my boy," he began, in a quavering voice, "if there should be cops outside--" "Ye're the same whinin' old coward, ain't ye?" commented Franz, as he favored his father with a contemptuous glance. "I've seen a good many bad eggs, but blow me if I ever seed one like ye! Why, in the name o' blazes, air ye more afraid of a cop than you'd be o' the hangman?" The mention of this last-named public benefactor, caused Papa to shiver violently, and Mamma bent upon him a look of scorn. "Don't be an idiot, Francoise," she said, sharply. "We've got somethin' to do besides shakin' an' shiverin'?" "Time enough ter shiver when the hangman gits ye," added Franz, reassuringly. "But ye needn't fret about cops--I ain't no baby; there ain't no backers outside." "But, Franzy,--" began Papa. "Shet up; I'm runnin' this. If there'd a-been any help outside, we wouldn't a-had it so easy, you old fool! That cove in there ain't no coward; he'd a taken the chances with us, and blowed his horn when we first tackled him, if there'd been help handy." "Ah, what a brain the boy has got!" murmured Mamma, with rapturous pride. "Look a-here," said Franz, after a moment's consideration, "I'm satisfied that there _ain't_ no cops about; but to set yer mind at rest, old un, so that you kin use it ter help git to the bottom of this business, I'll go and take a look around, and I'll be back in jest five minutes." And he made a quick stride toward the door. "Now, Franzy,--" began Mamma, coaxingly. But he waved her back, saying: "Shut up, old woman; I'm runnin' this," and went swiftly out. When the sound of his retreating footsteps was lost to their ears, Papa and Mamma drew close together, and looked into each others' faces--he anxiously, she with a leer of shrewd significance. "Old man," she said, impressively, "that boy'll be the makin' of us--if we don't let him git us down." "Eh! what?"