"Well," he said, with a leer meant to be clever, "I suppose you fellows know me?" "We know you, Jerry," retorted Hiram, "only too well." "I'm boss here," boasted Jerry. "That's fine, isn't it?" said Hiram. "And I've got you. We'll have your airship soon, too. You'll do some walking getting back home, I'm thinking." "What do you want of us, Jerry?" inquired Dave, coolly. "I want to know where that airship of yours is in the first place." "Put it in the last place, Jerry," suggested Hiram, "for you won't find out from me." "I'll bet I will," vaunted Jerry. "I have a good mind to punch you for making all the mischief you have." "You're safe, Jerry, seeing I'm disabled," said Hiram. "Bah! Say, Dashaway, who's working against us here or across the lake besides yourself?" "You will have to, guess that, Jerry," replied Dave. "You won't tell?" "No. I'll say this, though: You had better try to even up things in some way. The Interstate people and the government know all about you, and you are likely to have some explaining to do." Jerry looked worried, but he feigned indifference. "I'll keep you two safe and quiet till I get ready to quit, all the same," he snapped out, and slammed the door shut and locked it. Dave and Hiram listened in silence for some minutes to sounds in the next room. They could only catch the echo of voices. Jerry and his father seemed to be engaged in conversation. Suddenly there was an interruption. There was the sound of an excited voice, drawing nearer each moment. A door slammed. Then heavy running footsteps echoed out, ending only as some one appeared to burst unceremoniously into the next room. "What's the row?" the boys heard in the gruff tones of Jerry's father. "Say!" shouted the intruder, evidently a member of their group, "they've done it!" "Who have?" shouted out Jerry quickly. "The revenuers." "What do you mean?" "They got Ridgely." A cry of dismay and excitement ran through the next room. "How do you know?" demanded the elder Dawson. "I saw them myself--right near Brantford. What's more, they're coming this way to get the rest of us." At this announcement came another cry. "You are sure of that?" "When was this?" "How soon will they be here?" "Who is responsible for this?" So the cries and questions ran on. There was an excited discussion all around. "Maybe Ridgely is a turncoat!" cried somebody. "Well, we can't talk about that now--we must look out for ourselves," said another. "Right you are. Let us get out of here as soon as we possibly can!" "That's the talk!" CHAPTER XXIV THE ESCAPE BY AIRCRAFT "That's good," instantly cried Hiram Dobbs. "They'll have troubles of their own now, maybe." He and Dave listening closely, could now detect bustle and excitement in the rooms beyond their own prison place. They could hear Jerry Dawson fussing and bawling about, while his father's gruff voice seemed to give orders to the men in the place.