While this work was under way one of the men strolled across the street, and, watching his chance, sneaked into the store. He made his way to the back and looked around. Seeing no one there, he walked upstairs and found himself in the sample room. The sight of numerous pieces of choice silverware of all kinds and sizes made him anxious, and he made up his mind to get away with several of the least bulky ones, which he could successfully conceal in his clothes. He approached a case with the view of helping himself when he suddenly came upon Dick, who was kneeling on the floor behind a table. The boy looked up and uttered an exclamation, for he recognized the intruder as Bulger, whose escape from the Carlin jail he had read about. Bulger recognized him at the same moment, and, with an imprecation, seized him. "So I've got hold of you again," he said. "Me and my pal have been waitin' an hour to get a sight of you. We want to settle accounts with you." "More likely you'll be settled yourselves," said Dick pluckily. "I've only to call out and some of the clerks will come up and take charge of you." "You won't do any callin' out if I can help it," said the rascal, seizing the boy by the throat and choking him hard. Dick struggled in vain to free himself from the burly man's grasp, but he was taken at a disadvantage, and found himself quite powerless. He gasped for breath, and was turning black in the face, when Bulger, not intending to kill him, eased up a bit. The sight of the silverware within his reach had put different thoughts into the fellow's head, and seeing the door of a closet standing ajar, he dragged Dick to it, tied his wrists together with a piece of cord, in a rough way, shoved him into the closet, and shut the door tight. Dick, though not wholly unconscious, was fast becoming so from the effect of the choking, added to the lack of air in the closet. Bulger quickly opened a case, abstracted several small pieces of silverware, concealed them about his person, and hurriedly left the sample room, sneaking downstairs and making for the front door. Mr. Bacon and the clerks were so busily engaged with the cases of goods that they did not notice the rascal slip out of the door and walk down the street, after signaling to Parker, on the other side, to follow. As soon as the goods had all been placed in the cellar, Mr. Bacon and the two clerks re-entered the store. The merchant went into his office to get a small package he was going to take home. Then the sight of Dick's pay envelope on his desk made him remember the boy. "I wonder where he was sent?" he asked himself. It occurred to him to ask the clerks if they had any idea where he was. He stepped outside where the young men were washing their hands and putting on their coats. "Does either of you know where Dick is?" he inquired. "He's gone home," replied one of the clerks. "That can't be, for his pay envelope is here waiting for him to claim it." "Is that so?" said the clerk.