After his discovery of the syndicate bills, Merriwell turned back and bestowed a brief, but comprehensive glance at the man before him. He was a young fellow of medium height, with a rather pleasant face and fiery-red hair. He was roughly dressed and his faded overalls were smeared with paste. Dick decided that he was one of the laborers who did the actual work of billposting. He seemed like a pretty good sort, and the Yale man seldom went wrong in sizing up a man. Still he hesitated, wondering whether he had better put into execution the plan which was in his mind. At last he determined to risk it. He could think of no other way, and the bills must be on the boards before daylight. “Do you want to earn ten dollars?” he asked presently. The fellow grinned all over his freckled face. “That’s me, guv’ner,” he replied promptly. “I sure do.” “Would you be willing to stay up all night to do it?” Merriwell went on. “Sure, Mike!” The Yale man’s eyes wandered to the big buckets of paste which ranged along the wall. “How long would it take you to mix up a lot of paste like that?” he inquired. The billposter looked puzzled. “About an hour or so,” he returned. “What yer after?” Dick smiled. “I want about that much ready at twelve o’clock sharp,” he returned. “I also want three or four big brushes that you put it on with. Where do you suppose I could get those?” The fellow waved his hand to where a lot of them hung in rows against the wall. “What’s the matter with them?” he inquired. “The old man’ll never miss ’em if you get ’em back by six o’clock. He’s got a big job on for to-morrer, an’ he’s going to start at six.” “I don’t want to use his brushes,” Dick said quickly. “Isn’t there some place around town where I could buy some?” The billposter shook his head. “Not as I knows of,” he answered. “Them brushes is made special.” Merriwell hesitated for a moment. Then he shrugged his shoulders. “All right,” he said, “we’ll use those, then. I can pay Lawford well for the use of them after the business is over. Got that straight, now? Have the paste and brushes ready for me at midnight. We’d better take a couple of those small ladders, too. And you are to stay here till we bring the things back. See?” The fellow nodded. “Yep. But, say, guv’ner, this here ain’t goin’ to do me no harm with the boss, is it?” “Not unless you tell him yourself about it,” the Yale man answered. “I promise you no one will ever get it from me, but I’ll be frank with you——” He paused, and looked inquiringly at the fellow. “Brown’s me name,” the latter informed him. “Bill Brown.” “Well, Bill,” Dick continued, “I may as well tell you that if Lawford ever found out that you had made paste for me, and loaned me his brushes, he would probably fire you on the spot. But, as I say, I don’t see how he’s going to find it out. I’ll leave the money for the brushes, and all the rest, in his desk, and he’ll have no way of knowing where it came from.”