“Give him a taste of the hot iron,” suggested one of the smugglers. “No, nothing like that. It’s too crude. I’m giving him his chance. He can sign this paper now or take the consequences.” Still there was no reply. “Getting obstinate, are you? Won’t you even answer me!” The leader of the gang was evidently getting angry. Suddenly he shouted out: “Sign this paper, Hardy, or you’ll starve—as sure as my name is Snackley!” CHAPTER XIX CAPTURED The worst fears of the Hardy boys were realized. They had been unable to distinguish clearly the voice of the prisoner until then, for it had been muffled by the intervening door, but all along they had suspected that it was their father. Now they knew, and they knew also that he was a captive of Snackley, the head of the gang of smugglers. Joe gave a perceptible start, but Frank laid a warning hand upon his brother’s arm. Now, of all times, there was need for caution. They listened. “I won’t sign it,” replied Fenton Hardy clearly. Snackley replied: “You heard what I said. Sign or starve.” “I’ll starve.” “You’ll think differently in a day or so. You’re pretty hungry now, Hardy, but you’ll be a lot hungrier later on. And thirsty, too. You’ll be ready to sell your soul for a drop of water or a bite to eat.” “I won’t sign.” “After all, we’re not asking very much. You’ve discovered a number of things that we want you to forget about. It won’t hurt you to go back to Bayport and say that you couldn’t find out anything about us. Nobody knows where you have been.” “I’ve found out all I wanted to know about you, Snackley. I’ve got enough evidence to send you to the penitentiary for the rest of your life. And I have more than that.” “What do you mean—more than that?” “I know enough to have you sent to the electric chair.” There was a sudden commotion in the room and two or three of the smugglers began talking at once. “You’re crazy!” shouted Snackley, but there was a current of uneasiness in his voice. “You’re crazy. You don’t know anything about me.” “I know enough to have you sent up for murder.” “All the more reason why you’re not going to get out of here without signing this paper. You can count yourself lucky you have even this chance of getting out alive. By all rights we should knock you on the head and heave you over the cliff into the sea.” “I won’t sign.” “Don’t be foolish. All we ask you to do is to agree that you won’t make use of the information you have. I admit that you’ve stumbled on some of our secrets, and we can’t afford to turn you loose and have the federal agents about our ears in no time.” “You must trust me very much. What is to prevent me from signing that paper and then going back on my word?” asked Fenton Hardy curiously. “We know you too well, Hardy. We know that if you signed that promise you would keep it.”