"Den maybe I best kick him owit kvick, hey?" "Yes--no--wait a minute." Girk turned to Arnold Baxter. "Here is that oldest Rover boy spying on us." "Ha! I told you they were regular rats for that sort of work," fumed Arnold Baxter. "Don't let him go." "Why not?" "He may know too much. Bring him in here till I question him." "Not much!" burst out Dick. "Help! Help!" His cries came to a sudden ending as Buddy Girk clapped a large and somewhat dirty hand over his mouth. "Run him in here, Jake," said the former tramp. "He is a fellow we have an account to settle with." "Is dot so? Vell, I ton't vont me no troubles," answered the German doubtfully. "It's all right--he--he stole some of our money. That's right, in with him," and Dick was run into the room, after which Dutch Jake retired as suddenly as he had appeared. He was an elderly man, of a queer turn of mind, and, all by himself, occupied a garret room of the tenement. As soon as the door was locked Arnold Baxter faced Dick. "Now will you keep quiet, or shall I knock you over with this?" he demanded, and raised a heavy cane he had grown into the habit of carrying since he had escaped from the hospital, on the very day that the authorities were going to transfer him to the jail at Ithaca. "Don't you dare to touch me, Arnold Baxter!" cried the boy boldly. "Will you keep quiet?" "That depends. What do you want of me?" "You followed Girk to this place and were spying on us." "I think I had a right to follow Girk. He is wanted by the authorities, as you know." "You heard us planning to do something." "Perhaps I did." "I know you did." "All right, then; don't ask me about it." "You think that you are a smart boy," growled Baxter uneasily. "Thank you for nothing." "Don't get impudent." "That is what old Crabtree used to say." "The Rovers always were too important for their own good, young man." "We know how to do the fair thing by others--and that is more than you!" "Shut up; I'm in no humor to listen to your preaching." "Then open the door and let me go." "Not just yet. I want to know how much you overheard of my talk with Buddy Girk." "I reckon he heard all of it," growled the fool. "If I was you, Baxter, I wouldn't let him go at all." "You would keep him a prisoner?" Buddy Girk nodded. "But we can't guard him, Buddy." "We won't want to guard him. Just bind him hands and feet, and stuff a gag in his mouth, and there you are." "Would you leave him in this room?" "I don't know." Girk scratched his tangled head of hair. "No, I wouldn't. I'll tell you where to take him." He finished by whispering into Arnold Baxter's ear. At once the rascal's face brightened, and he nodded. "Just the thing!" he muttered. "It will serve him right." "Are you going to let me go?" demanded Dick uneasily, for he saw that the two were plotting to do him injury. "No," came from both.