For President Bascomb, of the Melliston Company, now stood before them. After a glance about Mr. Bascomb walked slowly up and down, as though he were waiting for some one. Dick, of course, did not know Mr. Bascomb. However, as Tom kept silent the young soldier did the same. "What on earth can Bascomb be doing here?" Tom wondered. "Is he, too, one of the conspirators? It is unbelievable! Yet with what speed he obeyed Evarts's summons to come and bail him out! It makes me feel like a sneak to be here spying on the president of the company that employs me---and yet there's something here that certainly must be looked into!" Fifteen minutes more dragged by, with Mr. Bascomb walking impatiently back and forth, occasionally heaving a deep sigh or catching at his breath. "Our worthy president is much excited, at any rate," Reade said to himself. Finally steps were heard, both by Bascomb and by the pair who watched him. Then another man came upon the scene. "Evarts, why on earth did you send for me?" demanded Mr. Bascomb, as the discharged foreman came up. "Because I knew you'd be here---you don't dare do otherwise," was the sneering reply. "Try not to be impudent about it," advised Mr. Bascomb mildly. "As you may remember, I've had to stand a lot from you." "And not as much as you might have to stand, either, if I took it into my head to make matters lively for you," jeered Evarts harshly. "Remember, man, you'll do as I want you to do." "I'm willing to do what I can for you," replied the president. "But---" "Now, don't throw any of your 'buts' at me," broke in the discharged foreman, roughly. "You failed me in one thing---you didn't make Reade take me back on the job, as I told you to do." "I couldn't," pleaded Mr. Bascomb. "Prenter stood with Reade and was against me." "You're the president of the company, aren't you?" Evarts demanded sullenly. "Yes; but Prenter is a bigger man in the company, and he has more influence with the board of directors. If Prenter came out against me, and persuaded the other directors that I was a bad asset for the company, they'd act on Prenter's suggestion and remove me from the presidency." "Humph!" jeered Evarts. "Then what would your directors do if they knew that---." "Stop!" begged Mr. Bascomb hoarsely, "Don't say a word further, man! Sometimes even the leaves on the trees have ears. Don't breathe a word of what you were going to say just now." Even in the dark the two concealed watchers could see that Bascomb was glancing about him nervously. "Now, what is up?" gasped Tom inwardly. "What part has Mr. Bascomb been playing in this mystery that he's so afraid of having become public?" CHAPTER XXI EVARTS HEARS A NOISE "I won't shut up," proclaimed Evarts. "I don't care who hears me." "But I care," protested the president, in a trembling voice. "Then you'll have to reward me for whatever silence you want," snarled the wretch.