"Den I'll tell der police wot I know; I ain't doin' yer work fer nothin'."

And the tough poked his nose close to that of Caleb Allen.

"Nonsense, Tommy!" put in Hardwick. "I agreed to give you a hundred dollars for keeping quiet about what you know, and that's all you'll get."

"Den I'll--wot's dat?"

A loud noise in the outer office startled Macklin. Hal, listening at the door, suddenly found himself in the hands of Parsons and Samuels.

"A spy, as I thought," cried Samuels. "Hardwick! Allen!"

The two called, rushed out, and Hal was surrounded.

"A spy, is he?" cried Allen. "Who can----"

"That beard is false!" exclaimed Hardwick, tearing it as well as the mustache from our hero's face. "Hal Carson! Boys, lock the front door!

If he escapes, we shall be ruined!"

CHAPTER XXVIII.

HAL IS EXPOSED.

The moment that Hardwick made his announcement, Parsons sprang to the front door and locked it.

"Carson!" muttered Allen. "Hardwick, you were right, he is nothing more nor less than a spy."

When Tommy Macklin saw the face of Hal he grew pale as death.

"Carson!" he gasped, falling back.

"What's the matter with you?" demanded Hardwick.

"Dat's der chap wot followed Ferris ter my house."

"Followed Ferris. When?"

"Der night he brung me dat letter from you about dat bus'ness over to der--you know."

"You are sure?"

"Sure," repeated Macklin, in deep disgust. "I t'ink I am."

"How did you happen to catch him?"

"He was spyin' at der door, same as here. We collared him, and knocked him down. I t'ought he was dead, an' me an' Ferris chucked him in a vat in der cellar of der old pickle factory."

"Ferris said nothing of this to me," said Hardwick.

"He was most scared stiff, dat feller was," replied Macklin, disdainfully. "I guess he t'ought he would not say nuthin' ter n.o.body."

During this time Hal had not said a word, but now he spoke up.

"What do you intend to do with me?" he asked.

"You'll see fast enough," replied Hardwick. "We have got you fast this time. Do you know what I think? I think you are the same fellow that I met in the lumber-yard."

"And if I am, Hardwick, what of it?"

"It will go so much the harder with you."

"Let us bind him so he cannot escape," said Allen. "He is a dangerous young man to have loose."

"There is a rope in the closet," said Parsons. "Bind him with that, if you want to."

The rope was speedily brought forth, and Hal was bound hands and feet.

There was no use trying to escape, and consequently he did not undertake to do so.

"Put him in the closet," ordered the broker, when the job of binding Hal was completed.

"Gag him first," cautioned Hardwick. "We don't want him to raise the roof, if he's left alone. We'll fix him later."

The gag was inserted in Hal's mouth, and then he was lifted up by Macklin and the others and dumped into the corner of the closet, and the door was closed and locked upon him.

From the closet, which was damp and cold, he could hear the confused murmur of voices, but could not make out a word of what was being said.

The murmur continued fully half an hour, and then all became as silent as the grave.

Hal was all but suffocated by the rude gag which had been forced into his mouth. All was dark, and his position was a painful one, not only mentally, but bodily as well.

What the rogues intended to do with him he did not know. If only he could free himself and get away!

With might and main he tugged at the rope which bound his hands. At first it remained tight, but at last it loosened sufficiently to allow him to slip out his right hand.

The left soon followed; and Hal's next work was to remove the gag from his mouth. What a relief it was to once more close his mouth!

His feet freed, the boy looked about for some means by which to escape from the closet. The door was locked, as has been mentioned, but it was a poor affair, and Hal knew he could easily force it open with his shoulder.

Before proceeding to this extremity, he listened intently. It must be near three o'clock, and he wondered if all the others had left.

Suddenly voices broke upon his ear, and he heard Hardwick and Macklin enter the rear office. By applying his ear to the key-hole Hal heard what was said. If they opened the closet door, he determined to make a bold dash for liberty.

"How much is der in dis new ob?" Macklin asked.

"Two hundred dollars, if he never comes back."

"Den pa.s.s over der cash."