"That suits me," answered Jack. "I'd like to see how things look at the offices. I haven't been down there in a long time."

"I'd like to go, too," came from Fred. "Maybe we can cheer Uncle Tom up a bit. He certainly deserves it--having all this business thrust on his shoulders!"

It did not take the four boys long to reach Wall Street, and then they hurried down to one of the small but better-cla.s.s office buildings in that vicinity.

The Rover Company occupied the entire fourth floor of this building.

There was a large general office and a counting room and three private offices, one for each of the brothers. The office help numbered about twenty, and the place during business hours was usually a busy one.

They found Tom Rover in his private office at a large desk piled high with sheets and doc.u.ments. He was hard at work signing his name to a number of sheets, but smiled pleasantly when he saw who his visitors were. The boys, of course, were well known to most of the employees, and so had pa.s.sed in without being questioned.

"Come to help me out, I suppose," said the father of the twins, with a grin. "All right. Take off your coats, roll up your sleeves and pitch in. There is plenty to do."

"If that is the case, Uncle Tom, I guess you don't want us to disturb you," said Jack quickly.

"I'll be through here in less than half an hour," announced Tom Rover.

"Just make yourselves at home for that length of time, and then I'll be with you."

This was a gentle hint that he must get through with his work, and the boys lost no time in backing out of his office. They went into the offices usually occupied by d.i.c.k Rover and Sam Rover, looking over a number of books, magazines and pamphlets.

"Let's go down in the street for a while and take a look around,"

suggested Andy, who always liked to be on the go.

As there was nothing particular for them to do in the offices, the others agreed to this, and so, telling the twins' father that they would come back at the end of the half hour, they walked out into the corridor opening upon the elevators and the stairway.

As they waited at one of the elevators for a chance to go down, the elevator came up and stopped to let out a messenger boy. Then it continued on its way upward.

"Say, did you notice who was in that elevator?" cried Randy quickly.

"I thought I saw Mr. Martell," answered Fred.

"Yes, it was Martell, and Nappy was with him."

"Well, there is nothing strange about that," came from Andy. "Probably he wants to see his father now he is in New York again."

"I'd like to know what Nappy has told his father about us," went on Fred. "You can wager it's nothing good."

"I don't care what he says, so long as he leaves us alone," said Jack.

Another elevator appeared, and the four boys descended to the ground floor of the office building. Here half a dozen people were waiting to go up, while several others were at the rear of the corridor, talking earnestly.

"h.e.l.lo! there are Slugger Brown and his father," exclaimed Fred, pointing down the corridor. "Now, what do you know about that!"

"They must be in this building to visit the Martells," returned Jack.

"They are talking to two men," put in Randy. "I wonder who they can be?"

"Oh, some friends or business acquaintances, I suppose," answered the oldest of the Rover boys.

Ordinarily none of the Rover boys considered eavesdropping honorable, but they thought it a different thing when dealing with their enemies, and Andy, being naturally inquisitive anyway, sauntered down the corridor and pa.s.sed the group that was talking so earnestly. The backs of both Mr. Brown and Slugger were toward him, so neither noticed the lad.

"And if you will do that, Mr. Brown, you will make very good money by it," Andy heard one of the strange men say. He spoke with a strong German accent.

"You will make far more money that way than you ever did in your business," added the other stranger.

"Yes, but I'll be running a big risk," Mr. Brown replied. "Those things are getting more dangerous every day."

"Say, Pop, why don't you go up and see Mr. Martell about this?" put in the son.

"Yes, I think we ought to go up and see Nelson Martell," answered Mr.

Brown.

"I have already seen him," said one of the strangers.

"Well, it won't do any harm to talk it over again," returned Slogwell Brown. "Come on; his offices are up on the fifth floor."

The party of four turned, and as they did so Andy raised his hand and made a quick motion to the other boys to get out of sight. Then, as Slugger Brown and the men pa.s.sed him, he turned quickly and, bending down, pretended to fix the lace of his shoe. Thus he was pa.s.sed without being recognized. A few seconds later the four were in the elevator, going up.

"Why did you motion for us to get out of the way?" demanded Jack, as soon as Andy rejoined the others.

"Because I didn't want Slugger and his father and those other men to see you," was the quick reply. "Do you know what I think?"

"What?" came in a chorus from the others.

"I think that whole crowd is up to no good. Both of those men look like Germans, and each of them talked with a strong German accent, even though they are both evidently very well educated."

"What did they say?" demanded Jack; and when told, he looked grave.

"There may be something in this," he said slowly. "Suppose we go up to the fifth floor and try to find out a little more."

"We might get caught," said Fred.

"I don't see how," went on the oldest Rover boy. "Martell doesn't occupy the whole floor. He has the front offices only. There are several other firms in the rear. We might be calling on them, you know," and he winked.

The boys talked the matter over for a minute or so, and then, as an elevator came down, they entered and got out at the fifth floor. The little corridor here was empty, for which they were thankful.

"Of course there may not be a thing in this," announced Jack. "It may be some ordinary business deal which is perfectly legitimate."

"Not by the way those two German-looking fellows talked," said Andy.

"I didn't like their looks at all. Unless I miss my guess, they are a slick pair."

The two strangers had looked to be about forty years of age. Each was tall and rather stout, with a clean-shaven, florid face and close-cut, sandy hair. Their eyes had had a shifty snake-like look, and this it was, as much as anything, which set Andy against them.

The doors to the Martell offices were two in number, one marked "Private" and the other, "Entrance." The boys waited for a few seconds, and then walked softly over to the latter door. They heard a murmur of voices, but could not make out what was being said.

"Perhaps they are in the office marked 'Private,'" whispered Jack, and tiptoed his way in that direction, followed by his cousins.

In front of the door to this office they could hear slightly better.

The murmur of voices was at times quite distinct, and they caught the words: "Supplies," "Canned goods," "Immediate delivery," "Motor trucks," "Machinery," "Cash payment," "Night work," and a number of others. Then the murmur of voices grew a little more animated, and finally they heard Nelson Martell exclaim: "I think we ought to have a thousand dollars at least in advance!"