me in there," reasoned the bully, and slipped into
the place with all possible alacrity. Once inside, he crouched in a
dark corner behind the door and waited.

Sam, making the turn at just the right instant, saw Flapp disappearing
into the vault. Without stopping he ran forward and closed the iron
door, allowing the heavy catch to slip into place.

"Now, Lew Flapp, I guess I've got you!" he called out, after he was
certain the door was secure.

To this the bully made no answer, but it is more than likely his heart
sank within him.

"Do you hear me, Flapp? You needn't pretend you are not in there, for
I saw you go in."

Still Lew Flapp made no answer.

"Do you want me to go away and leave you locked in the vault?"
continued Sam. "It would be a beautiful place in which to die of
starvation."

"Let me out!" came from the bully, and now he got up and showed his
face at the small grating near the top of the door. "Let me out,
Rover, that's a good fellow."

"Then you don't want to die of starvation just yet?"

"You wouldn't dare to leave me here, you know you wouldn't!"

"Why not? Don't you deserve it, after the trick you played on Dick and
Tom and me?"

"I tell you it's all a mistake. Let me out and I will explain
everything," went on Flapp, who was now thoroughly alarmed.

"I'll let you out--after I have summoned the town constable."

"Don't have me locked up, I beg of you, Sam. Give me a chance," pleaded
the bully.

"You don't deserve any chance. You tried to send me and my brothers to
prison, and you have got to suffer for it."

"Then you won't let me out?"

"No."

"I'll pay you well for it."

"You haven't got money enough to pay me, Flapp, and you know it."

"If you have me locked up I'll say you helped me in that robbery."

"Ah, so you admit you did it," cried Sam, triumphantly.

"No, I admit nothing," growled the bully.

"Good-bye, then."

"Where are you going?"

"I am going after the cemetery keeper and the constable," answered Sam,
and walked off without another word.

CHAPTER XI

ATTACKED FROM BEHIND

Lew Flapp watched Sam's departure with much anxiety. As my old readers
know, he was a coward at heart, and the thought of being put under
arrest for the robbery of Aaron Fairchild's shop made him quake in
every limb.

"I must get out of here, I really must," he told himself, over and over
again.

He shook the door violently, but it refused to budge. Then he tried to
rea