t trust you. Besides that, your pal's begging us
hard to fetch 'Dippy' back. Wants to see you and ask you why you shot
him after stealing our car. Do you catch on?"

At this the man, whose head and shoulder was bruised and aching from the
effect of Billy's rubber tube, seemed to give up. But Worth had one more
arrow. He produced the pistol, showed the man the one empty chamber, and
said:

"Look here, Quinn. That's your name or the one you go by, for Horr said
it was. See that empty cartridge? I know these Smith & Wesson
twenty-twos, for I've got one at home myself. We got the bullet, too. It
glanced off and came out. You might as well own up now and thank your
stars you didn't kill your pal, or you would be in for murder as well as
these other jobs."

But before the man could make any rejoinder back came Phil with the
suitcase which seemed quite heavy. In the other hand he carried the
stranger's black felt hat, from which Phil had brushed most of the dust
and cobwebs and placed it on the man's head as he now sat leaning
against the edge of the tottering counter behind which the boys had
found Billy after his capture by the two who attempted to escape with
the Six.

"Can you stand and walk?" queried Phil. "We've got to put you in our
car; the one you and Horr tried to steal."

The man, now sullen enough, made no reply. Without more ado they helped
him up and started with him towards the porch. Though his hands were
tied, he went grudgingly until he saw the big, yawning open space made
by Worth when the boy fell through both porch floor and the cellar
roofing below. The sight seemed to nerve the man to a final effort.

As they stood at the outer office entrance he suddenly pushed against
Phil on one side and at the same time butted his head into Worth as
forcibly as possible. Worth fell down while Phil, overborne by the
weight of the suitcase, seemed in danger of stepping into the hole in
front. The man, seeing a wild chance, drew back his foot, and was about
to kick at the suitcase as if to send it through the hole in front.

"You would, would you?" grunted Billy, recovering in time to put his
back against the door-facing and administer a push with his foot to the
man, still standing on one leg in the act of kicking at the suitcase.

Down he went, the intended kick going wild. At the same moment Phil,
having dropped the suitcase, sprang upon the man and with Billy's ready
aid, managed to bind both legs fast toge