Our hero's first impulse, on finding himself entrapped, was to escape.
He sprang towards the door, but Martin quickly grasped him by the arm,
and forced him back.

"No you don't!" he said, with emphasis. "I want you to stay with me."

"Let me go!" exclaimed Rufus, struggling to escape.

"Sorry I couldn't oblige you," said Martin, with a grin. "Can't you stay
with your sick father a few days?"

"You've played me a mean trick," said Rufus, indignantly.

"What was you walkin' through this street for?" asked Martin. "Wasn't it
because you wanted to see me?"

"Yes," answered our hero.

"Well, you've got what you wanted," said Martin, smiling maliciously. "I
know'd you'd never find me if I didn't send out for you. Was there
anything partic'lar you wish to say to me?"

"Yes," said Rufus, bluntly. "I want you to give me back that tin box you
stole from me the other day."

"What do I know about any tin box?" asked Martin, not knowing that it
had been spoken of by Humpy in the street.

"You needn't deny it, Mr. Martin. The boy you sent after me told me you
took it."

"He did, did he?" said Martin, seeing that he must try another tack.
"Well, s'posin' I did, what then?"

"The law may have something to say. You'll stand a chance of going to
Sing Sing for a few years."

"You'd have to prove I took it," said Martin, uneasily. "I only told the
boy to say so, so's to get you in here. I read about the robbery in the
papers."

"I recognized you at the time, and am ready to swear to you," said
Rufus, firmly.

This was rather imprudent, for it made Martin even more determined to
prevent our hero's escape.

"If that's your game," he said, "I'll see you don't get a chance to
swear to any lies."

"What do you mean to do with me?" demanded Rufus.

"I aint decided yet," said Martin. "Your health's so delicate that I
don't think it'll agree with you to go out in the street."

"Are you going to confine me here?"

"Maybe," said his step-father. "I shan't charge you nothing for board.
Your cheerful company'll pay me for that."

"Mr. Martin," said Rufus, "I've got a proposition to make to you."

"Go ahead and make it then."

"You've got yourself into a scrape about that tin box."

"I thought you was the one that had got into a scrape," said Martin,
jocularly.

"So I have; but mine is of a different kind from yours. You run the risk
of going to prison."

"And you're in prison already," said Martin, with a grin