sts of criminals. D'ye understand now? We're officers of the law,
and we've just made a grand haul. But some of the evidence has slipped
away from us. It's in that same bag you picked up on this here road.
Now, don't you dare deny it again, or we'll take you into town with these
pretty toys clasped on your wrists. I'm going to give you another chance
to tell us, son. Where did you put that bag?"

Ted winced and whined. He showed all the signs of injured innocence.
Surely he must have made up his mind quickly that the contents of the
bag were well worth taking all sorts of chances for.

"Ain't seen no bag. Sure I'd be on'y too glad to tell you, mister, if I
had. All I wants to do is to go home. I'm tired, an' nigh sick with all
this huntin' for that kid," he whimpered.

The man suddenly pounced on him, and despite Ted's struggles and
entreaties, he seemed to succeed in accomplishing his purpose. At any
rate the concealed scouts heard a snap; and when Ted reeled back he was
holding his two hands close together in a suspicious way, and staring at
something that seemed to be in the nature of a connecting link.

"Now you are in for it," said the tall man, shaking his head
threateningly as he stood over the prisoner; "we'll have to take you to
town, and put you in the lockup as an accessory after the fact. D'ye hear
that, you young fool? And all because you refuse to help honest officers
of the law in their legitimate business. Why, you may get ten years at
hard labor, yes, twenty. Better tell all you know, and perhaps we'll let
you off."

"You can do anything you like to me, mister, but I ain't agoin' to say
what I don't know. Ain't seen any bag of no kind. Cross my heart if I
have. I'm willin' to help you hunt for it, even if I am dog tired. Don't
you believe me, mister? Sure, I wouldn't lie to you. What would I be
wantin' with a bag; we got plenty at my house. Ted Slavin's my name, and
I live in Stanhope. Gimme a ride, mister, if you're goin' that way, won't
you?"

Again the two men talked together, while Ted watched them out of the
corner of his eye. He might even have tried to run but the fact that
his hands were fastened together with that steel chain prevented such
a thing.

Once more they turned upon him, and the tall man pointing down,
thundered:

"You've been kneeling in the dirt!"

Ted glanced down at his trousers involuntarily; but even then he was not
taken off his guard.

"I fell ever so many times