ou in a closet for a few hours," he said, harshly.
"Don't you dare to attempt an escape, or it will be the worse for you, mind
that!"

He walked with his burden to a rear room. Here was situated, in one corner,
a large kitchen pantry, now bare of even the shelving.

Into the pantry Ralph was thrust, in a sitting position. Then the door was
closed and bolted on him. Presently he heard Martin leave the room and
hurry downstairs.

The poor boy was dazed and bewildered by the rough treatment he had
received. For some time he sat where he had been placed, not daring to move
for fear his tormentor would come back and finish his evil work.

"There is something behind it all," he thought, dismally. "Martin is doing
this for some purpose. What can that purpose be?"

Ralph did not brood over the mystery long. As the minutes passed slowly by
and Martin did not come back, the youth began to speculate on the chances
of escape.

"If I could only get free of these cords I might burst open the door," he
thought. "Let me see what I can do."

Ralph struggled manfully, but it availed him but little. He was no great
contortionist, and his efforts resulted only in a painful laceration of his
wrists and ankles. Martin had done his work well, and the bonds could not
be severed without outside aid.

Five minutes more went by--to poor Ralph they seemed an age. Then the boy
fancied he heard a light footstep without.

"Hullo! where are yer?" came in a clear but subdued voice, which Ralph was
sure he had heard before.

The cry was repeated several times. In the meanwhile Ralph changed his
position and began to kick upon the door.

"In the kitchen closet, dat's where he is!" exclaimed the voice, and the
patter of bare feet came toward Ralph's prison.

A second later the bolt on the door was shot back. A flood of light came
into the place and Ralph beheld the face and form of the bootblack he had
become acquainted with at the entrance to the post office.

"I t'ought so!" exclaimed the bootblack. "Say, he's a corker ter treat yer
dis way, ain't he?"

Then he saw how Ralph was gagged and bound, and he gave a low whistle of
surprise.

"Gee! What's dis, highway robbery?" he cried.

In a trice he had out his pocketknife and with it he cut Ralph's bonds.
Ralph himself removed the gag.

"Thank you, Mickety!" he ejaculated, as he sprang to his feet. "You are the
friend in need!"

"I seen him leadin' yer up here, an' I t'ought it was m