mly; there were
other ways of taking care of this young man. Whereupon they had shut
him inside the vault while they discussed the matter of his discreet
disposal.

It was perhaps half an hour later that a closed cab had driven up the
lane at the rear of the building. Two men were inside the vehicle,
waiting for him. It was too dark for him to get a good look at them
just then. They lost no time in tying a pocket-handkerchief around his
ankles and blindfolding him with another. Rives and Nickleby remained
behind at the office. Jimmy knew that his two custodians were "tough,"
if their talk and manner meant anything, and whenever he tried to speak
to them they told him to "shut up or we'll knock your block off,"
following up the threat with sundry kicks and blows.

"There's your melodrama for you, Mr. Kendrick," Cristy could not resist
interpolating, "closed cab and all."

They left the city and drove for most of the night along country roads.
About dawn they reached their destination and when the bandage was
removed Stiles found himself in an empty room that was so dusty and
musty he came to the conclusion it was an empty house on some little
travelled side road. As soon as it grew light enough to take an
inventory of his surroundings Stiles went to the window, but could see
nothing except hills, valleys and bushland. Not a single habitation
was in sight. He found out later that the place was down near
Stockton, somewhere back in Clam Creek Valley, many miles from the
city; it was from the Stockton station that they afterwards boarded the
train.

Food was brought in to him regularly three or four times by a toothless
old woman who refused to talk. They watched him too closely for any
attempt at escape, one of his guards remaining in the room all day.

The next night he heard voices and a general stirring about the place
and before long he knew that Rives had arrived. He came into the room
with the two men who had ridden in the cab and they tried to make
Stiles tell what he knew about the missing campaign fund money. It had
been a bad half hour that followed; but at last they decided that he
really knew nothing about the matter.

Rives had sent the other two out of the room then and had adopted a
less truculent manner. He told Stiles that he had no desire to do him
any injury and that no harm would befall him if he did exactly as he
was told. It was necessary that Jimmy disappear completely for a
whi