is captors would return, and what they
proposed to do with him.

For fully a quarter of an hour Dave waited, straining his ears to catch
every sound. From below came a murmur of voices, but what was said he
could not learn. Once he thought he recognized Jasniff's rough tones,
but he was not sure.

Tired of sitting on the edge of the bed, Dave got up and tried to move
around. Then he made the discovery that his ankles were tied to a rope
that was secured to the bed, and that the latter was stationary.

"I'm a prisoner, and no mistake," he reasoned, grimly. "I wonder how
long they intend to keep me here?"

The room was cold, and he was glad that he had his overcoat on. His cap
had fallen off inside the bag, but his thick hair and the bag prevented
his catching cold in the head.

"Guess I'll wake them up a bit," he thought, and so commenced to stamp
on the floor. Then he stamped louder, until he felt he must be knocking
the plaster from the ceiling below. He was in the midst of the stamping
when the door of the room was thrown open and somebody came in.

"Stop that noise, or I'll knock you down!" said a sharp voice, and at
the same instant a strong hand was placed on his shoulder, and he was
given a vigorous shake.

Dave was surprised, for the voice was not that of Doctor Montgomery,
neither did it belong to Merwell nor Jasniff. Yet, in some way, the
voice sounded familiar.

"What are you going to do with me?" demanded Dave, as he stopped his
stamping.

"You'll find that out later, Porter. Now keep quiet,--if you know when
you are well off."

"I want to know now. You have no right to treat me in this fashion. I'll
have you and Doctor Montgomery put in jail for it."

"You shut up!" cried the stranger, and he gave Dave a shove that sent
him back on the bed. "You make any more noise and I'll quiet you in a
way you won't like!" And then the fellow left the room again, and the
door was locked as before.

Feeling that he might be attacked and seriously injured if he kept up
the noise, Dave remained quiet, and thus the remainder of the afternoon
passed. As night came on the room became dark and extra cold, and he
shivered in spite of himself.

"If they leave me here all night I'll be frozen stiff," he thought,
grimly. "Oh, why didn't I tell Roger and Phil where I was going! They
might come to the rescue!"

After another wait Dave heard more talking below, and then three persons
came upstairs and into the room.