him around the country with us."

"You're right but we can drop him after he's where it'll trouble him to
get back."

"There's a safer way."

"I know what you mean, Joe, but I don't like to do any more of that
business than's necessary. The last one couldn't have been avoided,
but this can."

"It's a big risk to carry him up the river, and he'd better be dropped."

"We'll talk about that later. Have you heard anything new?"

"Not much. After this cub came from headquarters a detective was sent
down to the Bowery, and by this time it is known pretty well what we
looked like. The afternoon papers say the police are following a good
clew, but you know what such talk means, Bob."

"Is the stuff salted away?"

"All except what we need for a couple of months. The boys can send us
more if we conclude to leave the quiet little place we're bound for."

Then the two men had recourse to the flask, and after taking a hearty
drink the one who had been called Bob proposed to go outside for a
moment.

"You must be a fool to think of such a thing," Joe said angrily. "You
are not done up so well but that some body would be able to recognize
you. We are lucky in getting under cover without trouble, and here we
stop till morning."

"It's going to be mighty dull work staying in this coop all that time."

"Not half so bad as a cell in the Tombs."

The two men relapsed into silence for a time and Jet lay watching them
as he tried to devise some way out of a position which was fraught with
danger. It seemed impossible that he could aid himself, bound as he
was, and exceedingly improbable any one would come to his assistance.

Study as he might Jet could think of no way to extricate himself and he
said mentally after racking his brain in vain:

"I don't see any way out, but there's no use in giving up hope till a
fellow is obliged to."

The men alternately drank and smoked during the remainder of the
afternoon, but said very little more regarding their flight.

When the steamer started Jet expected to hear them decide what was to
be done with him, but in this he was mistaken.

As the hours wore on he fell into an uneasy slumber, despite the
painfulness of his position, and during this time of unconsciousness
the matter must have been settled.

It was yet dark when the steamer arrived at Albany, and, very much to
the prisoner's surprise, the two men left the room, fastening the door
behind them. Then Jet heard