om
he now shared the room. The newcomer's movements were too brisk, too
quick, for Hallo, who was slow moving, rather heavy footed, though agile
enough when it was necessary. Consumed by curiosity, Dick gradually
edged over so that he might have a chance to steal a look around the
edge of the big packing case without being seen himself.

He succeeded at last, and just as he looked around, the door was opened.
Hallo came in, and Dick darted back--but not until he had seen that the
other occupant of the room was Stepan Dushan! Now he felt that he was
amply justified for what he had done. Steve was here, and between them
there should be a chance to do something, he thought!

"What are you doing here?" growled Hallo, as he saw Stepan.

"I came to try to catch up with my work, sir," said Stepan, meekly.
"Since I could not be here to-day during the day, I thought it would be
better if I got ready for to-morrow, so that in the morning no time
would be lost."

"H'mph!" growled Hallo. He hesitated for a moment; then, half satisfied,
sat down at his desk.

"Did you have a fall, sir?" asked Stepan, and Dick almost choked with
laughter at his tone. "You're all covered with mud. Shall I get a brush
and try to take some of it off?"

"No! Attend to your work!" roared Hallo. "Or here--clear out of here!
I'm going to be busy, and I want to be alone."

It seemed to Dick that Stepan was hesitating, that he was on the verge
of refusing to obey, and so of giving everything away. But he yielded,
after just a moment's pause.

"Very well, sir," he said. "I'll go down to the stock-room and make the
tally from last night's sheets."

"All right. Be off!" said Hallo, ungraciously.

And now one thing filled Dick's mind. How much had Hallo seen or heard
while he was hidden in the closet of the boathouse? Did he know Stepan's
real work, and the part he was playing in these stirring times? If he
did, and had concealed his knowledge, it meant that he was laying a trap
for Stepan, and it meant, too, that he was a good actor, for he had
managed to conceal his knowledge admirably if he really possessed it.

Nothing that Dick knew of Hallo made it seem at all likely that he could
dissemble well enough to keep from betraying his knowledge, if he had
it. But Dick felt that it would not be safe to assume that, because his
father had trusted Hallo to a great extent, and had supposed him to be
an honorable business man, and there had certainly neve