n me either. I defy you to; so there! Now just tell
me what you're goin' to do about it."

He squared off as though he had a dim idea the two boys might want to
lay hands on him and try to drag him around to the police headquarters.
Of course this was the very last thing Tom and Carl would think of
attempting. Strategy alone could influence Dock to confess to the
truth.

"Oh! we don't mean to touch you, Dock," said Tom, hastily. "All we
wanted to do was to ask you if you had seen that paper? If you denied
it we knew we would have to try and find it another way; because sooner
or later the truth is bound to come out, you understand. We'd rather
have you on our side than against us, Dock."

"But what would a feller like me want with your old paper?" snarled the
boy, who may not have wholly liked the firm way in which Tom said that
in the end the real facts must be made known, just as if they meant to
get some one accustomed to spying on people to watch him from that time
on.

"Nothing so far as it concerned you," replied Tom; "but it was of
considerable value to another. Your employer, Mr. Culpepper, might be
willing to pay a considerable sum to get possession of that same paper,
because it bore his signature."

Dock gave a disagreeable laugh.

"What, that old miser pay any real money out? Huh, you don't know him.
He squeezes every dollar till it squeals before he lets it go. He'd
bargain for the difference of five cents. Nobody could do business with
him on the square. But I tell you I ain't seen no paper; and that's all
I'm a-goin' to say 'bout it. I'm meanin' to let my dogs out for a
little air soon's I go back in the house, an' I hopes that you'll close
the gate after you when you skip!"

There was a veiled threat in his words, and as he proceeded to
terminate the interview by passing inside Tom and Carl thought it
good policy to make use of the said gate, for they did not like
the manner in which the dogs growled and whined on the other side
of the barrier.

"He's a tough one, all right," Carl was saying as they walked on
together, and heard the three dogs barking in the Phillips' yard.

"Yes," admitted his chum, "Dock's a hard customer, but not so very
smart when you come right down to it. He fell headlong into my trap,
which is a very old one with lawyers who wish to coax a man to betray
his guilt."

"You mean about saying it was a paper that had been lost?" said Carl.
"Yes, you fairly staggered him w