tory was soon told. The lawyer took off his gold spectacles,
wiped them carefully with a silk handkerchief, replaced them, looked at
Roy over the tops of them, and remarked:

"Hum!"

It was not very encouraging, nor did it tell very much. Roy began to
fear he had not made himself clear.

"I would like--" he began.

"What you want is my advice as to how next to proceed; isn't it?" asked
the lawyer, as though he had come to some decision, as indeed he had.

"Yes, sir."

"Well, I shall have to look into this matter of the property.
Evidently Mr. Annister has some reason for wanting you out of the way.
What it is we shall have to discover. Meanwhile you had better do
nothing."

"But suppose they kidnap him again?" asked De Royster.

"I don't believe they'll dare do that. Perhaps you had better take
care where you go, however. In the meanwhile I will make some
inquiries about this property. I will communicate with you as soon as
I have anything to report."

"Do you think you can make Mr. Annister give back the money he has
wrongfully kept?" asked Roy.

"I'm afraid I can't give you an opinion until I have looked further
into the case," said the lawyer with a smile. "It may be necessary to
take civil action, and we might have to make a criminal complaint. Now
don't worry about it. I'll look after it. Just you keep out of the
way of those men."

"I will," agreed Roy with a laugh. "I'm not afraid of them, however.
I'll be ready for them next time."

"Another thing," went on the lawyer, "don't drink ice cream sodas, or
anything else, with strangers."

"I'll stick to Mr. De Royster," said the boy. "I reckon if I trail
along with him they'll not be able to rope me."

"Rope you? Oh, yes, I understand," replied the lawyer with a smile.
"Yes, that's right. Good morning."

CHAPTER XXIV

ANOTHER RASCALLY ATTEMPT

"What next?" asked Roy of Mortimer De Royster, as they emerged from the
lawyer's office.

"Well, as it's getting near dinner time, suppose we go back to the
hotel."

"That's a good idea. Will you stay and have grub with me--I mean
lunch. I must get used to calling it that while I'm in New York."

"Yes, thank you. I've got a good appetite since that tussel with
Wakely."

"You had nerve to tackle him."

"I thought he was going to cut the rope and let you drop."

"If he had, that would have been the end of me. I'd have 'passed in my
chips,' as the card players say."

"Thos