okes at his expense, and vaguely hinting at
his fate.

Ted wished now that he had taken Stella's advice, and had not rushed in
so rashly. Had he waited for Bud and two or three of the boys to come to
his assistance, he could easily have caught the whole lot for their
cabin was in a perfect pocket from which they could not have escaped.

Who were these rough fellows with whom Checkers would not associate, for
Ted could hear his archenemy pacing up and down outside, and he had not
forgotten how he had addressed these men?

Probably they were only ordinary villains who did the dirty work planned
by the wiser heads of the syndicate. He wondered if the boys would be
able to find him before they settled with him, as they had promised.

After the men had finished their meal the voice of the leader summoned
them outside. Ted could hear commands being given in a low voice, and
mumbles from the men.

It appeared from what Ted could gather from the tones of the voice,
rather than from any words that he caught, that one of the men was
protesting against what Checkers was ordering.

Suddenly there was a cry of agony.

"Don't do that, boss," said one of the men.

"Shut up, or you'll get a taste of the same knife," came the voice of
Checkers in a tone of rage. "When I say a thing must be done it is as
good as done. Now go ahead and do as I tell you."

"But, boss--"

"Go on, and do it. Are you a coward? You've done it before," Ted heard
Checkers say. "I'm going away now, and if you can't show me what I want
when I get back, well--you know."

In a moment Ted heard the chug of the motor car, then the grating of the
tires on the earth as it started away.

"Remember what I said," the voice of Checkers came floating back.

"Say, Bill, this is a derned outrage," said one of the men outside. "I,
fer one, am not in favor of standin' for it."

"Well, if yer don't, you'll get the same," said other man.

"I never see any one so handy with that bloomin' knife o' his."

"Look out you don't get a taste o' it, then."

"Is he dead, Bill?"

There was a shuffling of feet outside, and Ted knew that they were
turning a body over.

"Yes, he's stone-dead."

"Pore Dick! He had his faults, but he was a good pal."

"He wuz, but too derned soft-hearted. He didn't want ter kill a feller
in cold blood never."

"An' yet he wa'n't no coward. I never see ther time Dick w'd refuse ter
fight if ther other feller had some show, an' he wa'n't